no.stupid.answers

Mozilla just released the latest Firefox into the wild, and it’s supposed to be 3 times the fun. While I’m playing around with the new toy, I’m noticing something even cooler:

The Answers.com add-on for Firefox is featured on the Firefox start page in the Learn tab. The add-on is basically a version of 1-Click Answers for your browser. It’s cool for a lot of reasons which I will now list:

• No matter what page you’re browsing in Firefox, you can Alt-click any word and get an instant pop up with the definition or additional facts. Kind of like the way you can double-click anywhere on this blog - you’d get the same AnswerTip. The AnswerTip is easy to close and non-invasive, in case you’re creeped out by pop ups.
• This will totally help you out when you don’t feel like leaving the web page you are viewing to find out what a weird word means.
• Eventually, you will start to Alt-click real things in your life, like a bizarre vegetable or fancy statue, in order to find out more… and you’ll be sad when you realize that there is life away from the computer screen.

If you just want to add it right now, go ahead. If you want to learn more about accessing Answers.com from Firefox, you can do that too.

In recent years the potential for computers and the internet as educational tools has grown tremendously. When I was an elementary school student, ‘computer class’ meant going once a week to play Lemonade Stand in a stuffy closet with a bunch of dusty Apple II’s and Commodores.

Twenty-plus years later, students in middle school and high school are not only computer savvy, but also benefit greatly from education using alternative tools on the internet.

I’ve begun a hunt for teachers who prefer alternative methods of learning to try out an idea brewing: a WikiAnswers classroom project, where a class can work on asking and answering questions on WikiAnswers in a topic they are studying for class (there are currently 3,073 categories and counting!). The teacher might want to seed the questions and have students work together to answer them, or the students might want to quiz each other; the possibilities are vast and I’d be happy to work with teachers to figure out ways to use WikiAnswers as an educational tool.

In fact, if there is a category you’d like to try with your students that doesn’t yet exist on WikiAnswers, we’d be happy to add it! Most categories have a Supervisor dedicated to growing them and protecting them from vandals, and would be happy to work with you.

Leave a comment if this idea appeals to you and your class.

A few of us from the Answers Corp crew are attending the Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow taking place in Jerusalem, Israel, hosted by its president, Shimon Peres. Fancy, right? We’ll be brushing shoulders with world leaders, politicians, authors, celebrities and technology geeks. The latter is where we fit in, of course.

Many of the speeches and panel discussions are covering technology, new media and the future of this booming global business. We are looking forward to learning as well as sharing - in true WikiAnswers spirit.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind chatting up Mark Zuckerberg or Sergey Brin, who are both attending… If we get the chance, we could recruit those two brains for answering some Technology questions…

In the last week I noticed that there were a lot of science-related questions being asked by bloggers of all different stripes. Here’s a sampling:

• Minnesota Public Radio discusses the pros and cons of going nuclear.
• Science of Machines wants to know who invented the pulley.
• Reflections by Kris explores the purpose of Stonehenge.
• Life in These United States is looking for connections between thunderstorms and headaches.
• Latina Viva researches a soothing treatment for sunburn: aloe vera.
• Pound 360 goes solar to find out what is the diameter of the sun.

Thanks to all the bloggers who keep the Science and Technology category busy!

Check it out: Answers.com received place #25 in the Deloitte Israel Technology Fast 50, a ranking of the fastest-growing technology companies located in Israel.

Sounds like we’re a race car…

AndherecomesAnswers.comdowntheline,lookat’emgo,surpassing26-50to becomecompanynumber25intheDeloitteIsraelTechnologyFast50…

Thanks for the recognition!