Amazon is out to replace Google's defunct Answers service
Amazon launched a new website called Askville.com, an online question and answer service similar to Google's now defunct Google Answers, which was discontinued late November 2006. Askville serves the same purpose, but the new website differs from Google Answers because it is completely free. Askville, which is currently under beta, is instead based on a reward system and offers contributing users Experience points, Levels, and Quest coins.
Every time a user answers a question, they can potentially earn or lose experience points, depending on the quality of their answer. These experience points are then used to show how knowledgeable a user is in a certain topic. Only the person who originally asked the question along with users who posted answers to the question is allowed to rate answers. The answers are rated as: great, good, okay, weak and awful.
Experience points are then calculated after the question has been closed, which automatically takes place after five answers have been posted. The user who was voted with posting the "Best Answer" receives 15 experience points, while the one with the most "Awful" answer loses 10 experience points. In addition to serving as an indicator of knowledge regarding topics, gaining more experience points also increases the level of users. While reaching level 2 merely takes 20 experience points, reaching level 6 requires 7,500.
Amazon has also integrated a virtual currency system into its new website based on "Quest Coins." This reward system can be viewed as the backbone of Askville, as it is the only major incentive users receive by answering questions. While Google Answers charged users to ask a question, and then split revenue with the person who answered the question, Askville is completely free meaning that Amazon has to provide some other reason for users to participate. Quest Coins are its answer. Asking a question earns 1 quest coin as does submitting an answer. Receiving a "Best Answer" rating earns 10 Quest Coins. The system, however, can also be used to "punish" users, as receiving the most "Awful" rating takes away 10 quest coins.
Amazon also offers users "Superpowers" in Askville. As the name indicates, superpowers are special powers and privileges that users can use on Askville. In order to gain eligibility for superpowers, users are required to reach at least a level 1 in any topic. Advancing to higher levels gives users the ability to "learn" more superpowers. Superpowers can be bought with "Quest Coins" by going to the Superpower shop. Each superpower varies in price and functionality. For example, the "Voting Authority Superpower" allows users to vote on questions they haven't participated in while the "Coin Earning Multiplier" superpower multiplies the amount of Quest Coins earned or lost.
At the moment there isn't much purpose for "Quest Coins" as they currently aren't redeemable for anything. Despite this, Amazon states that they will be eventually used with an upcoming Amazon website called Questville.com, which is expected to makes its debut this year.
Amazon is entering a market that is already full of other “Q&A” competitors. This includes Yahoo! Answers, which was launched little over a year ago, and Answerbag.com, an independent startup which has experienced some success in the market.
Amazon launched a new website called Askville.com, an online question and answer service similar to Google's now defunct Google Answers, which was discontinued late November 2006. Askville serves the same purpose, but the new website differs from Google Answers because it is completely free. Askville, which is currently under beta, is instead based on a reward system and offers contributing users Experience points, Levels, and Quest coins.
Every time a user answers a question, they can potentially earn or lose experience points, depending on the quality of their answer. These experience points are then used to show how knowledgeable a user is in a certain topic. Only the person who originally asked the question along with users who posted answers to the question is allowed to rate answers. The answers are rated as: great, good, okay, weak and awful.
Experience points are then calculated after the question has been closed, which automatically takes place after five answers have been posted. The user who was voted with posting the "Best Answer" receives 15 experience points, while the one with the most "Awful" answer loses 10 experience points. In addition to serving as an indicator of knowledge regarding topics, gaining more experience points also increases the level of users. While reaching level 2 merely takes 20 experience points, reaching level 6 requires 7,500.
Amazon has also integrated a virtual currency system into its new website based on "Quest Coins." This reward system can be viewed as the backbone of Askville, as it is the only major incentive users receive by answering questions. While Google Answers charged users to ask a question, and then split revenue with the person who answered the question, Askville is completely free meaning that Amazon has to provide some other reason for users to participate. Quest Coins are its answer. Asking a question earns 1 quest coin as does submitting an answer. Receiving a "Best Answer" rating earns 10 Quest Coins. The system, however, can also be used to "punish" users, as receiving the most "Awful" rating takes away 10 quest coins.
Amazon also offers users "Superpowers" in Askville. As the name indicates, superpowers are special powers and privileges that users can use on Askville. In order to gain eligibility for superpowers, users are required to reach at least a level 1 in any topic. Advancing to higher levels gives users the ability to "learn" more superpowers. Superpowers can be bought with "Quest Coins" by going to the Superpower shop. Each superpower varies in price and functionality. For example, the "Voting Authority Superpower" allows users to vote on questions they haven't participated in while the "Coin Earning Multiplier" superpower multiplies the amount of Quest Coins earned or lost.
At the moment there isn't much purpose for "Quest Coins" as they currently aren't redeemable for anything. Despite this, Amazon states that they will be eventually used with an upcoming Amazon website called Questville.com, which is expected to makes its debut this year.
Amazon is entering a market that is already full of other “Q&A” competitors. This includes Yahoo! Answers, which was launched little over a year ago, and Answerbag.com, an independent startup which has experienced some success in the market.
