Google is shutting down its Google Answers service. The company has announced that new questions won't be accepted after the New Year, though the site will continue to let people view the question archives. Killing off the service, which never seemed to catch on much, certainly will help Google seem like it is focusing efforts toward more needed areas. But it still feels like an odd, almost surrendering move in the face of Yahoo Answers being such a success.
Google Answers, which allows users to send questions to volunteers for an anwers, will be put to sleep. The existing database of questions and answers will remain, though.
The project started with a rough idea from Larry Page, and a small 4-person team turned it into reality in less than 4 months, Andrew Fikes and Lexi Baugher report at the Google blog. At the end more than 500 researchers were ready to answer question for US$2.50 or more — usually within 24 hours.
The Google bloggers do not say why the project is closed down, though. A lack of visitors may be one reason.
Source:
Google Answers, which allows users to send questions to volunteers for an anwers, will be put to sleep. The existing database of questions and answers will remain, though.
The project started with a rough idea from Larry Page, and a small 4-person team turned it into reality in less than 4 months, Andrew Fikes and Lexi Baugher report at the Google blog. At the end more than 500 researchers were ready to answer question for US$2.50 or more — usually within 24 hours.
The Google bloggers do not say why the project is closed down, though. A lack of visitors may be one reason.
Source:
Code:
*blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/061129-050815
