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Is Yahoo Answers mainly just a lazy person's way of getting others to check Wikipedia?
At least in the sciences, which is where I tend to lurk, most of the questions are easily answered by either looking them up in Wikipedia, or doing a simple Google search. What going on?
Of course homework questions may be too specific to find such answers easily, which raises my 2nd question:
Why do so many people post homework questions under the assumption that complete strangers on the other side of the world are in possession of the exact same textbook and course materials?
Unless it's only meant for your classmates, the question must include ALL THE RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFO (images, meanings of abbreviations, etc).
6 Answers
- billrussell42Lv 710 years agoFavorite Answer
Yes, strange as it seems, many of the questioners do not know how to use google or wikipedia. After all, google returns millions of results, and you have to pick out the one you want, and that may be too difficult a decision for many to make.
And I find it amusing that people post part of a homework problem and expect an answer. Here I can only consider gross stupidity.
A few examples:
What is a wooden ruler made out of?
Why doesn't the earth fall down?
height is big of inch?
Need to know number ? Need it for computer
What material would you use if you were building a ramp to heaven?
How can I turn into a dinosaur? I really want to become a dinosaur.
Is Europe in Canada?
Who invented water, and when was it invented?
Why does the sun have to be so far away?
How people wartch TV before lightbulb invented?
And my favorite:
Will a peenish pump make brasts bigger?
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- Roger KLv 710 years ago
Yes. It see that about two thirds of the questions I look at are easily answered with a wikipedia entry, or a google search. Why people bother posting questions, then waiting days for answers when they could figure it out themselves in 10 minutes has always puzzled me.
EDIT: Billrussell - Great laugh at the questions you posted in your reply. If I had not seen questions similar to the ones you posted I would not believe it - - - sadly, it is all too real.
- ?Lv 510 years ago
1. I don't know, is it lazy to type a question, categorize it, wait five minutes, and then read a snarky answer when you can just type the question into google and get the answer immediately?
2. They don't realize how specific some of their questions are, and don't know that there are many different techniques while the textbook only requires you do one.
- David DLv 710 years ago
I am amazed too...
I believe many don't know about Google - as strange as that seems...
It may also be that once a Google search yields results they may not be able to go into the article and get the answer....
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