You don't get paid answering questions at Y answers or writing articles at Wikipedia, why do you do it anyway?

Question

Thousands of people are everyday involved in the work of developing sites as Yahoo Answers and Wikipedia without being payed for their work. Why do they do it? What do they get out of it?

Just to clearafy, I'm not a employee for a marketing company. I'm just new to this concept of information seeking and very fascinated. Who knows, soon I'm stuck too?

Answer 1

because of the inspiration given by yahoo answers.

Answer 2

The first time I used Y Answers was when I had an etiquette question I wanted answered right away and couldn't find the answer quickly on the net. I posted my question and the answers came in immediately and solved the problem for me. The people seemed to enjoy being helpful and sharing their experience.

Now I just do it for fun. It's like listening to a radio talk show or participating in a debate - only easier! One of my favorite things to do is vote for best answers, though I also ask questions and write answers. It's fun sharing my knowledge or expressing my opinion.

Some people seem to enjoy answering questions with the funniest possible answer. There's usually at least one in every post and they're great. You know how much fun it is to sit around with friends talking and laughing. Well, that's what this community is often like.

I like answering questions like the soul-searching ones "Spooky" asks because I get to share intimate thoughts and feelings and read others' as well.

Some participants seem to take it very seriously - especially the point system and complaining about how other participants behave. Others seem to be the exact opposite such as "The What Should I Do Retard" who just posts inane but funny questions.

So it's just something fun to do that's available whenever's convenient. And I can choose what interests me and pass over the rest.

Answer 3

I think it is very interesting to see the different people that come to the watering hole. In a sense that is what Yahoo answers is. A place where bored people stop in and give their thoughts, even if they are disturbing at times. I noticed the kids hang out in here after school, so it is a good time not to visit Yahoo answers. During the morning retired people and house wife's tend to drift on in. I don't mind giving advice to children but their parents should be the ones offering guidance. Of course I could be wrong because I don't pay that close of attention. For me it is a place to visit late at night or early morning while I drink my coffee. My goal has been to simply be able to write my thoughts at will with some accuracy.I either collect information or write for enjoyment. It is a way for me to view my thoughts in text.

Answer 4

Well.....the question is really fit to philosophical debate. We do not do all the material things just for the sake of some green dollars, as there are at least couple of things we do to gain experiences in life for life ahead. Sometimes you help a handicapped person to cross the zebra line eventually whether you know him personally or not, but there are some symptoms in your personality which mark you to act in that way. Yahoo Q&A platform perfectly serves in this way. We do like to see both the question and answer.....sometime we take them seriously other time we just read them and if they seem irrelevant and childish, still we follow the next page....thats the real quality of sensing the stream of thoughts flowing all over the globe. At this very moment I remember a chinese proverb, roughly it says like, "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." ..... in this way, people associated with Yahoo Answers are trying to polish the gem to become the perfect.

Answer 5

I guess it's just that fulfillment you get by expressing yourself. So often in life we hold back on things that we have opinions on, or ecperience with, because we are taught that noone likes a know it all or show off. We are not sure that our response is going to be received positively or if, perhaps, we will put a strain on a relationship by sharing our opinions. With these forums, we can freely express and give what we long to give, without the risk of damaging friendship. It truly is free speech as you can't get in outside an online world....

Answer 6

Hey Cool Guy I think it is really cool that you got all these answers, it must indeed be a hot topic you picked to ask a question about. Me I do it because someone else will read it and if I ever get paid for it or not I am going to stop psychiatry from doing what it is doing, don't you know that by now? The lies have to stop, and so glad to see you here.

Answer 7

Some of the best things in life are free. The ability to do such things for some people is reward enough. To have such a "hobby" and be paid for it is just a bonus but money isn't everything and some may just enjoy what they do and are willing to do it without being paid to do it.

Answer 8

Are you a marketing employee for an Internet company?

Answer 9

I for one answer Yahoo questions because I need to have enough points to be able to ask my own, but also because it is fun! About Wikipedia, it may be simply personal satisfaction, like knowing you have written something there and maybe even put your name there...

Answer 10

1

Answer 11

Because I can anonymously spew the insanity that flows in this mind while screwing with people's heads. It's a LOT better than sitting down and journaling for a few hours.