Askpedia FAQ
General
- What is Askpedia?
Askpedia is an online community for knowledge sharing using Questions and Answers. With Askpedia, you can connect with other people to find information, get advice, and benefit from the collective knowledge and wisdom within the community.
- Who is Askpedia?
We're a team with backgrounds in product and engineering at leading Silicon Valley companies. We're based in Palo Alto, CA and we're always looking for great software engineers. If you love working at early stage startups please contact us at jobs@askpedia.com.
- How does it Work?
Askpedia allows you to turn to real people if you're making an important decision and need information or advice. You can post a question on Askpedia and receive multiple personalized answers from the community. With Askpedia, you benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of real people instead of relying on limited and outdated information published on web pages.
Askpedia also provides an archive of answered questions and an experts directory searchable by keyword and location. If you have a question, chances are that someone has already asked the question on Askpedia. You can also find local experts whose expertise can be verified and vetted based on their Askpedia answers track record.
- What are the major features of Askpedia?
Here are some highlights of the many features within Askpedia:
Question and Answer Discovery
You describe your question content using tags and location information. Askpedia then uses these tags and location, as well as a user's track record to guide knowledgeable users to your questions. The more you use Askpedia, the better it will become in helping you discover the most interesting and relevant questions and answers.Monetary Rewards
If you have an important question, you can generate greater participation from the community by providing a monetary reward. You get to determine the size of your question reward and you also get to choose who receives the monetary reward for the best answer.GroupAsk
If you have a question that is interesting and relevant to others, they can contribute additional monetary rewards and join your question as a GroupAsk participant. Questions with greater rewards attract more attention and will therefore attract better answers from the community. GroupAsk participants also get to participate in the selection of the Best GroupAsk Answer.Survey Questions
If you're looking for people's opinions, you can ask a Survey question and ask people to vote on multiple choice responses. People can also add comments with their votes to encourage discussions.Expertise and Reputations
By answering questions, users develop a track record of answers that showcase their knowledge and expertise to the entire community. Askpedia provides a searchable directory of Experts whose expertise can be verified and vetted based on the quality of their contributions to the community.Knowledgebase
Askpedia provides a comprehensive knowledgebase that archives all of the Q&A activity. This knowledgebase can be searched using keywords, question attributes, and location information to discover knowledge and experts in the community. - How is Askpedia different from web search engines?
There is a lot of information on the Web, but not all human knowledge is organized and accessible on the web. In many cases it's much easier and better to ask people for advice and help. Instead of wading through search results with hundreds of web pages, Askpedia allows you to tap into the collective knowledge of people in the entire community and receive customized responses.
- Do I have to pay to use Askpedia?
Participating in Askpedia is totally FREE. You can signup for a user account, ask Questions, answer Questions, search and view answered Questions without paying any money. In fact, you can even make Money if you provide Best Answers to Questions with monetary Question Rewards.
- Do I have to pay to Ask a Question?
Asking a Question on Askpedia is totally free. However,if you have a Question on a topic that is important to you, you can enhance your Question with a monetary Question Reward. Providing a Question Reward will attract more attention and therefore higher quality answers.
Getting Started
- How can I start using Askpedia?
Askpedia is an open community so you can start using Askpedia immediately. You can view open questions, search and view answered questions, as well as explore the Experts directory. If you want to ask a question or answer a question, you can create a free account to start establishing your reputation and track record within the Askpedia community.
- How do I create an account on Askpedia?
You can create an account by visiting the Askpedia account signup page. Creating an account is totally free and you only need to provide your name, email address, and Zip code/City information.
- Why do I have to validate my email address?
When you create an account, we will send an email to you email address to validate your email address. You will need to click on the link inside the email to validate your email address. This is required because we send important announcements and alerts via email.
- I didn't receive my validation email. What should I do?
If you don't receive your validation email after signing up, please check your Email Spam folder. Sometimes, Spam filters can be overly aggressive and send regular email to your Spam folder. You can also request a new validation email by logging in using your username/password and clicking the link to re-send the validation email.
- What are the benefits of creating an account on Askpedia?
Creating an account allows you to participate in the Askpedia community. Once you create your free account, you can ask questions, post answers, and rate answers from other users.
- Why do I have to provide my location information?
All questions, answers, and users are location enabled which means that you can search and discover interesting questions and experts in your local community. By providing your location information, you will allow Askpedia to connect you with interesting and relevant local content and people within the Askpedia community.
- How do I ask a new Question?
After you create an account, you can ask a new question by going to the "Ask Question" tab and clicking on the "Ask a New Question" button. When you ask a new question, you can also provide an optional monetary Question Reward for the Best Answer.
- How do I add money to my Askpedia account?
You can add money using a PayPal account or by using your credit card. Go to the "My Home" tab and click on "Add Money" link inside the "My Account Balance" box in the top right hand corner.
- How do I answer Questions?
Find an open question by going to the "Answer Questions" tab and browse through open questions listings or find open questions by question tags. Once you find an open question, click on the "Answer" button to provide an answer. You will need to be logged in to answer questions.
- How do I select the Best Answer to my Questions?
When your question expires, you will receive an alert to select a Best Answer within three days. You can go to the "My Home" tab and click on "My Questions" link in the tab menu to find your expired question and select the Best Answer.
- How will I know if my answer is selected as the Best Answer?
After the question expires, the question asker will have three days to make a Best Answer selection. At the end of this period, if your answer is selected as the Best Answer, you will receive an alert. If the question had a Question Reward, the amount will be deposited into your Answer Rewards balance.
Privacy and Security
- Is my email information kept private on Askpedia?
Your email will always be kept private on Askpedia. Your email will never be disclosed on the site nor sold to third parties.
- Can I remain anonymous on Askpedia?
Askpedia will never disclose your email information nor your IP address and other information that will reveal your identity and exact location. Only the optional information that you provide in your public profile will be disclosed to the Askpedia community.
- Is my password kept private and secure on Askpedia?
Your password is never stored nor transmitted as plain text. Your password is encrypted during the login process using SSL encryption. Also, your password is stored as encrypted text in our databases using industry standard encryption. This means that nobody, not even Askpedia employees will see your password.
- Is it secure when I add money to my account?
When you add money to your account, all of the payment information is sent over a secure and encrypted SSL connection. Askpedia relies on PayPal to securely process PayPal and credit card transactions.
- Is it secure if I store my credit card information?
If you choose to store your credit card information, it is secured by using industry standard encryption. Once you store your credit card information on Askpedia, it is never sent to your browser as plain text. The only time your credit card information leaves Askpedia is when it is sent to PayPal for processing via an encrypted connection.
Asking a New Question
- How do I ask a new Question?
You can ask a new question by going to the "Ask Question" tab and clicking on the "Ask a New Question" button.
- How is an Open Format Question different from a Survey Question?
Open format question allow you to ask a question which people answer by providing written responses. You would ask an open format question when you're looking for advice and/or information. Survey questions allow you to ask a question and have people to choose from a set of responses that you have defined. Survey questions are a great way of getting people's opinions on set issues.
Also, with Open format questions, you can choose a Best Answer and allow GroupAsk participants. With Survey Questions, you don't choose a Best Answer and you will not have GroupAsk participants. You also do not have Question Rewards for Survey Questions.
- What should I enter in the Question Subject field?
Enter a short description of your Question. Try to keep it short and concise so that it's easy to read and understand. You can always provide more details in the "Details" field.
- What should I enter in the Question Details field?
Expand upon your question subject in the Question Details field. You can provide additional information, as well as specific requirements on what you need in the Best Answer. It's also useful to provide specific criteria that you will use to select the Best Answer.
- What should I enter in the Question Tags field?
Enter tags that describe the topic and content of your question. You can enter multiple tags separated by spaces.
- What are Tags?
Tags are single words that describe and classify the content of your question. You can have multiple tags per question (separated by spaces) but a single tag should be one complete word without spaces, commas, or other punctuation.
- How can I decide on Tags for my Question?
Try to enter key words from your question or well known words and phrases that are related to your question topic. You can also look at the Tag Recommendations box which will suggest tags based on your question content and the tagging history and behavior of other users in the community.
- What does Askpedia do with Question Tags?
Tagging your question enables others to search and discover your question. For example, people who are interested in cars will look for questions that are tagged as "cars". Providing the right set of tags will enable users with the relevant knowledge to discover your question and provide a knowledgeable answer. It will also allow Askpedia to recommend your questions to other users with the right knowledge.
- How do I define Survey Question Responses?
You define Survey Question responses by giving them a name. Each Survey Question can have a minimum of 2 responses and a maximum of 10 responses. To add more responses, click on the "Add Another Survey Response Choice". If you want less responses, you can always click on the "X" icon to remove the most recently added Survey Response.
By default, each Survey Question Response will have a number that's displayed alongside the response. To personalize your Question, you can associate custom images with each response. Click on the "Browse" or "Choose File" button next to each Response to upload a image in jpg of gif format. Any image you uploaded will be scaled to 60px by 60px.
- What are Question Rewards?
Question Rewards are monetary rewards that you provide to the person who provides the Best Answer to your question. You will need to have money in your Askpedia account first before you can provide a Question Reward to your question. The minimum Question Reward is $1 and the maximum is $100.
- When are Question Rewards deducted from my account?
Question Rewards are deducted from your Askpedia account when you preview and submit your question. The Question Reward is held in escrow and awarded when you make the Best Answer selection after your question expires.
- How do I decide on the Question Reward amount?
The Question Reward amount is a way of enhancing your question to attract more attention from the community. You can select any amount between $1 and $100. You can also look at the Tag Reward Pricing box for pricing suggestions based on the average Question Rewards for your question tags.
- What is the Question Listing Duration field?
The Question Listing Duration field specifies how long the question will remain open. When the question is open, other users can provide answer or join your question as a GroupAsk participant. When the question listing expires, the question is closed and other users will not be able to provide additional answers.
- What is the Question Location field?
The Question Location field allows you to specify a location for the Question. This location does not have to be your location specified in your profile. By providing an explicit location, you increase the chance that somebody from that location will discover your question and provide an answer based on local knowledge.
- Why do I need to preview my Question before submitting it to Askpedia?
The preview step is an opportunity to see how your question will be presented to the Askpedia community. It also gives you an opportunity to make any changes and review the content before it gets submitted. Once you question is submitted, you can add additional details to your question, but you cannot change your question content.
Asking GroupAsk Questions
- What is a GroupAsk?
A GroupAsk is a way of allowing other users to join an open question as an additional asker. Think of it as a way of having multiple people join you in asking your question.
- Can any question become a GroupAsk Question?
Yes, any open question becomes a GroupAsk question when another person joins a regular question as a GroupAsk participant.
- How do I join a GroupAsk Question?
View any open question and click on the "Join GroupAsk" button. You will have the opportunity to add some additional details to guide and influence answers to the question.
- How do I find GroupAsk Questions?
You can view a list of currently open GroupAsk question by going to the Ask Question tab and clicking on the "Join GroupAsk" link in the tab menu. This will show you a list of currently open GroupAsk question.
Also, any Open question can always be converted into a GroupAsk question by another person joining as a GroupAsk participant.
- What is the benefit of allowing multiple GroupAsk participants?
A GroupAsk question allows you to show the community that there is great demand for answers to your question. By demonstrating greater demand, you will attract more attention and higher quality answers. Also, GroupAsk participants must contribute a GroupAsk Question Reward, which means that your question will have a greater Question Reward, which in turn, attracts greater interest from the community.
- What is the benefit of joining as a GroupAsk participant?
If you join as a GroupAsk participant, you are contributing to the question to receive higher quality answers. This will attract far greater attention and interest from the community and increase the likelihood of attracting a great answer. Also, by joining as a GroupAsk participant, you get to participate in the selection of the Best GroupAsk Answer.
- Why do I have to provide a GroupAsk Reward to join a GroupAsk question?
By providing a GroupAsk Reward, you are showing the community that you have a real interest in seeing a great answer to the question. It also increases the attention that the question will receive and therefore increase the likelihood of getting a great answer from the community.
Also, keep in mind that you can always view the outcome of GroupAsk questions or regular questions by going to the Discover tab and viewing the question.
- What is the difference between a Question Reward and GroupAsk Question Reward?
A Question Reward is the reward provided by the question asker. The question asker chooses the Best Answer and the Question Reward is awarded to the user provides the Best Answer.
A GroupAsk Question Reward is the sum of all GroupAsk Rewards provided by the GroupAsk participants. The GroupAsk participants choose the Best GroupAsk Answer and the GroupAsk Reward is awarded to the user who provides the Best GroupAsk Answer.
- How does the Best GroupAsk Answer get selected?
The Best GroupAsk Answer is selected by weighted votes from the GroupAsk Participants. The size of each person's vote is determined by the relative size of their contribution to the GroupAsk Reward. Users who contribute more will have a greater influence in the selection of the Best GroupAsk Answer.
Finding Open Questions
- How can I find Open Question?
You can find open questions by going to the "Answer Questions" tab and browsing question listings or by navigating the open questions tag cloud. You can also conduct keyword searches against open question using the search menubar.
- What is the difference between Top Open Questions and Open Questions Listings?
There are two types of question listings in the "Answer Questions" tab. The Top Open Questions listing shows the top open questions by views, number of groupask participants, and answers. The different tabs in this question listing allow you to view the top open questions for different time periods.
The Open Questions listings shows all open questions with different options for sorting and viewing via question attributes. The different tabs allow you to narrow the list of questions based on your relationship to the question.
- How do I use the Find Questions box in Open Question Listings?
The Find Question box allows you to filters the questions you see based on a specific location or tag. For example, if you live in Palo Alto, CA, you can set the location to Palo Alto, CA and only see questions asked by people from Palo Alto or questions that have their location set explicitly to Palo Alto, CA.
You can also enter a single tag or multiple tags in the tag field to only see questions that have been tagged with specific tags. You can even combine the location and tag filter to see questions for a location and topic.
After you apply filters, you can clear the filters to see all questions or you can change the filter values to see questions from different locations and/or tags. Even when filters have been applied, you can always apply the sorts to the question listing using the sort options in the green tab submenu.
- What is the Open Question tag cloud?
The Open Question tag cloud shows the top tags for questions that are currently open and accepting answers. The tag cloud can be arranged in different ways depending on how you would like to find open questions.
The tag cloud can be arranged by questions, which means that the size of each tag represents the relative number of questions tagged with the tag. The tag cloud can be arranged by rewards or views, which means that the size of each tag represents the relative rewards or views for the questions tagged with the tag.
- What is the My Knowledge option in the Open Question tag cloud?
The Open Question tag cloud can be arranged to show your knowledge tags which match the tags for currently open questions. Think of it as a way of filtering the tags in the tag cloud down to the list of tags that match your knowledge tags.
- What are My Knowledge Tags?
Your Knowledge tags are tags associated with questions that you have answered or viewed recently. Think of them as a way of summarizing knowledge and or interest in question topics. You don't have to do anything to maintain your knowledge tags. Askpedia will automatically track your answer and question viewing history and generate your knowledge tags.
Exploring Answered Questions
- How can I browse and search Answered Questions?
You can go to the "Discover Knowledge" tab to view all of the previously asked and answered questions on Askpedia. You can browse answered questions listings or navigate the answered questions tag cloud. You can also conduct keyword searches against open question using the search menubar.
- What is the difference between Popular Questions and Answered Questions Listings?
There are two types of question listings in the "Discover Knowledge" tab. The Popular Questions listing shows the top answered questions by views, number of groupask participants, and answers. The different tabs in this question listing allow you to view the most popular questions for different time periods.
The Answered Questions listings shows all answered questions with different options for sorting and viewing via question attributes. The different tabs allow you to narrow the list of questions based on your relationship to the question.
- How do I use the Find Questions box in Answered Question Listings?
The Find Question box allows you to filters the questions you see based on a specific location or tag. For example, if you live in Palo Alto, CA, you can set the location to Palo Alto, CA and only see questions asked by people from Palo Alto or questions that have their location set explicitly to Palo Alto, CA.
You can also enter a single tag or multiple tags in the tag field to only see questions that have been tagged with specific tags. You can even combine the location and tag filter to see questions for a location and topic.
After you apply filters, you can clear the filters to see all questions or you can change the filter values to see questions from different locations and/or tags. Even when filters have been applied, you can always apply the sorts to the question listing using the sort options in the green tab submenu.
- What is the Answered Questions tag cloud?
The Answered Question tag cloud shows the top tags for questions that have been answered on Askpedia. The tag cloud can be arranged in different ways depending on how you would like to find answered questions.
The tag cloud can be arranged by questions, which means that the size of each tag represents the relative number of questions tagged with the tag. The tag cloud can be arranged by rewards or views, which means that the size of each tag represents the relative rewards or views for the questions tagged with the tag.
- What is the My Knowledge option in the Answered Questions tag cloud?
The Answered Questions tag cloud can be arranged to show your knowledge tags which match the tags for answered question. Think of it as a way of filtering the tags in the tag cloud down to the list of tags that match your knowledge tags.
- What are My Knowledge Tags?
Your Knowledge tags are tags associated with questions that you have answered or viewed recently. Think of them as a way of summarizing knowledge and or interest in question topics. You don't have to do anything to maintain your knowledge tags. Askpedia will automatically track your answer and question viewing history and generate your knowledge tags.
Answering Questions
- How do I answer Questions?
View any open question and click on the "Answer" button to provide an answer. You will have a chance to preview your answer and make any corrections before your answer is submitted.
- How do I find Questions to answer?
Askpedia provides many ways to find open questions. You can view open question listings by going to the "Answer Questions" tab and clicking on the "Top Open Questions" button or the "Open Question Listings" button. You can also navigate open questions by viewing a tag cloud by clicking on the "Open Question Tags" button.
- How will I know if my answer is selected as the Best Answer?
Every open question has an expiry date. When the question expires, the question owner has three days to make the Best Answer selection. When this period expires, you will receive an alert letting you know which answer was selected as the Best Answer.
Selecting Best Answers and Best GroupAsk Answers
- How does the Best Answer get selected?
When the question expires, the question owner has three days to select the Best Answer to his/her question.
- What happens if the Question owner does not make a Best Answer selection?
Question owners are strongly encouraged to make a Best Answer selection. They receive a $ rebate when they select a Best Answer, and their Question Rating goes down when they do not select a Best Answer. If the Question owner still does not make a Best Answer selection in three days, the question closes without having a Best Answer and the reward becomes forfeit with nobody receiving the reward.
- What happens it a Question receives no Answers?
If a question receives no answers, the question is automatically extended for 1 week.
- How does the Best GroupAsk Answer get selected?
When the question expires, all of the GroupAsk participants vote on the Best GroupAsk Answer. The size of each person's vote is determined by the size of their GroupAsk Reward contribution. At the end of the three day period, the Best GroupAsk Answer is the answer that receives the most votes from all participants.
- Can a single answer be selected as the Best Answer and Best GroupAsk Answer?
Yes, the question asker and the GroupAsk participants can choose any answer as the Best Answer or Best GroupAsk answer. The Best Answer can be the same as the Best GroupAsk answer or they can be different.
Requesting Question Arbitration
- What happens if I'm not satisfied with my question's answers?
If you're not happy with your Question's answer, you have the option of extending your Question's listing deadline by one week. This option becomes available when your Question expires and enters the Best Answer selection period.
If your question has a reward, you can request arbitration to have your Question Reward canceled and refunded into your Account. You can request arbitration using the "Cancel Question Reward" box on the top right hand side of your question during the Best Answer selection period. We will then review your question's answers and grant or deny your arbitration request.
If your question does not have a reward, you can explicitly close your Question without selecting a Best Answer. This option will become available when you view your Question during the Best Answer selection period.
- When can I request arbitration?
You can request arbitration when your question has expired with answers and is going through the Best Answer selection phase. The Best Answer selection phase last three days and you can request arbitration during this time period.
- Can I request arbitration for all Questions?
You can only request arbitration for your questions with a monetary reward. You cannot request arbitration for questions without monetary rewards. You cannot request arbitration if you're a GroupAsk participant in a GroupAsk question.
- What happens if my Arbitration Request is Granted?
If your arbitration request is granted, your Question Reward is refunded to your Account Balance. However, your Question Rating rating may be affected.
- What happens if my Arbitration Request is Denied?
If your arbitration request is denied, you will need to select a Best Answer and award the Question Reward. If you do not make a Best Answer selection, the highest rated answer will automatically receive the Question Reward.
Question Rewards and GroupAsk Question Rewards
- Who gets the Question Reward for questions with Question Rewards?
The Question Reward is awarded to the person who provides the Best Answer to the question. The question asker selects this person when the question expires.
- If my answer is selected as the Best Answer, do I get the entire Question Reward?
You receive the Question Reward minus a 15% commission. It would be nice to get the entire reward, but Askpedia needs to generate revenue to keep supporting and growing the community.
- Who gets the GroupAsk Question Reward for GroupAsk questions?
The GroupAsk question reward is awarded to the person who provides the Best GroupAsk answer. The Best GroupAsk answer is selected by the GroupAsk participants using weighted votes based on each participant's contribution to the Best GroupAsk Reward.
- If my answer is selected as the Best GroupAsk Answer, do I get the entire GroupAsk Question Reward?
You receive the GroupAsk Question Reward minus a 15% commission. Once again, it would be nice to get the entire reward, but Askpedia needs to generate revenue to keep supporting and growing the community.
- If
my answer is selected as the Best Answer and Best GroupAsk Answer, do I
get both the Question Reward and GroupAsk Question Reward?
Yes, if your answer is selected by the question asker and GroupAsk participants, you will receive the both the Question Reward and GroupAsk Question Reward.
Inappropriate Questions and Answers
- What kind of Questions and Answers are considered inappropriate?
Askpedia is an open community and we rely on the community to help us find and control inappropriate questions and answer. Our general guideline is that content that contain expressions of hatred, bigotry, racism, pornography, and discussion of illegal activites or offensive topics can be considered inappropriate. You can see our Terms of Use for full details.
- What should I do if I see an inapproprate Question?
If you see an inapproprate question, please flag the question using the "Flag Question Content" link on the right side of the question details page. When you flag a question, we will review the question content and then remove the question.
- What should I do if I see an inapproprate Answer?
If you see an inapproprate answer, please flag the answer using the "Flag Answer as Inapproprate" link under each Answer. When you flag an answer, we will review the answer content and then remove the answer.
- What happens when a Question or Answer is removed?
When the inappropriate question or answer is removed, we update the User's question and answer ratings to reflect the fact that they have violated their terms of use. Users who continue to post inappropriate questions or answers can also have their account canceled for violating Askpedia's Terms of Use.
Finding Experts
- How can I find Experts?
You can go to the "Find Experts" tab to find users who have answered questions in Askpedia. The Find Experts tab allows you to find Experts by browsing the list of top experts in various categories or by browsing the Experts Directory. You can also find Experts by Knowledge tags using the Knowledge Tags tag cloud.
- Who is considered to be an Expert in Askpedia?
A user is considered to be an Expert if they answer a question on Askpedia. Since the degree of expertise will vary depending on the quality of the answer, Askpedia provides tools to help you sort and filter Experts using a variety of factors such as the number of Best Answers, Answer Ratings, Profile Views, etc.
- Why can't I find myself in the Experts Directory?
The Experts Directory, Top Experts, and Knowledge Tag cloud only shows users who have answered at least one question. If you answer a Question, you will show up in the Experts directory and tag cloud within a few hours.
- Why does my Top Experts rank stay the same even though I just answered a Question?
The Top Experts rank is calculated every few hours so it may take some time for your rank to be updated. Also, rankings such as Best Answers will only be updated once a day when the Best Answer selection period expires for open questions.
- How can I find Experts in my local area?
You can go to the Experts Directory and use the "Find Experts" to specify your search criteria. You can look for Experts based on their profession, location, and/or knowledge tags.
You can also go to the Experts Knowledge Tags cloud and specify a location. The tag cloud will be updated to only show matching Experts Knowledge Tags for that location. You can then click on each tag to view Experts who have matching Knowledge Tags.
Adding and Withdrawing Money
- How can I add Money to my Account?
You can add money to your Account using PayPal or a credit card. To add money to your account, you can use the links in your Home page or go to the "My Account" section under the "Home" tab.
- How much Money can I add to my Account?
You can add a minimum of $10 or a maximum of $100 at one time using PayPal or a credit card.
- Can I withdraw Money I've added to my Account?
Once you add money to your Account using PayPal or a credit card, you cannot withdraw this money. However, you can request to close your account and your remaining Account balance minus a processing fee of $5 will be refunded via PayPal. You can cancel your account by sending an email to support@askpedia.com.
- What can I do with my Answer Rewards?
You receive Answer Rewards when you answer Questions with monetary rewards and your answer gets selected as the Best Answer or Best GroupAsk Answer. With the money in your Answer Rewards, you can use this balance to apply to new questions with monetary rewards or you can withdraw the balance to your PayPal account.
- How can I withdraw my Answer Rewards?
When your Answer Rewards balance reaches $50 or more, you will see a link that allows you to withdraw your Answer Rewards in your "My Account" section under the "Home" tab. You can then enter a valid PayPal account to withdraw your Answer Rewards.
Q&A Ratings
- Can I rate Questions?
Currently, you cannot rate questions. If you find questions that violate Askpedia's terms of use, you can flag the question as having inappropriate content. We will then review and remove the question from question listings.
- Can I rate Answers?
You can rate answers by giving it a thumbs up rating as a complement. Click on the gray thumbs up icon next to the answer to complement the answer. Once you complement an answer, you will immediately see the result reflected in the overall answer rating.
- Can I rate Answers for Open and Answered Questions?
Yes, you can rate answers for open questions and answered questions.
- I tried rating an Answer and nothing happened. Is this a bug?
You cannot rate your own Answer and you cannot rate another Answer if you have submitted an Answer to the same question. Also, your personal question and answer rating needs to be at least three stars or greater. If this is not the case, please send an email to support@askpedia.com.
- Do I have to be logged in to rate Answers?
Yes, you will need to have an account and be logged in to rate Answers. If you are not currently logged in, you will be redirected to a login prompt to login to Askpedia. After you login, your rating will automatically be registered for the Answer.
User Ratings
- What is a User's Questions Rating?
A User's Questions Rating is a reflection of the reliability and credibility of the User's question asking behavior. For example, if the User asks questions that violate Askpedia's terms of use, or if the User fails to select Best Answers, or if the User withdraws questions from Askpedia without cause, they will have a lower rating.
- How is a User's Questions Rating calculated?
A User's Questions rating is calculated using a formula based on the number of questions that they have asked, the number of questions where the user makes a Best Answer Selection, the number of questions that have been canceled due to inappropriate content, and the number of questions with rewards that have been withdrawn and canceled by the asker. There are also some other factors that go into calculating a User's Question Rating.
- What is a User's Answers Rating?
A User's Answer Rating is a reflection of the quality of their Answers. If the User provides high quality answers that receive a lot of thumbs up ratings from the community, they will have a higher rating. If the User provides low quality answers or post inappropriate content in their answers, they will have a lower Answers rating.
- How is a User's Answer Rating calculated?
A User's Answer rating is calculated using a formula based on the number of Best Answers, Total Answers, and the thumbs up ratings, as well as a number of other factors.
My Contacts
- What are "My Contacts"?
The "My Contacts" view shows you a list of users who have had an interaction with you within Askpedia. It consists of three sections called "My Askers", "My Experts", and "Added Contacts".
The "My Askers" and "My Experts" list are populated automatically based on your Q&A interaction with other users. The "Added Contacts" is populated by the user by viewing a user's profile and adding them to "My Contacts".
- What are "My Askers"?
The "My Askers" view shows you a list of users whose question you have answered in Askpedia. In other words, every time you answer a question, the question asker automatically gets added to your "My Askers" list.
- What are "My Experts"?
The "My Experts" view shows you a list of users who have provided the Best Answer or Best GroupAsk Answer to your Question or GroupAsk Question. Think of this as a list of users whose expertise you have acknowledged by selecting their answers as best answers to your questions.
- What are "Added Contacts"?
The "Added Contacts" view shows you a list of users that you have manually added to your "My Contacts" by clicking on the "Add to My Contacts" link in their user profiles. Think of it as a way of creating a collection of interesting users.
- How do I use "My Contacts"?
Think of "My Contacts" as your social network within Askpedia. It shows you a view of all the people with whom you have had interactions within the community. This social network is maintained for you automatically, but it can also be tweaked by allowing you to add/remove people manually to your "Added Contacts".
The "My Contacts" view allows you to filter the various questions listings to only view questions and answers from people in your "My Contacts" list. This allows you to develop and maintain close relationships with other people that you trust or find interesting within the community.
Tags and Tag Clouds
- What are Tags?
Tags are single words that describe and classify the content of your question. You can have multiple tags per question (separated by spaces) but a single tag should be one complete word without spaces, commas, or other punctuation.
- How do I enter a Tag that consists of two words?
Tags are single words so if you have a topic that can only be expressed as two words, we suggest that you enter it as one combined word. For example, if you want a tag like "ice cream", we suggest that you combine it into "icecream".
- What is a tag cloud?
A tag cloud is a collection of tags that are displayed as different size to show tag importance. For example, a tag cloud arranged by Questions will show tags that occur more frequently in a larger size. A tag cloud arranged by rewards will show tags that have more rewards associated with them in a larger size.
- How do I navigate a tag cloud?
You can click on any word inside the tag cloud and it will show a list of matching questions on the right hand side. You can then sort this list by different question attributes and page through the results. You can always choose a different tag by clicking on another tag within the tag cloud.
Interest and Knowledge Tags
- What are Interest Tags?
Your Interest Tags is a collection of tags taken from questions that you have recently asked or viewed. In other words, it is meant to represent question topics that you find interesting.
- How can I see my Interest Tags?
You can view your Interest Tags by going to the "My Home" tab and clicking on "My Information" submenu. You will see your Interest Tags arranged in a tag cloud with different size based on the degree of interest you have shown in the tag.
- Who can see my Interest Tags?
Your Interest Tags are private and can only be seen by you. Nobody else can see your Interest Tags.
- How do I use my Interest Tags?
You can use the Interest Tag cloud in the "My Home"/"My Information" screen to look for open and answered questions. Askpedia also uses your Interest Tags to generate question recommendations that you will see in question listings and questions screens.
- What are Knowledge Tags?
Your Knowledge Tags is a collection of tags taken from questions that you have recently answered. In other words, it is meant to represent question topics where you have relevant knowledge.
- How can I see my Knowledge Tags?
You can view your Knowledge Tags by going to the "My Home" tab and clicking on "My Information" submenu. You will see your Knowledge Tags arranged in a tag cloud with different size based on your question answering track record.
- Who can see my Knowledge Tags?
Your Knowledge Tags are public and can be seen by anyone who looks at your User profile.
Contacting Askpedia
- How can I get in touch with Askpedia?
For general inquiries, send email to info@askpedia.com
For jobs, send email to jobs@askpedia.com
For general help and support issues, send email to support@askpedia.com
