DailyTech - Amazon Launches Askville

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Internet Amazon Launches Askville
Gabriel Ikram (Blog) - February 26, 2007 4:52 PM

8 comment(s) - last by Souka.. on Feb 27 at 1:15 AM

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.

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Intelectual MMPORPG??

By ninjit on 2/26/2007 5:44:08 PM , Rating: 4

That whole article read like a description of WoW or Everquest, etc. but with respect to the acquisition or possession of knowledge.

It's been shown that people go to great lengths to covet virtual gold and virtual items in these virtual worlds, but will that work here?

I'm very curious to see how this works out, it's an interesting idea (even if it turns out not to be a viable one)

RE: Intelectual MMPORPG??

By boss coffee on 2/26/2007 5:58:57 PM , Rating: 2

i'd like to think this will work well if the search function, for questions already posed, is simple to use. (ah crap, A9)

From a business standpoint, this could be golden. Amazon can expand upon their sales recommendations based on user queries. My only worry is that, if this is really being modeled after an MMO, and it sure sounds that way, the user base will shrink after the first 6 months. The service will eventually go bunk unless it's tied heavily into the amazon.com side of things, and in both directions.

Parent

RE: Intelectual MMPORPG??

By fk49 on 2/26/07, Rating: -1

MMORPG

By hadifa on 2/26/2007 5:56:39 PM , Rating: 2

"Experience Points", "superpowers", "levels", "Quest Coins", if they add a graphical interface, then they will have a turn based MMO game without the subscription fee.

Its popularity will depend on the superpowers. I will use my leech superpower to suck your XP. ;-)

There are other websites that try to encourage people by providing things like XP, level and titles but I do not know anyone has gone this far.

Good idea, has anything similar been done before? (with superpowers and such)

Abuse

By Ebbyman on 2/26/2007 6:17:15 PM , Rating: 2

How long until the cheating and statpading begins ;-)

Askville

By msva124 on 2/26/2007 7:01:40 PM , Rating: 2

So it's sort of like Usenet, except you don't get flamed for asking dumb questions?

Won't be long....

By Souka on 2/27/2007 1:15:40 AM , Rating: 2

Won't be long until people are selling "characters" on eBay!

Doesn't look like you can sell "quest coins" or other "items", but login info can be sold....

:)