One service I am finding very useful lately is Aardvark (vark.com). The concept behind Aardvark is simple: people are nice and are usually very willing to answer questions about concepts they know about. Aardvark is the connection between people with questions and people with answers.
Asking questions using Aardvark
You can ask questions on Aardvark of course right on the website, but also through Twitter, through instant messaging and through email, making it pretty easy to use, and pretty mobile. I love to be out somewhere and ask something immediately through my cell phone by sending a direct message on Twitter to @vark. You get a direct message back with the answer when it comes in, and if your cell is set up, you can get this back as a text message.
Possible ways to use Aardvark
- Help with programming. If you are learning how to write computer code (in any language), odds are really good that someone on Aardvark knows how to help you with it. Consider it another forum for your use.
- Ideas on where to go in a particular city (perhaps while visiting). This is one of the most common uses of Aardvark. Say you are visiting London on a business trip, and you are looking for somewhere to go for some real authentic English fish and chips. Post something on Aardvark (which can be done via a mobile phone app or through twitter), and within minutes you could get some messages back with some suggestions!
- Homework help. If you are struggling through some math problem, or working through some science assignment, posting something on Aardvark is really quick, and odds are pretty good you will get an answer quick. Just make sure you don’t use it to try to cheat on your homework–those who answer can tell pretty quick if that is what you are doing, and wont happily answer your question. Work part of the way through and then describe what trouble you are having.
- Business advice (or advice in general). This is a risky one, though one I have seen lots of people use Aardvark for. You can ask for business advice (such as advice on running your business, policies, or starting a new business), but keep in mind that those on the system are just random people and as such their qualifications to help you are suspect (but of course this goes for everything). It’s like a live wikipedia: a great starting point, but never EVER reference it.
Hope you enjoy it! I know I do!
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