Use Aardvark to Get Answers You Trust

Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.

I think I can safely say that most of us, when we have a question these days, do the same thing: we Google it. Everything from “when was Abraham Lincoln born?” to “how much cheese do I have to eat to set the world record?” can all be answered with a simple Google search, and it’s become the knowledge source of choice for many of us today.

But there’s a problem with those answers: why should you believe them? Just because the Internet says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. We’d rather get answers from people we know and trust, and to know the source of the answer, rather than just read it on some 13-year-old’s old Geocities page.

That’s where Aardvark comes in. Aardavark, which just became open to the public, has created a way to tap into your pre-existing network of friends, colleagues, and the like to find you answers to questions that are actually helpful.

From the beginning, the site has worked over IM. You add Aardvark as a buddy online, and you can ask questions about anything – where to buy shoes in San Francisco, how to set up a wireless router, or “how long should I wait before I propose?” I got that question, I kid you not. Please don’t ask that question.

Once you ask a question, Aardvark combs through your friends, and friends of friends, on Facebook and elsewhere (the site works through Facebook Connect, and you can log in with your Facebook account) to find the right person to answer your question. Maybe it’s someone who lives in San Francisco, or someone who has a professed knowledge of computer hardware.

As the answerer, you get an email or IM saying there’s a question Aardvark thinks you can answer. You can pass, mute questions on that particular topic, or answer the question. Answering opens a brief line of communication, so you can go back-and-forth for a few minutes, asking other questions and following up.

The idea behind Aardvark is that it’s getting answers from people that either you trust, or someone you know trusts. Rather than relying on some webpage or Wikipedia entry, you get an answer from someone who actually knows.

A few days ago, though, Aardvark changed their methods a bit. Now, just by going to the Aardvark site, you can ask a question through the Web interface, and get it answered in exactly the same way. Once you’ve asked a question, answers either come to you by email or IM (depending on whether or not you’re logged in to IM).

You have to create an account to ask or answer questions, but it’s a two-second process through Facebook Connect, or a 30-second process otherwise. It’s all free, super-simple, and a great way to get a real-live person to answer a question a computer wouldn’t do well with (like “where’s the best cheap place to eat with great views in New York?”).

Aardvark is totally reliant on the kindness of semi-strangers, willing to help each other out in exchange for some help when they need it themselves. Based on my own experience asking and answering, it’s working pretty darn well. I’ve asked and answered questions across a variety of topics, and it’s been hugely helpful to me.

As a test, I asked Aardvark this question:

In about 8 minutes, I’d gotten these three answers:

I’m impressed. I’ve gotten a ton of useful answers on Aardvark, and hope it catches on as a huge, worldwide social asking and answering service. It takes only a few seconds to ask or answer, and the benefits are huge.

How do you get answers online?