How to get Answers

Aardvark (www.vark.com), is a social networking-based search engine where other human beings actually do the research for you. All you have to do is register for a free account, type in a category and ask any question you like. The system then sends the question to anyone, in that category, who is logged in to the system. Within, minutes someone will send the answer to your registered email address, or to your IM account.

The great thing about Aardvark is that you don’t have to know the exact search phrase or even have any skill at running internet searches. This means that you can ask a question like "What is the name of the thingie that switches water from the bathtub faucet to the shower?" and a live human being will be able to figure out what you mean and give you an answer. An automatic search engine, on the other hand, will return results that contain the words in the question but not, necessarily, tell you what you need to know.

By polling several people, this also means that you’ll get more than one response. Some people may only send a one-word answer, while others will send links and other information. So, not only do you get a lot of answers, you also get them in a variety of formats.

You can access Aardvark from the www.vark.com website or through an IM program. Currently, Aardvark is setup to work with GoogleTalk/Gmail Chat, Windows Live Messenger, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger.

You can set up your Aardvark account to link with your Facebook account and invite your friends to participate in the process. You can also share your own expertise by listing your areas of interest and answering questions for others.

And, what was the answer to the shower question? It’s called a diverter.