Google Baraza: a question and answer service for Africa
Google Baraza is a question and answer service developed by Google for Africa. Its more like Yahoo answers but appears more social. Users can ask questions on any topic, while other members provide answers. Google Baraza has a ranking system that rewards members for providing answers. If your answers are bad or inappropriate other members can vote your answer as bad. If your answers are good other Google Baraza members can vote you up, increasing your points. If the initiator of the question chooses your answer as the best, you gain in reputation as well as get the bonus point allocated to the answer by the initiator. This will likely make answers more useful and relevant as users will not like to lose points.<br /><br />To ask a question, users must allocate the amount of points that the best answer to the question gets. The minimum allocation for now is 5 points. This means that you can only ask questions if you have points. Every new member is given 20 points and 10 reputation once they register. Points are gained by being acting in the community. You gain points by answering questions. You also get points each day you login. The fact that users will have to give points to ask questions will probably ensure that when users ask questions, they ask relevant and necessary questions. Without,this approach, many Google Baraza members may just be posting rubbish as questions. The bonus points gained and the reward of increase in reputation for getting the best answer will likely attract more relevant answers. So, if you are in Africa, go ahead and join Google Baraza and post those questions that Google organic search fails to answer.<br /><br />Follow passyjango at Google Baraza<br /><br />Read more about Google Baraza at the blog.<br /><br />Read Google Baraza Tips.<br /><br />Visit Google Baraza: http://www.google.com/baraza/en/
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