The internet’s longest-running Q&A page, Yahoo Answers, is being shut down after 20 years of service.
The platform has been around since 2005 and has become something of a cultural phenomenon. The site will be closed down on 4th May 2021 and will instead redirect to the Yahoo home page. The announcement was made at the top of the Yahoo Answers home page, alongside an FAQ [via The Verge].
According to the FAQ, the site will stop accepting new submissions on 20th April. Users will also have until the 30th of June to request their data from the site, including “all user-generated content including your Questions list, Questions, Answers list, Answers, and any images”. More details were also provided to active Yahoo answers users in the form of a personalised note to the community. Here’s some of the details provided on the note:
“While Yahoo Answers was once a key part of Yahoo’s products and services, it has become less popular over the years as the needs of our members have changed. To that end, we have decided to shift our resources away from Yahoo Answers to focus on products that better serve our members and deliver on Yahoo’s promise of providing premium trusted content.”
“Starting on April 20th you will no longer be able to post any new questions or answers. However, you can still view any posted questions and answers until May 4th. On May 4th the site will be shutting down. If you would like to download a copy of your questions and answers you have posted, you can do this by signing into Your Privacy Dashboard and requesting a download.
“You will be able to do this until June 30th, 2021 after which your Yahoo Answers data will be securely deleted and no longer available. The closure of Yahoo Answers will not affect your Yahoo account or other Yahoo services. For further information and instructions on how to download your data, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions or copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN35642.html”
While Yahoo Answers was once a helpful internet tool, it has since evolved into something of a meme factory. Admittedly, there’s a lot of hilarity to be had when browsing some of the worst questions (and even worse answers) featured on the site. However, the service has also become known for far-right content, which serves as a means to spread right-wing views and content.
Let us never forget some of the gems born from Yahoo Answers, including the iconic “how is babby formed?” and the classic “does spider have pusspuss?“
Sayonara Yahoo Answers! I’ll remember you the next time I type an absurd question into Google.
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Featured Image Credit: Yahoo