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While out at SXSW earlier this year I ran into Rob Spiro from Aardvark. Aardvark is a crowd sourcing application that allows its user base to ask contextually based questions of each other through instant message or email without viewing personal information. Rob was nice enough to get me into the beta, and I've been trying Aardvark out for the past few weeks.
When you sign into Aardvark they ask you for a tiny bit of personal information, including your IM name and service, and then let you pick some categories you consider yourself able to answer questions in. I chose Actionscript 3.0, Denver (where I live), and Blogging to start. You can add or remove categories whenever you like (I've expanded my list to 20 or so), but that's all you need to get started.
Within a few days I started receiving instant messages from the Aardvark bot, asking me if I could help answer questions for different users. The chat interface works really well - if you know the answer you can answer inline, if you don't you can say "pass" to pass it on, and if it's a category you know nothing about you can type "mute" to ignore it. The options are simple and make intuitive sense, and so far I've only been asked a few questions that weren't really in the domain of topics I'd volunteered to answer.
To ask questions, you simply fire up your favorite instant message client and send a question over to the bot, using exactly the same language you'd use to ask any friend. The bot parses your answer, picks some categorical information out of it, and sends it along to any users who might be able to answer.
One of my main concerns getting started was that the Aardvark bot was going to be annoying. I was worried it would IM me constantly, ask about things I didn't know, and generally beg to be shut off. I'm happy to report that none of these things have happened - it's been a really pleasant experience over all.
Aardvark compares to other crowd-sourcing question services like ChaCha, and differs mostly in business model and input device. While ChaCha's answers are provided by (under?)paid web surfers, Aardvark's community is opt-in volunteers. ChaCha might get you a quicker response, but the Aardvark response to a similar question might be more accurate and so far doesn't contain any advertising. Aardvark currently doesn't support text message either, and so is only open to IM and email users.
Aardvark is currently in a closed beta period, but you can get on the beta users list by signing up on their homepage. I currently have 19 invites - let me know in the comments if you'd like one.
UPDATE - 14 invites left! In your comment, please also let me know 3 topics you know about, as part of the invite process is listing 3 things I trust your opinion on.
UPDATE - I'm all out of invites! If you're interested in trying Aardvark, please still add a comment and I'll send you one as soon as I get more invites from the Aardvark team.
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I would appreciate an Aardvark invite if you have one to spare.
Thanks,
Mac
I would to have an Aardvark invite if you have any extras now.
Thanks very much,
mcaudy
I would like to have one if still available. thanks
As I sometimes come up with questions in different areas this sounds interesting. Give me one invite too, if still available.
I also (of course) would like an invite if possible. Thanks in advance and happy easter greetings from switzerland.
Sandro
Would appreciate an invite.. My 3 topics are 1. Flex/Actionscript 2.MySQL 3. Microsoft .NET
Thanks in advance and Happy Easter!
Anupam
Please send me an invite if there is one still remaining. Topics: 1. AIR 2. Flex 3. Mobile Development
Hi - I'd love an invitation if you have one to spare!
1.) Social Network
2.) Flex
3.) General Computer Productivity
cheers
Rob
I would love an invitation, if you still have one.
My three primary areas of expertise are:
1) Dramatically Increasing Conversion Rates (on websites)
2) Lead Generation (B2B)
3) Photography
Thanks.
kl
I'll take one if you have any to spare.
Thanks for the great writeup RJ!
I think the main difference between Aardvark and a more anonymous Q&A experience like ChaCha is the fact that Aardvark is based on *your* network... so you're generally getting answers from (and giving answers to) your friends, friends-of-friends, classmates, and coworkers.
We've found that this model allows for great answers to *subjective* questions, where you want some measure of trust in your answer (like when looking for a recommendation for a restaurant/book/hotel/etc.)
Glad you're finding it useful!
If you have any left, I'd appreciate one.
1. Computers
2. New York
3. Toddlers
Thank you.
Wondering if there are any invites left. Three things:
1. Flex
2. Java
3. .NET
Thanks!
I would be very interested as well :)
Three thigns interested:
- AS3
- Objective C
- MXML tricks
Can I get one if you still have? :)
Graphic Design
Animation
Html&Css
Would be great to receive an invite for this.
My topics:
- AS3
- Flex
- Design
Greets,
Inkvine
I'm fascinated, Invite me!
1.User experience design
2. Advertising
3. Social media
This seems like an interesting concept. I'd like one if you're just handing them out all willy-nilly.
Ah, I hope you still have one!
I know about computers, setting up networks, fixing, customizing.
I also know a lot about English.
So...
1) Computers
2) English
3) Colorado
I'd appreciate an invite. Here are my three areas:
.NET
Cooking
New York
Thanks,
Craig
I'd enjoy an invite to Aardvark too, please!
Thanks,
Ryan
1. General Computer knowledge
2. Parenting
3. Law
Thanks in advance for the invitation that I may get in the future.
hey, here is hoping you have come across some more invites.
1. Computers
2. Social media
3. java.
Thanks.
I would like to try it out, please send me an invite if you get more.
Here's another beta testing tech geek to invite. :D
1. Computer problems
2. Finding computer applications/programs
3. Geeky stuff ;)
4. Sweden - I live there.
I know a bit (not pro, but experienced) on computers. I can often manage to find a fix for various strange issues.
I can help finding good applications that does what you want (I'm biased towards open source), and as long as you are usuing Ubuntu with either Gnome or KDE I can help fixing various issues with your computer.
Don't ask about me Vista, I'm not rebooting to that [insert what you think is appropriate] even though I've still got it on my dual-boot laptop.
Well, anything geeky, really.