An ode to Yahoo Answers, where perplexing questions begat questionable answers

Before Reddit became the “front page of the internet,” and before Tumblr and Twitter took off, there was one place online where you could seriously ask questions like, “Did I accidentally summon a demon?” or “Why do we here?” It was one of the few sites where students seeking homework help, curious and ill-informed adults and, of course, trolls willingly sought each other’s guidance. Such was the perplexing appeal of Yahoo Answers. Yahoo’s Q&A community, an oft-forgotten haven for eccentrics to ask nonsensical questions and offer largely unhelpful responses, is shuttering this month after nearly 16 years. The Verizon-owned website told users the platform is “less popular” than it once was, and resources will be directed to products that “better serve our members.” The site’s members, the loyal few that remain, are distraught and devastated. Naturally, they submitted questions on which site to make their home in next. Yahoo Answers had an odd appeal Yahoo Answers is perhaps most fondly remembered as an unintentionally hilarious platform for some of the strangest folks on the internet. Few of the questions made sense, and typos and misspellings, while endearing, often bordered on illegibility. Serious inquiries were rarely answered. Where else could you…
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