Posted on Monday, April 9th, 2012 by Uri Halevi
There are a lot of Q&A websites out there but StackExchange stands out. It’s unique selling point lies in its social “experting” system: it’s a massive network of 85 Q&A different websites on diverse topics, bringing together a higher quality of expertise. In StackExchange you will find libraries of high-quality questions and answers, focused on the most important topics in each area of expertise, accompanied by a community blog and real-time chat about topics relevant to your search for answers.
You don’t have to register or even enter your email in order to ask or answer a question on StackExchange. It’s free and instant. But it’s also hierarchical: To make sure that the best answers are the most viewed answers, they are rated and ranked by the rest of the community. You can also vote for questions you find useful, or against those you see as unclear or unproductive, and then review, revise or propose an answer. The more votes, the more visibility – so when you search, you get the best answer to the best question. StackExchange is not a place for conversation, opinions, or socializing… The idea is to deal with questions that are clear and specific, representing real problems, not just any topics.
In the beginning there was only one Q&A site called StackOverflow, which dealt with detailed technical questions concerning computer programming. The site was a huge success and it wasn’t long before people realized that being a StackOverflow expert is a good thing to have in your resume. According to StackExchange they do not add a new site until they are sure that they have a critical mass of experts ready to participate. The experts are people who got good votes repeatedly and got an over all good evaluation from the StackExchange team.
So, if you have a question or feel like you can answer some, check StackExchange and who knows, you may find some answers to questions that you didn’t even know were bothering you.
