There are so very many services that look alike, and whenever a new one comes along, you have to wonder why anyone would bother using it. In reference to Askville, Amazon has a neat answer: bribes.
This is not some dirty little secret; in both the subtitle and very first sentence of a press release, Amazon happily notes that users of its question-and-answer service will be able to work their way towards $50 and $100 gift certificates. And frankly, I don’t see a problem with that.
Neither, I’d assume, does Askville’s existing user base – the service, although newly open to most of the world, has been in beta testing for some time now. This helped ensure that it wouldn’t be answer-less when the final launch occurred, and the plan seems to have worked – you’ll find a fair amount of goofy and/or stupid stuff, but there’s genuinely helpful content, as well.
Also, as Joseph Park, Askville’s director, pointed out, “Not everyone finds what they are looking for on the web.” In a statement, he then continued, “We believe Askville.com can help users find information while also making it a fun experience by sharing your knowledge with other curious, like-minded people.”
It’ll be interesting to see how well Askville works; Amazon’s last big event, the Kindle’s release, occurred with decidedly mixed results. Still, the whole bribery angle may put Askville one step ahead of its competitors.
