A whole new game is being played as you read this. If we are in the Information Age, I am predicting that this would be this age’s major web milestone.
Meet Quora.com – the site that is softly starting a whole new revolution in information sharing online.
You need a Quora invite to join though – keep reading to see how you can get a Quora invite.
“Quora is a continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it. The most important thing is to have each question page become the best possible resource for someone who wants to know about the question.” is what Quora describes itself as.
I would describe it differently.
It’s what you get if you combine Google, Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers and Twitter. Searchable information that’s being updated live by people and shared on social networks instantly.
Where any question you have could be answered by one of the top players in the field.
Within a few minutes of your asking.
“Our belief is that more than 90% of the information people want to know is still not available on the web in a format that’s easy for them to quickly understand,” said founder and CEO Adam D’Angelo.
“People really want to share their knowledge with others, and we’re building a system for everyone to do that much more easily and efficiently than they have ever been able to.”
While Wikipedia editors were just behind the scenes anonymous people mostly editing, organising, policing the publicly built information resource – people answering questions you ask on Quora are leaders in their field.
In my opinion, it is already the BEST, most current information source for some categories like start-ups, technology and my favourite – social media.
The type of questions and answers you will find at Quora:
1. What is the perfect start-up team?
2. How do you avoid hiring the wrong people in your start-up? (Answered by Robert Scoble)
3. Among your lessons learned as a young entrepreneur, which are the greatest? (Answered by Max Levchin of Slide.com)
4. What are some tips for getting your startup featured on TechCrunch, Mashable, and other tech blogs? (By Robert Scoble, 11 tips and Scobleizer’s tel no. Where else could you get that!)
5. When was the first ad sold on Facebook and what was it advertising? (answered by facebook’s first ad sales person Kevin Colleran)
6. Should Twitter be worried about Quora? (answered by James Hritz – Fmr. VP Strategy & Biz Dev Fox Audience Network)
7. What are some ways to prevent and/or deal with legal issues that arise from actions of users on user generated content websites? (answered by Antone Johnson, one of the original in-house lawyers at MySpace)
Why Quora could be in the league of Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia soon:
1. Answers from the world’s best: Quora gives instant information by people WHO KNOW – not just the common user. While the ‘gurus’ build credibility and clout, the common man gets the wisdom from the best.
2. Instant: Within a few minutes – your most pressing question might be answered by the world’s leading authority on the subject. You don’t have to write to their secretary and wait for ever.
3. Public: Every question asked is accessible and open to all. It also saves time if your question has already been asked.
4. Top level SEO structure: See the URL’s of the questions. And you’ll know what I am talking about.
5. Share-friendly: Very powerful integration and sharing capability for actions on Facebook and Twitter.
6. Most important: FREE! The answers by the thought leaders collectively are worth millions of dollars. Quora is giving them out for free.
Is Quora perfect? Well. No.
Suggestions to improve the Quora experience:
1. Search box: Quora could become the next Google for knowledge seekers. The first thing a user sees when they land on the home page should be a Search box. Right now, it takes many clicks before you can find a way to search. And a few more to find the questions that you are looking for. That is, when you not in the mood for asking a question. (My guess is that as time progresses – the top box might change from being a ‘Question’ box to a ‘Search’ box – maybe.)
2. Speed: Currently Quora runs like a snail. The speed is DISMAL. For a site that is text-based and light on design, that should not be such a challenge to speed up when users needs answers fast.
3. Originality checks: Programming that detects and prevents copy-paste answers: I’ve had a user take my answer, modify it a little and repost it in other places. There should be a way to stop plagiarism.
4. Monetisation: There must be some way for content providers to benefit aprt from the fame and the following. And for businesses to add value and get some in return. (Of course – I am completely against advertising ruining the user experience.)
If you are anyone excited by new knowledge, the web, start-ups, technology, sharing wisdom – I guarantee that you WILL get addicted to Quora in the first 10 minutes.
But you do need an invite to get in.
How to get a Quora invite:
Very simple. Submit your details in the request form below and follow the steps in the confirmation email you receive – your email will get added to my list for sending invites and further information.
Once you’re inside – it’d be great if you follow me and we stay in touch.
Earlier, I had asked my blog readers to comment with their email for an invite. More than 400 people were invited this way but extracting hundreds of emails from the post comments to send invites was a nightmare! So, if you are looking for a Quora invite, fill and submit the form above instead of asking for an invite in the comments.
Of course, if you have something else to say or comment about this post, your comments are welcome 
Special thanks to Sunil Joseph who invited me to Quora
Борис Розенштейн
/ February 9, 2012Can you send me one, please?
Farrukh Naeem
/ February 8, 2012Invites sent to ALL requests received so far (except link spammers). If you haven’t received yours, could you be so kind to fill the form in the post above?
I send out invites in batches of 10-20 so you’ll have to wait a few days after submitting your info for me to send you the invite. Quora makes me type in each invite email manually.
But anything for sharing knowledge with my blog readers
Mike
/ January 25, 2012Hi there, just wondering if you could send along an invite to me too?
Farrukh Naeem
/ February 8, 2012Hi Mike – please fill the form in the body of the blog post to get an invite (if youhaven’t done already).