Is Quora the New Google??

Day 2, post 2...doing well so far!  This week I explored a new website that I had never heard of before and wanted to share my thoughts on it.  Quora (https://www.quora.com/) is an open source website (like Wikipedia) where users can ask questions on certain topics and get a variety of answers from people all over the world. Their mission is to share and grow the world’s knowledge.

I have a few thoughts on this website. I am not one for celebrity gossip or silly YouTube sensations so I was looking for something I could actually find use in and that had some depth to it.  I found Quora and after a bit of exploring, I decided I wanted to sign up explore more.  

Pros- I really like how you can choose categories and those are the subjects that pop up on your feed.  I also like how you get a variety of responses to questions from people all over. Getting a variety of responses create a wider range of knowledge on the topic. When you watch the news, you get one view, when you read the newspaper, you get one opinion. When you read posts on topics on Quora you’re interested in you get a wealth of different views.  This is especially important if you are interested in politics or a particular research claim in education.

Home Page on My Account

Cons- The only issue I see with this is how do you know how credible these people posting are. Some users have a quick profile next to their names which states their credibility or credentials.  I guess it is up to the individual to take things with a grain of salt, as it is on most websites.  

Applying this tool to the classroom: as an elementary school teacher, I am still trying to find ways to use this tool in the classroom...I'll get back to you on this one. However, for older students, this is a great research tool to get more information on a topic of their choice from different views. While it will not be a credible source (in terms of a research paper to cite in a bibliography), the discussions give students a broader range of information. Students could join and ask their own questions or find a topic someone has already posted. Quora provides a unique, new way to research.

Current news articles on Quora:

CNBC

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