Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

As the dreary days of winter never seemingly end, many people find themselves aching for foreign climes and the chance to unwind. With the festive mood over, there’s no better time than now to think about your next holiday.

Whether you prefer an en-piste or an on-beach holiday, the Answers travel category is a thriving hub of activity all year round. So over the coming months we hope you will join us as we explore the globe through an occasional series: World of Answers. We will delve into discussions of all the hotly tipped destinations for 2007, including places as far away as Bhutan or the lush landscapes of Costa Rica to places much closer to your front door.

Not everyone’s idea of an exotic escape is one that involves sun, sea and sand and to start the series we’re taking you skiing. Despite the UK’s recent wintry weather, many people still prefer to swap the hectic pace of daily life to a gentler one on the slopes. Powder snow, rosy cheeks and the wind in your face as you whiz down a mountain are what winter holidays are all about. Once considered a preserve of the rich, they are now accessible to all.

Answers user Citizen is having trouble picking one resort for his skiing trip to Europe. Help comes in the form of Michael_K with his recommendation for Davos, Switzerland. “Because of its altitude and location, it has snow when other places don’t and a long season, and it’s not as expensive as some others.”

Snowboarding fanatic EvilSpike has already picked Les Arcs, France as his destination of choice but doesn’t know how much to pack. “I already have a ski jacket. Is it worth me buying salopettes (dungaree-style snowboarding trousers), bindings or a board too?” Fortunately Answers user KLM has been there: “France has massive stores like Intersport and Decathlon which have great deals on all equipment. I went skiing for the first time last year and bought all my gear there…Make sure you do not pack too much. You do not want to be paying for excess baggage on the way home!”

Close to home, the snow doesn’t usually last much beyond May but snwbrdr960 has some tips if you fancy extending your chances by going further afield. “Chile and Argentina are good…New Zealand and Australia would work too… Ski season usually runs from June-Oct in those places. Check out the reviews for the resorts in those areas and you should get a good idea of where the best chance for snow is for when you’re going.”

One up-and-coming destination that’s had fingers tapping furiously within Answers is Bulgaria and not just for the snow. There’ll be more on this Eastern European gem when we look at the sun spots catching your eyes. Look out for this in future World of Answers blog posts.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

We hope by now you’ve had a chance to check out the new starring feature. If you haven’t, below are some frequently asked questions about Stars. And don’t forget to check out what any of our latest featured users have on their Starred Questions tab.

Why should I star a question?

Marking good questions with a star helps Answers surface the best content on the site. When a question gets a star, it’s automatically nominated to appear in the “Popular” list on the Answers home page. Answers’ Popular list gives insight into what the community thinks are the most interesting questions at any given point in time. This list is similar to Flickr’s “Interestingness” feature, and the “Hotlist” on del.icio.us where sharing popular content enriches the experience for the entire community.

How do I mark a question with a star?

You have a couple of options. You can click on the star button in the action bar below the question on the question page, or you can star directly from the Answers home page or any of the category pages by clicking the star icon below the question.

How do I see the list of questions I have marked with a star?

You can see questions you marked with a star on your profile page by clicking on the My Starred Questions tab. When you mark a question with a star, your nickname is added to the list of users who also added a star to the question.

How do I see who marked a question with a star?

You can view the full list of people who starred a question on the question and answer page by clicking the See who starred link located beneath the question.

How do I see the list of questions someone else has starred?

You can see the questions someone else has starred by clicking their nickname to go to their profile page and clicking their Starred Questions tab.

Sometimes people who starred the same question share similar interests, so you might want to check out the profiles of people in the See Who Starred lists of questions you’ve starred. You can do this by clicking on their nickname in the See who starred list.

Can I remove my star from a question?

Yes, simply clicking the active star icon again will deactivate it and remove your star from a question.

You can remove stars by clicking the star icon button below questions on your My Starred Questions tab in your profile page, or from the questions listed on the Answers home page and Category pages.

The thumbs-down on questions is gone. How do I mark a bad question?

Even though the option to give a thumbs-down to a question is gone, the Report Abuse link is available for reporting questions that violate the Community Guidelines.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

“What do you believe the monster in Lost really is?”

– The producers of Lost, Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse

In the beginning Flight #815 took off from Sydney with a doctor, a woman on the run and a man bound to his wheelchair on board. The flight was destined for the USA but never arrived there. Instead, a dreadful plane crash resulted with its passengers being thrown onto a seemingly deserted island, yet full of secrets and horrors.

This was the initial plot of Lost, a TV programme which has taken the UK by storm since it first aired in 2005. It’s a weird and mysterious storyline that has had viewers impatiently waiting every week for the next slot of suspense. This week we’ve been doubly lucky. Not only is the second half of Series 3 resuming on Sunday but we also have Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the producers of Lost, on Yahoo! Answers. Rather than reveal anything about the forthcoming plot, they have asked you to share your ideas about the jungle’s infamous monster that terrorises the castaways.

If you’re one of the people though who are completely lost when it comes to Lost fear not, Answers is a useful place to catch up on the plot. Angle E has provided a confused user with a great summary of the show, covering everything from the Others to the Dharma Initiative. Once you’ve got to grips with it all, you can join in the debate and come up with possible answers to the unsolved mysteries, no matter how crazy they seem. Maybe, like Debster92, you think every Lostee is linked in some way, or that the island has healing powers. Maybe the jungle uses different methods to haunt each character about their past and their conscience. Here’s hoping that the next series will at least give us some clues…

Up until Series 2, we were all left wondering at who exactly the Others were. Is there a conspiracy behind them wanting to take children? As viewers will know, the Others were already after Claire’s baby and then they snatched Michael’s son Walt. As if that wasn’t confusing enough, we were left scratching our heads about Hurley’s dreaded relation to those lottery numbers. Then came a hatch with a strange button that had to be pressed within 108 minutes.

Now after yet more hatches, black smoke, Michael’s escape, Eko’s random scribbles and some simply jaw-dropping stuff, we stand half-way through Series 3. We may be frustrated and baffled yet we are definitely hungry for more. Will Jack, Kate and Sawyer manage to break away from the Others? Will the survivors ever get off the island? We probably won’t know – and that is the beauty of the show. In the meantime, why not tell us who you believe the monster really is.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

PS: still craving more Lost info? Check out Yahoo!7 Answers’ blog.

“How can we best teach our kids to be streetwise and safe when they’re online?”

– Dr Hilary Jones, advisor with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).

It’s a fact of life: kids will be kids and will always want push the boundaries as they grow up. It’s no different with the internet and there’s no getting away from the reality that it’s a big part of young people’s lives today.

That’s why Dr Hilary Jones and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) are working in conjunction with Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers as part of the EU’s Safer Internet Day. CEOP are taking their Think U Know awareness campaign online today and to schools all over the UK.

“We need to help children and young people learn on how to stay in control when they’re online and empower them to take action when something (or someone) worries or scares them,” explain CEOP. “Young people should be able to talk openly about their experiences online – both good and bad – with their parents and carers, including teachers, and most importantly with each other. There’s some great work going on in schools and communities to make this happen and some great resources for parents and schools to use.” If you’re looking for more info, check www.thinkuknow.co.uk or watch CEOP’s video.

Any young person who’s concerned about something they’ve seen or done on the internet should talk to a responsible adult or, if they want to talk in confidence, they can call Childline on 0800 11 11 or get online advice from the NSPCC at www.there4me.com.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

“What is the most enthralling secret society of all time and why?”

– Robert De Niro

Ever had the feeling that secret forces are at work? Ever wondered if there are powers in action in the murky shadows? Of course 99% of the time you’re probably imagining it but what about the remaining 1%? Maybe there are clandestine, unaccountable sects that are plotting and scheming around us all.

Occasionally throughout history some of these sects, so powerful they can no longer hide, have emerged into the light and when they do it’s fascinating. Even Robert De Niro is curious, which is why he’s asked on Answers: what is the most enthralling secret society of all time and why?

The question makes the mind boggle. Is the answer the fraternal organisation the Masons? Certainly their Grand Lodges are imposing and impressive buildings.

We live in a world where money talks, so what about the Bilderberg Group? It’s a annual conference of 130 people who work in business, academia, media, or politics – except you can’t buy tickets, the meeting minutes are off the record and everyone who attends is immensely influential.

And finally there’s the Skull and Bones, a Yale university-based society. Members include US Presidents George H. W. and George W. Bush. Members meet in a ‘tomb,’ use code names and seldom speak about the society in public.

The society forms part of Robert De Niro’s new film The Good Shepherd, where Edward Wilson (played by Matt Damon), is asked to join the Skull and Bones. Through the society he meets his future wife Clover (played by Angelina Jolie) and makes contacts in the CIA. It’s an organisation, for better or worse, he goes on to be deeply involved with. The film, directed by De Niro himself, is released in the UK on February 23rd. In the mean time why not share your most enthralling secret society of all time on Answers.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team