Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

A stormy night, filled with howling wind and rain falling in a dark, deep woods, with eerie screams and flying bats are usually the setting for most horror stories. Old, deserted houses with creaking gates and floating shadows are also enough to raise goose bumps for most people and leave them shifting uneasily in their seats. Well, luckily enough, these frightful scenes only exist in books or on the big screen. Only apart from one particular day of the year that is.Yes, Halloween is here – a night that originated from “the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain” as one Answers user explained to another when asked about the history of the holiday. Many of you have started getting into the spooky mood with your creepy and curious questions. While Vanilla is trying to find the best costume to wear, others are reaching out to the community for tasty recipes that involve the mighty pumpkin.

Cooking them is not the main use of pumpkins on Halloween though, as we all know. Today, they’re more useful for decorating your house with. Sniggering expressions with large angry eyes make the perfect look for these orange fruit that will welcome excited kids that come looking for treats. But, why are pumpkins associated with Halloween? And what is the reason behind the tradition of trick or treat? Well, one Answerer knew her history well enough and was ready with an answer when she explained that it “…is also an historical event, where adults used to travel from house to house getting treats of food, in celebration of a good harvest. If you did not provide food, the people could play sometimes fairly nasty tricks on you”

If you’re not going to braving the cold in an outrageous costume visiting homes for sweets, maybe you’d like to get into the spirit of things with a terrifyingly good film instead. There is no shortage of recommendations for these on Answers. These films may just include the same characters that could be flying above your house on a broom, or the ones lurking silently in your attic. We’re talking about ghosts and witches, about which there have been numerous discussions. But is it really true? Do witches exist?

However you decide to spend Halloween, here’s wishing you a very bloodcurdlingly-scary one. Have a spooky and chilling day, with all the zombies, vampires, ghouls and witches that come out to play.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

 Birds don’t have any of the hassle we do when flying: no passports, no tickets and no luggage. Although we can’t fly off to somewhere far away as we please, thanks to two clever brothers and great developments in technology, we can ride through the clouds every now and then and explore other countries. Yes, the Wright Brothers gave us one of the most influential forms of transport we know today – the aeroplane. And recently we saw a memorable step in the life of this large machine, as the Airbus A380 made its first commercial journey from Singapore to Sydney on Thursday.

The super-jumbo was met with mixed reactions though, as not everyone thinks that it is practical. And in an age where greener transport is a very important issue, it’s not surprising that every new development is not thought of as positive. As technology takes steps forward, more and more people are stepping back to simpler and environmentally friendlier ways of getting out and about.

Although planes are not regarded as being the greenest out of all vehicles, they still amaze a lot of users. How does something so heavy stay up in the air? Can they fly in reverse? Why is Boeing called Boeing? These are just some of the curious questions floating around on Answers. Also, as exciting as drifting in the sky sounds, it’s not everyone’s idea of fun. Many suffer from a fear of flying and luckily, Answerers have managed to help each other out.

Things have changed hugely since the Wright Brother’s initial small mechanically controlled glider. So as the aircrafts continue to get bigger, more advanced, and yet greener transport is sought, keep your aeronautical questions coming.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

 The world has dedicated this week to geniuses; six special ones in particular. Since Monday, one lucky intellectual has been awarded the Nobel Prize every day for physics (Albert Fert & Peter Grünberg), chemistry (Gerhard Ertl), medicine (Mario R. Capecchi, Sir Martin J. Evans & Oliver Smithies) and literature (Doris Lessing). Two other brainiacs are still set to receive their prize for peace and economics. “But what exactly have they done to deserve this?” we hear you say. Well, here is a little insight in to one of the most prestigious rewards the world has to offer.

Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to individuals who have excelled and are regarded as excellent leaders with outstanding achievements in their subject areas. It was founded by Alfred Nobel, who is the inventor of dynamite. Although he left his fortune to fund the prizes for the six areas, people still wonder today why Mathematics is not included in this celebration of intelligence.

Science, literature and economics; these may not have been the most exciting subjects for everyone at school, especially if you were one of those students who had trouble keeping your eyes open while chemical reactions were being explained. But, they can be fun. After all, they also throw up interesting questions such as ‘Can you freeze a flame?’ or ‘What determines foreign exchange rates?’. So don’t forget to stop by these categories on Yahoo! Answers for a spell of knowledge giving and taking and the chance to increase your intelligence.

With so many questions being asked and answered every day, we’d like to think that we too have an Einstein or an Isaac Newton in our midst. Unfortunately, we can’t give you any Nobel prizes for bringing your experience to the site, but we can guarantee that you’d be doing a noble deed.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

Another “non-answer” is a rant that offers no advice or solutions. Let’s say you are going to make fondue tonight, and you’re looking for the best cheese to use. You get: “I hate cheese. Cheese is evil.” That’s really no help at all. Now, “Cheese is disgusting but use Gruyere.” – that’s something you can use.Is it OK to just answer with a yes or no? Yes. If it makes sense in the context of the question, that is. Of course, it’s better if you can elaborate a little and let others know the reasoning behind your answer.
 

One last thing – if you discover a violation and “call out” the abusive post or member, you become part of the problem. It may be tempting to leave an insult or “reported”; however, it’s not an answer and it’s against the Community Guidelines. Take the high road on this one – just report it and leave it at that.
 

Bart Simpson may come up with some smart-alecky answers, but at least they’re answers. The reality is that people come to Yahoo! Answers looking for…well, answers. So please keep that in mind the next time you find your cursor hovering over that big blue button. We’d all really appreciate it.

 There is no doubt that technology has developed in leaps and bounds over the past few years. Everyday sees the release of the latest ‘must-have’ gadget, game or software. And with the market continuing to grow, it can be hard for people to keep up and easy for them to get confused.

Shopping for a new computer, games console, MP3 player, or even a television can seem like a minefield. With so many new devices jostling for your attention on the shelves it can be hard to make a decision. And with so much choice around, you’re likely to have questions. Bring these questions over to the the Consumer Electronics category, which is thriving with tips, answers and knowledge from users. So if you’re having trouble distinguishing between a plasma, LCD or High Definition television, why not tap into the knowledge of the Answers community?

Whether you’re about to start shopping for a new PC and can’t decide on which one to go for or you’re trying to choose between buying a DV or a DVD camcorder, sometimes it’s a good idea to get recommendations from others who have the experience.

And once you’ve brought your shiny new gadget home and unpacked it in all it’s glory, ready-for-use, you might find (shock horror) that you run into problems. Sometimes trying to figure out what’s gone wrong with your mobile phone, games console or MP3 player can leave you wanting to rip your hair out in frustration.

But don’t give up. Answers is a great source of trouble-shooting tips when it all goes a bit wrong, as someone else may have had the same problem before. Perhaps the screen on your new iPod has frozen or like one user, you’re disturbed by your mobile phone’s inability to send images via Bluetooth. Luckily, a Bluetooth brainiac was at hand to explain that “99% of all Bluetooth dongles require some set up software. So until the drivers have been installed, you may find operational issues”.

We all know that any gadget can be dear in price. This is why after you’ve spent pots of money on your glittery new toy, there is great reason to seek help or advice on how to take care of it. Kurt asked users for tips on the best way to clean a laptop screen, while similarly, lewisboombox wanted to know how to get rid of the dust inside his camera when changing the lens.

So, as gizmos go on becoming more intelligent, flashier, groovier and technology continues to develop at a rapid rate, don’t forget that Answers can help you keep up with the pace.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team