Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

The experience of putting a question to the community and seeing the answers flowing to your inbox is gratifying. And picking the ultimate answer for your question gives you the opportunity to share the outcome of your query with millions of people.

Yet for those indecisive people out there who can’t really make their minds up on a Best Answer, they can put their question up for voting and let the community decide.

Voting for Best Answers is a way to share your opinion and make a difference within the community. Not only do you help other members solve their quick crises or philosophical flounderings, you also gain points as you vote.

In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde wrote: “You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.” Voting for Best Answers can help you master both. You can share your opinions and test your knowledge by resolving others’ problems. But also you might discover great new things by browsing undecided questions and judging which deserves to be its Best Answer.

So, if you know the difference between ice cream and sorbet, how to master the art of cooking or have already explored the Big Apple’s best shopping spots, why not help the community now!

As Wimbledon fever breaks out, today is the second game for the UK’s great hope, Andy Murray. The British number one will be taking on 2002 semi-finalist Xavier Malisse. A nation awaits!

Whether you are a keen amateur, an impassioned veteran or even a young Andy Murray, you will have at some point wondered what it takes to become a professional tennis player. Allow Answers to point out your direction to greatness.

Can an amateur play in an ATP pro tournament?

“The ATP is the major league of tennis. You would have to earn your way into the tournament by having a high-enough ranking, or by playing in the qualifying tournament. Other than that, the only way you would gain entry into an ATP event would be to get a wildcard.”

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How do you play against a lefty?

“From my experience, the lefties I have played have strong backhands and weak forehands. What I do is long rallies to their forehand, since their forehand is usually really weak. When I have the chance, I shoot winners towards their backhand side.”

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How can I fight back against a “pusher”?

“Also a pusher is generally someone who uses tactics to keep you out of position, i.e. lobs over your head, goofy side spin shots, deep topspin. Here comes the opinion section because everyone will deal with them differently.

Their win comes from consistency. In order for him to be successful he needs a consistent condition to hit his strokes. You need to keep him moving. The more he is out of his comfortable position and pace the less likely he’ll be consistent with his pusher shots.”

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If you feel like learning more about tennis today, why not head to the tennis category. Who knows, you might stumble across the next Andy Murray!

Here on Answers, we always want to keep you in the loop of the cool initiatives happening at Yahoo! and today is a big day for our colleagues in mail.

How many of you have seen the news about Yahoo! Mail offering two more new domains? Well, it’s just been launched so besides having your email address ending with a “@yahoo.co.uk”, you can now create one with “@ymail.com” and “@rocketmail.com.”

You know how irritating it is when the Yahoo! ID you want for your email has already been taken and you’re forced to add numbers at the end? Well, now that there are two more domains to choose from. This is the opportunity for you to finally get the name that you’ve always wanted.

What are ymail and rocketmail? Read what the Yahoo! Mail team says about it!

We’ve just added two new domains to the Yahoo! Mail family. Now you can get that same top-notch Yahoo! Mail experience but with “@ymail.com” or “@rocketmail.com”.

What that means is that you have more opportunity to get the email address that you’ve always wanted. I’m sure you might be happy with bob1123322@yahoo.co.uk, but wouldn’t you prefer just plain bobby@ymail.com? Well, now you have the chance to get the name that you want.

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So what are you waiting for? You can register for one now!

Last week our US sister-blog wondered whether vinyl was making a comeback. It got us thinking…

From a UK perspective, the format never went anywhere: the only question is “why?” Well, perhaps it’s because DJ-based dance music is much deeper rooted in European youth culture. The big chain stores here stock 12”s: unlike the majority of the shops in the US.

But rather than arguing over whether vinyl will die or not, in 2008 the record industry is asking itself bigger questions. With Radiohead offering their fans a chance to choose how much to pay for their album (including the option to pay nothing at all) and Haduken releasing music as USB stick-only, the large queries are: will fans pay for music anymore? and what formats do our audience want?

With digital making generating revenue from music sales ever harder, the big labels are increasingly looking to other ways to generate profit. Acts like Madonna and Jay-Z have suggested the focus in the future will be in touring: an experience that can’t be digitized… for the foreseeable future.

Answers is a place that hopes to give people, well, answers but as the music-consumption landscape changes, we find ourselves left with far more questions. Time to stick on the headphones and have a ponder…

Five popular music questions on Answers:

• What makes a truly great cover version and why?

– Keane

• What innovation could change the face of music during the next decade?

– Pete Tong

• Who should I sing a duet with?

– Ciara

• What is it about your favourite song that makes it so special to you?

– Emma Bunton

• Which song do you hate the most and why?

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers Front Page Team

What moves you to share your knowledge?

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

It’s the second birthday of some of the Yahoo! Answers sites worldwide. Time goes by fast and so much has happened since June 14th 2006, when the Yahoo! turned green in places like Spain, France, Germany and Italy!

During the last two years or so, millions of questions have found an answer to their questions thanks to a wonderful and passionate community, that has made Answers become what it is today: for many of you, the starting point of knowledge!

The Yahoo! Front Page team had the honour of asking the question the most of you in the UK answered: What do think about the London 2012 Olympics logo? It must have struck a nerve!

We wanted to celebrate this birthday with you, the community, so have posted a question for you to share with us your experience on Answers and why you help distribute your knowledge.

Why do you answer questions? What is it that moves you to solve others’ inquiries? Have your say: you don’t have until our third birthday to let us know!

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team