The Answers Are Out There, and New Q. and A. Sites Dig Them Up

February 7, 2011 | Source: New York Times

The rate of start-ups with sites where users ask and answer questions is gathering speed and attracting the eyes and wallets of venture capitalists. The entrepreneurs say there is a big opportunity to be captured in revamping the question-and-answer model.

Quora, the site that is getting the most attention, lets people find and follow the activity of their friends, as on Twitter. Stack Exchange is a network of Web sites focused on questions in specific categories like programming, cooking and photography, while VYou requires its members to post their questions and responses in video clips.

Hipster, a mysterious start-up that is said to tie questions to particular locations, has stirred up interest among the early adopters ahead of its formal introduction later this month.