Why Quora is in trouble

#1

Post by sgdesign » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 12:34 PM UTC

Why Quora is in trouble
attackofdesign.com

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#2

Post by cletus » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 1:31 PM UTC

You can count me as one of the long-term Quora detractors. To me, it's a good example of the "bubble effect". Everyone in the Valley thinks its huge because everyone in the Valley uses it.

No one outside the Valley does (figuratively speaking).

It's a thin social layer on what's just a Q&A site not that different to Yahoo Answers, which I guess is fine but I just don't see it going mainstream.

As an aside, I've always said--and I maintain--that I don't see Stackoverflow/StackExchange going mainstream either.

Ultimately I see the end for both companies being a Google or Facebook buyout in the $X00,000,000 range, which I think says more about the overall market than it does their inherent value.

EDIT: let me add regarding SO/SE that I think the SO model works great for programmers but my point--which I didn't put very well--was that I don't see that same tagging/voting/self-organizing model necessarily translating that well to other verticals. I guess time will tell.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#3

Post by macavity23 » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 1:41 PM UTC

cletus wrote: post #2

You can count me as one of the long-term Quora detractors. To me, it's a good example of the "bubble effect". Everyone in the Valley thinks its huge because everyone in the Valley uses it. No one outside the Valley does (figuratively speaking). It's a thin social layer on what's just a Q&A site not that different to Yahoo Answers, which I guess is fine but I just don't see it going mainstream. As an aside, I've alway…

Although I agree that Stack[Overflow|Exchange] will never been a mainstream site, I think there's an important difference in that SO is very useful to the community that it does support.

They've really nailed the technical question 'problem' to the point that my day-to-day job would be measurably harder without it, and so as the poster says I can easily imagine paying for added-value features there.

Quora, not so much. Although I really doubt the solution is to add more eye-candy to the page design. Sheesh, web designers. ;-)

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#4

Post by codingthebeach » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 1:46 PM UTC

macavity23 wrote: post #3

cletus wrote: post #2

You can count me as one of the long-term Quora detractors. To me, it's a good example of the "bubble effect". Everyone in the Valley thinks its huge because everyone in the Valley uses it. No one outside the Valley does (figuratively speaking). It's a thin social layer on what's just a Q&A site not that different to Yahoo Answers, which I guess is fine but I just don't see it going mainstream. As an aside, I've alway…

Although I agree that Stack[Overflow|Exchange] will never been a mainstream site, I think there's an important difference in that SO is very useful to the community that it does support. They've really nailed the technical question 'problem' to the point that my day-to-day job would be measurably harder without it, and so as the poster says I can easily imagine paying for added-value features there. Quora, not so muc…

From the article:

"The site is visually bland: there’s barely any color or images, and you won’t find any effect fancier than rounded corners."

Somebody please save us from the attack of web design. If I see another gradient rounded flashing Javascript-enabled button for gradient rounded flashing Javascript-enabled buttons' sake, I'm gonna hurl, Wayne's World style.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#5

Post by beaumartinez » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:10 PM UTC

I think the biggest problem Quora faces is that it's invite-only. A question-and-answer website needs as many users as possible to provide as many answers as possible.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#6

Post by markkat » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:12 PM UTC

I never really 'got it'. Having to frame discussions in the form of a question seemed limiting, and a bit of a barrier.

It's useful as a Q&A, but I don't see it as a social network. Quora does seem better than Yahoo Answers though.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#7

Post by Hisoka » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:14 PM UTC

cletus wrote: post #2

You can count me as one of the long-term Quora detractors. To me, it's a good example of the "bubble effect". Everyone in the Valley thinks its huge because everyone in the Valley uses it. No one outside the Valley does (figuratively speaking). It's a thin social layer on what's just a Q&A site not that different to Yahoo Answers, which I guess is fine but I just don't see it going mainstream. As an aside, I've alway…

StackOverflow, because of its subject matter will never be mainstream, but I it's immensely popular among those in the programming community, and that's a pretty huge market.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#8

Post by Hisoka » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:14 PM UTC

cletus wrote: post #2

You can count me as one of the long-term Quora detractors. To me, it's a good example of the "bubble effect". Everyone in the Valley thinks its huge because everyone in the Valley uses it. No one outside the Valley does (figuratively speaking). It's a thin social layer on what's just a Q&A site not that different to Yahoo Answers, which I guess is fine but I just don't see it going mainstream. As an aside, I've alway…

StackOverflow, because of its subject matter will never be mainstream, but I it's immensely popular among those in the programming community, and that's a pretty huge market.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#9

Post by JustinHoffman » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:27 PM UTC

Quora is fucked.

Re: Why Quora is in trouble

#10

Post by vaksel » Sun, Jul 17, 2011, 2:37 PM UTC

i think the biggest problem with Quora is that it was hyped up to be more than it was. It's just a Q&A site, and it was hyped up as being a Facebook killer.