Yahoo Answers, the question-and-answer website that catered to everyone’s curiosities, announced on Monday that it is set to shut down by May 4, 2021. The termination comes after more than 15 years of providing answers to our deepest answers, for better or for worse.
On its homepage, however, the Verizon-owned platform assured Yahoo users that there will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services. Starting April 20, visitors will only be able to view questions and answers in read-only mode.
Then, by May 4, all data posted on the site will be wiped out completely, an event that avid users liken to the burning of the Library of Alexandria. Users can also download their Yahoo! Answers content by submitting a request before June 30, 2021.
To a message relayed to Verge, Yahoo has said that the needs of Yahoo Answers’ users have changed through the years, leading to a decline in popularity. As an alternative, Yahoo referred users to Yahoo Search to find answers to their most pressing questions.
“To that end, we have decided to shift our resources away from Yahoo Answers to focus on products that better serve our members and deliver on Yahoo’s promise of providing premium trusted content,” Yahoo shared with Verge.
The premise of Yahoo Answers as a call-and-response website is simple, but many have taken this to transform the site into a receptive community, one that never ran out of answers, no matter how outlandish they may be. As such, social media users paid the platform the tribute it deserves:
It was tolerant in that one never needed to be an expert in the topic in question to participate. Ironically, this positive lack of prejudice was the reason why users felt comfortable firing away ridiculous questions.
Yahoo Answers answered our deepest curiosities, started meaningful discussions, expanded our interests, and launched one of the most timeless memes:
To the patron saint of the dazed and confused, may you rest peacefully.
