WebProNews

There are so very many services that look alike, and whenever a new one comes along, you have to wonder why anyone would bother using it.  In reference to Askville, Amazon has a neat answer: bribes.

This is not some dirty little secret; in both the subtitle and very first sentence of a press release, Amazon happily notes that users of its question-and-answer service will be able to work their way towards $50 and $100 gift certificates.  And frankly, I don’t see a problem with that.

Neither, I’d assume, does Askville’s existing user base - the service, although newly open to most of the world, has been in beta testing for some time now.  This helped ensure that it wouldn’t be answer-less when the final launch occurred, and the plan seems to have worked - you’ll find a fair amount of goofy and/or stupid stuff, but there’s genuinely helpful content, as well.

Also, as Joseph Park, Askville’s director, pointed out, “Not everyone finds what they are looking for on the web.”  In a statement, he then continued, “We believe Askville.com can help users find information while also making it a fun experience by sharing your knowledge with other curious, like-minded people.”

It’ll be interesting to see how well Askville works; Amazon’s last big event, the Kindle’s release, occurred with decidedly mixed results.  Still, the whole bribery angle may put Askville one step ahead of its competitors.