i see mahalo as one of the biggest sites on the internet. thousands of people are already members. it's only a matter of time befor that number doubles or triples.
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I see Mahalo as one of the top sites for questions and answers on the internet. I am not so sure how the rest of the site will hold on but I think a fast working Q&A site can do well and Mahalo has that potential.
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Mahalo is a great site and I won't really be surprised if it's gonna get big sometime soon. Remember the graph they showed last time? Month by month the money Mahalo's paying to it's members are getting bigger and bigger. This proves too that we're getting more users.

Mahalo is a great way of socializing with people too. Imagine joining a forum where you meet a lot of people from over the world... sharing experiences, sharing knowledge. You can share here and earn at the same time. This is one of the reason why Mahalo attracts users. It kinda helps a little when someone earns extra cash. That's why people love it here.

I think by next year, Mahalo's population will double up by then. By three years? I think we're as big as sites like Wikipedia. In 10 years? Maybe Mahalo's as big as Google. ^^ Possible right? ^^

But the future of Mahalo doesn't just rely on the admins but also to us members and contributors. Mahalo will be successful if we'll be able to provide quality pages, worth-reading articles and effective answers.

Let's all help Mahalo be one of the top 100 sites! I know we can do it. ^^
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I think Mahalo today is where Facebook was just a few short years ago. Some people had found it and loved it, but others were just starting to catch. So, I envision Mahalo in three years to have surpassed Facebook as the social networking site and the place that people turn to ahve their questgions answered.
The Mahalo answers section does a great deal more to promote discussion and the exchange of ideas than Twitter or Facebook and the pages are useful with content that updates rapidlya s things change. I think people like the idea of dealing with other humans instead of some faceless algorithim.
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Mahalo has some unique aspects, the combination of which make it unlike its competitors.

1. Powered by humans (like Wikipedia and Yahoo Answers, but unlike Google).
2. Monetized for members who provide content (unlike any of the above).
3. Responsive and rapidly implementing improvements (like Google, just faster due to still being smaller and more of a work in progress; unlike the others).

These factors combine to put Mahalo on track to become one of the top 100, and in time possibly one of the top 10 sites on the Internet. The latter will depend mostly on how Mahalo continues to evolve.

Here are some ideas on expansions Mahalo can implement in some form over the coming few years which will fuel explosive growth.

a. Blogging platform for members.
b. More private interaction possibilities between members (e.g. private messaging beyond a single private question per day).
c. Allowing members (and non-members) to subscribe to questions and answers from a particular member they want to follow.
d. More personalized member pages, similar to Facebook.
e. Rewards for members who propose (and possibly help implement or at least beta-test) improvements to the site.

With the proven track record so far for innovation and implementation, I believe that over the coming years (exact numbers, whether 1 year, 3, or 5 are not likely to be accurate or useful so I don't make specific time predictions) we'll see the following benchmarks met or exceeded.

I) Membership at Mahalo continues to grow at high double-digit rates per year, exceeding 100,000, and possibly 500,000 members.
II) Number of Mahalo users making a full time living from Mahalo exceeds 500, and possibly 5000.
III) Total site annual revenue exceeds $10 million, and possibly $100 million.
IV) Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft makes an offer to buy the site for hundreds of millions of dollars, keeping the founder(s) in place to continue directing the growth and development of the site.
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I think with the ever increasing quality in pages being produced and the rapid growth of actual pages being produced per week, coupled with the extremely wide variety and again "increasing quality" of questions and answers, Mahalo has the potential to be "right up there" as a knowledge base, existing and potential.

As long as the Mahalo staff continue to be "real people" and show themselves to us "warts and all," as they have up till now and still do, then I see no reason why quality members wont stay and thereby attract other quality members, making Mahalo a force to be reckoned with.

Three years is a very long time, I have a feeling Mahalo will be widely recognised in a much shorter space of time. Lets have this conversation this time next year and see where we are okay?
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I see Mahalo as one of the biggest sites on the Internet in 3 years, on path to be bigger than Wikipedia, bigger than Yahoo and its Answers site. I can see Mahalo as big as Google within 5 to 10 years, and I see Mahalo as a public company and IPOing within 5 years. By then everyone will have Mahalo on their mobile devices, and you can simply talk into your phone and say any word and get a page filled with information, wherever you are, and whenever you want!

I see Mahalo as one of the biggest properties on the Internet, and as one of the most visited sites on the Internet. Each month Mahalo keeps growing, with more users, and more money keeps getting poured into the hands of Mahalo members. As Mahalo members get richer, the number of members know about the site.

Mahalo will be the next Google, and people will be buying its stock every day! Jason Calacanis is on path to becoming a billionaire with the IPO of Mahalo. (Note: I do not own stock in Mahalo yet)

Mahalo is an excellent way to get people thinking, and an excellent way to get people to understand other people and question what is important in life. You can meet people who will answer your question around the world, and answer people's questions from all over.

Mahalo will be a global power house, where people all over the world will share their experiences, ask questions, and spread the wealth of knowledge. Mahalo will be a social experiment, and people will use Mahalo all over the entire Web, wherever they go, there will be a piece of Mahalo built into their Web browsing experience. What makes Mahalo great is that you can share your knowledge, and share your wealth by voting questions interesting. The site is a meritocracy where people can live for the payments, and people are on track to not only making some extra cash, yet some people will be making their living off Mahalo.

Within 1 to 2 years I see Mahalo's traffic and population of users more than quadrupling. I think Mahalo will be bigger than Wikipedia within 5 years. Mahalo will be big enough to purchase Wikipedia if it so desires. Within 10 years Mahalo will be bigger than Google is now, but being bigger than Google is a tough run, but it's possible!

Mahalo's future success is within our hands, and it's users like you and I who make this site great, a great place to visit, and contribute with our questions and answers. Mahalo has great pages because of users who work hard at putting them together, and staff who work diligently as well.

Mahalo will be in the top 100 sites within 3 years, within 5 years it will be in the top 20 sites, and within 10 years it will be in the top 10 sites.
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I've only been here a short while but I think Mahalo has the potential to become a major web site. I know we have some excellent writers here and there are plenty of opportunities, something for everyone, whether it's managing pages or just doing the questions, tasks, whatever. I'm glad to be getting in on the ground floor (basically) and eager to help Mahalo grow!
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Typically, we humans overestimate what can happen in 5 to 10 years, but underestimate what is possible in 20. This is a well known phenomenon.

Three years is pretty easy to foretell.

In three years Mahalo Answers will have a solid community of people who are used to answering questions. It will be a good place to get serious questions answered.

Mahalo will have reasonable name recognition, but nothing amazing. Only about 10% of online users in the US will have heard of it, but not know what it is. 3% may know what it is, generally. 1% will have visited the site.

It will rise from the present 6 million uniques to 50 million uniques per month.
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This is the future I see for Mahalo. It will be the best site on the internet and it will get so many members that it will crash. They will have to become more selective of their members because almost everyone in the world will be trying to join. All of us that are already here will become rich. All I see for the future is dollars everywhere.

http://expat21.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/a-million-dollars.jpg
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I think that the people answering will get burned out and stop. That will prevent the quality of answers from getting higher and the site will lose any significance. Sadly, I just don't see this concept working out. The monetary rewards are too small to matter, and the fun of it will probably wear off. So, if I had to bet, I would bet that Mahalo won't last three years. It might, but it will have to overcome the blatant problems that it has now and somehow increase the quality of answers and the reward for good answers.
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Two things;
1. I see millions and millions of people get into Mahalo
2. Mahalo data center will have real - one of a kind - trouble of keeping and maintaining vertical-data
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I involved into mahalo about 4/5 months. But actively last 1/2 months.Here is my short expression about future of mahalo and why. But firstly I beg all's pardon because of you may discover my answer as too hard to realize. Sorry for my poor english proficiency.

First I will explain the name of mahalo. What means "mahalo"? I made little bit research and found the result is "Thank you" or "Thanks". @dmartt made me sure about it. Anyway my speech is mahalo means thanks and mahalo definitely do that. I know you just born in mahalo so you had experience that mahalo stuffs are welcoming you when you passing a single step of a big stair. I think that recognize all to keep continue communicating with mahalo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40161545@N06/4092184510/
I am a student of last label of high school. Is there any earning way to me? Blog is too hard to a student, freelancing writting is also boring to a student. So where we will go? Definitely answer is mahalo! Do you know I am going request to pay my money to buy a compact digital camera!
*So I can see a huge number of student of schools,colleges and universities like me @lilyloretta and many others.And they contributing on mahalo to make it as bigger as wikipedia by their valuable knowledge.Thats a plus point for mahalo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40161545@N06/4091455755/
When anyone needs any information about any event,person,place,history then where he goes? Of course his browser's address bar show wikipedia.org BUT I can see in next few years his address bar will show www.mahalo.com/barak obama
I am sure.Here is the points about why. Firstly I will say will wikipedia give you any money if you build a page or edit a page? Answer is negative.But mahalo gives you so mustly mahalo will gain a lot of pages, I can see there will be nothing which has no information in mahalo.
Another point is wikipedia do give you guarantee about reality and up to date information ? but mahalo do that, strongly do that.Wikipedia also have no great how to,coupons,sports,gadgets page like mahalo.
*So It is going to be a super information house. It will be a alternative of wikipedia and google for any information about anything.


I am sure here is lot of fun. When my firefox open then you should know that mahalo has there as a common tab.Here is a wonderful community. Here also some helpful friends who really helps you. In facebook many almost everyone has too lot friends normal friend list contains about thousand friends!! lol so??? are they FRIENDS?? or FAKES? lol So??? But in mahalo I get known about many active members who are like to help others. Another point, here I saw teacher-student, IT professional-Actor, Model-Modeling photographer,Mother-father, 14-uper of 60 aged, freelancer writter-professional blogger and many others. You will also find them sure.
*So mahalo of course is a great place to meet and know about new persons and interesting persons.Take me example, if I wanna leave mahalo but never will can why? just for missing the community.They also will so, I think. So where is the bondage to turn mahalo as big as faceboooook? Nothing, and going to be another great an unique and different social networking site.

All freelancer writter will build their home at mahalo task because, there is many sites who are pays for your content just onetime but mahalo will pay you till you are the manager of this page and half of total revenue.
*So I can see there are a lot of freelancer writer who are typing in every moment for mahalo tasks.And mahalo is gaining 500-1000 quality pages everyday.

*I can see a circle of visitor-member-visitor. Here is explain, Imagine you are a page manager and active member and I am a general student. Then when it is Halloween then I am searching on google "how to make captain america costume" then I found a page of mahalo, firstly I read this page for my necessity, then suddenly I discover that you manged this page and earned some coins which can be used to buy candy. Then I go on mahalo then searched how to become a page manager. then get instructions and pick up a task around my interest then I inter into mahlo community then I found that @jeffhoard welcoming me and asking for any help, I asked how to earn more? he said about earning on mahalo then result is I am a black beltarian. lol then I visit more more page...and mahalo get more more traffics.That is a clever circle of mahalo.


*At last I will say I can see mahalo as a site of alexa top ten!! Aim high, it will must come true. No worry jason we all are besides you to make that.

Oh @vladis really you asked a interesting question, I can't end my answer.....if you say to write a book then I also can...because mahalo is too large great, helpful that never will end if I start write.lol

Thanks
@safiqulislam
Source(s):
Bottom of my heart and right part of brain.

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I am still new here at Mahalo, but I think MAHALO will be bigger in terms of users, pages, good informations, questions and answers, tasks and many more. Users may rise to the millions (hope I can still see my name on the site, or maybe step aside because a lot of smart people will be hovering around the site) by 3 years time.

Glad to be here, enjoyable and at the same time learning , educating, myself to a lot of different topics and point of views. I find it so welcoming, not much restrictions other than one must pay attention to the Mahalo ways, which are very reasonable. And this, like I am, will draw attention to possible members everytime. And there is the plus of earning money which is great ,anybody will agree with me on that.

Keep up the good work, Mahalo Staff. And hurray for the users, of course.
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I agree with philipy: three years - wow, anything can happen in three years... And I like the idea of scenarios, from bright and optimistic all the way to extinction - it really helps to clarify just how wide possibilities for the future are.

I just read an interesting article about what it takes (and for that matter, what it means) for an application to become a "Killer App". I think that a lot of the messages in that paper are applicable to Mahalo.

Here is how the authors define "Killer App":
"killer apps are highly transformative technologies that create new markets and widespread patterns of behavior"

This seems like a reasonable definition to me, and a very reasonable goal for Mahalo in 3 years.

The main point the authors make is that it is all about cost and benefit, but that we have to realize that there are all kinds of different costs.

Here are the kinds of costs the authors discuss:
- conversion costs: the costs for moving from legacy systems to the killer app
- maintenance cost: keeping the system running
- organizational restructuring costs: I think that this is essentially the same as conversion costs
- transaction costs: this seems to address more of the cultural issues of making the transformation to the killer app, such as changes in functions of different entities in an organization
- reducing costs: importance of size of user base (see the definition of "Metcalfe's law" below)

And here are some the issues that the authors suggest are related to the benefit side
- how to find incentives for the pioneers that "move first"
- issues of trust
- developing communities of practice that are self selecting and informal
- addressing the possibility of harmful interference and misuse of information

Of course the paper is about the potential of the SW, but their conclusions seem to me to be almost directly applicable to Mahalo:
"any SW killers will have to provide
(1) a service that is not possible or practical under more traditional technologies,
(2) some clear benefit to developers, data providers, end users at minimum extract costs, and
(3) an application that becomes indispensable to a user-base much wider than the SW researchers {substitute Mahalo members} community"

Mahalo has the potential to meet these requirements, but it will depend on the commitment of its pioneering adopters to "break though" and not "break down"!

Here are some of the salient points (and quotes) that I picked up from the paper that might be relevant for making Mahalo into a Killer App

Metcalfe's Law: "utility of a network is proportional to the square of the number of users"
Creativity and risk: "destroying hitherto reliable income streams for established firms"
Personalization: "common thread in the development of killer apps" and
"often the key to providing the higher service quality"

Paper details:

Title: Towards a Killer App for the Semantic Web
Authors: Harith Alani, Yannis Kalfoglou, Kieron O'Hara and Nigel Shadbolt
Source: The Semantic Web - ISWC 2005 Industrial Track, Volume 3729/2005, pp. 829-843, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Springer Berlin / Heidelberg)
ISSN 0302-9743 (Print) 1611-3349 (Online)
DOI 10.1007/11574620
Download: http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/11167/
Source(s):
Towards a Killer App for the Semantic Web
http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/11167/

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I have recently referred to Mahalo as a killer app but I think the definition could be more simply defined, as to why some sites reach that status.

What was the first in this category? Probably AOL, as it introduced many of the communication innovations that so many successful sites have cloned or evolved. Chat rooms that worked smoothly, profiles of people in them--that you could see who they were, integrated email & IMs, topical chat rooms & bulletin boards, and even before the WWW came into being, a graphical user interface that presaged the web, along with dozens of locations with web like features. This was the basis for social networking as we know it.

That it was simple to use and non-technical people could use it like a telephone, opened it up to a mass market that other useful apps like IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and USENET (topical bulletin boards) never found. Like the VCR, its unspoken but perhaps biggest draw was a new release for human sexuality, either through cybersex or for dating prospects, the birth of online relationships.

Two other killer apps that leap to the top of the pile would be Google search and the iPhone. Here we are skipping those apps that made the PC a breakthrough device in its initial days, and looking at the current marketplace. Following those two might be eBay, Digg, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Not a definitive list, but examples of sites that reach this status. The latter three really don't introduce much new technology that AOL didn't already have, only that they are free to use where AOL had a monthly fee and required credit to become a member, limiting its reach to many. These last five sites all shared a social component where one could gain status in some form, make friends with other users, and share interests and ideas.

More than looking at member numbers or revenue we are looking at Internet memes:

Wikipedia quote-- "The British scientist Richard Dawkins introduced the word "meme" in The Selfish Gene (1976) as a basis for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Examples of memes given in the book included melodies, catch-phrases, beliefs (notably religious beliefs), clothing fashion, and the technology of building arches." --unquote.

And so in comparing Mahalo to other killer apps we ask, does it have the substance to become a meme, like the above websites? I would posit that it does, because it has many of the same features that the above apps share, and yet combines them in a novel way similar to how the above took familiar themes and repurposed them into new and exciting applications.

What drives many of the above social sites? The chance for recognition, a basic ego drive. Making friends and helping others. The ability to make income--like eBay. A forum to express opinion and share ideas. Also the chance to promote or network businesses.

What is the appeal of Mahalo? Instant gratification, while receiving praise, points, and possibly dollars. There is something in this formula that I can only compare to sex appeal, yet it is based on the appeal of intellect over physical appeal. One doesn't pick this up as a casual bystander, but only by participating in questions and answers.

There is also the archetypal similarity to the first twelve social years we all experience in school, where social status is gained by answering a teacher's questions first/rightly, or getting satisfaction doing well on a test. It goes without saying that there is also a similarity to many game shows we grew up watching, where there is excitement over answering questions right and winning prizes or money.

All of these are basic modern primal behaviors that most humans experience and enjoy, and that drive "killer app" sites to become memes and to spread in a viral fashion. Some of these start out quietly, like Wikipedia, while others blow up overnight like Google. Wikipedia is not particularly a stimulating site one feels like spreading to one's friends. Besides some initial rise of publicity in blogs and tech sites, most people probably find it as rising to the top of Google searches.

Google on the other hand, quickly overpowered other search standards as it is a gateway, portal type application that everyone must use at some point, and Internet pundits were quick to spread its effectiveness to the masses. What might be consider a crucial asset in becoming a killer app, Internet meme, and viral phenomena, is the quality--does this app make one want to spread it to friends? This is the viral effect where others will sample something because friends or pundits they admire will boost the application. This is perhaps the bottom line whether an app becomes successful.

That Mahalo combines many of the above assets into an addicting and attractive package, virtually ensures that it will become another Internet standard. Because its appeal takes becoming an actual user rather than just browsing through it, its rise will probably be moderate at first like many other successful sites, gaining mass and momentum as it grows until it reaches a critical mass, and becomes a generic term like "Google."

What is the one killer feature that makes it a killer app? That for a dollar or less you can get a half dozen or more people spending their time scouring the Internet and using their education and life experience to point you to the information you need.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_application
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memes

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Mahalo is an innovative site, so I think it would have prosperous years to come. Mahalo management should just make sure that their members as well as the readers are satisfied with their service.
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