Yahoo Answers and Mahalo have similar formats. Questions can get an unlimited number of answers and all answers are visible immediately. Askville is different. Questions can get up to five answers, which are visible only to the asker and answerers. Until the questions closes, anyone else who wants to see the answers has to give up the ability to answer the question. All answers are anonymous until voting is finished.

Askville and Mahalo emphasize a community component in addition to the Q&A. So far, Mahalo has done a better job of integrating the two, so that neither is more important than the other. It's early days yet so will be interesting to see how this evolves. YA is a community in the sense of people being together for a common interest.

Askville and Yahoo Answers appeal to different demographics. The bulk of Askville members are 40 plus and it's not unusual to hear from people in their sixties and seventies. Yahoo is the opposite. I don't have enough experience of Mahalo to be sure but I'd guess it falls somewhere in between.

Of the three Mahalo is the most calm. People at Askville and YA can be rude. On YA it's mostly to each other. At Askville people can be rude to each other but they also make demeaning remarks about staff. Both sites have their share of the usual internet sorts of unpleasantness.

All the sites offer a reward system. Askville has gold, which hasn't been good for anything except once, briefly. YA has points. You need to spend points to ask a question. Points also help you advance in levels, which give you more privileges, including the occasional prize. Mahalo you know about.

YA and Mahalo award best answer in about the same way. Askville lets the asker and answerers vote on answers. The asker doesn't get to determine the best answer but his vote counts as two.

In other areas, Mahalo, so far, is tops in quality of questions and answers, Askville leads in discussion and YA is best for quantity.

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