I was recently contacted by Aardvark’s CEO, Max Ventilla, who let me know that they would be redesigning their website to highlight and promote the functionality of social search.

Following in the footsteps of ChaCha and the KGB, Aardvark takes the power of people to supply the energy and momentum behind their search. One of the differences that I really like about Aardvark is that it’s just available in the areas I’m already active. For me enjoying helping other people with questions, the fact that Aardvark simply instant messages me via Google Talk and shares the question that’s being asked.

If you’re on their new website and ask a question, keywords are pulled from the question and sent to the appropriate Aardvark user based on their identified expertise. Within a few seconds, an answer is provided and everyone’s happy.

Aardvark’s integration with existing systems and networks that can be used by anyone from anywhere can’t get much better. As long as they continue to revise and improve what they’re doing, I’m sure anyone who uses the service will be pleased with their experience.

Go visit the new Aardvark website and see what answers you can come up with. You never know, maybe I’ll be the one answering your question.

Post from: EveryJoe

Aardvark Redesigns Website to Highlight Social Search

I received an email earlier today from Aardvark’s CEO, Max Ventilla, letting me know that they are now equipped to work with and take advantage of the power of twitter. I never knew aardvarks and birds could have produced such a symbiotic relationship as this.

The formatting of how to use Aardvark with twitter is very straight forward. All you need to do is the following three items:

1. ask a question
2. make sure you have a question mark "?" in your tweet
3. include @vark in your tweet

That’s it! Couldn’t be much simpler.

When you ask your question just sit back and relax. The folks at Aardvark will send your question to the right people and then direct message you back with their answer.

Great stuff. I’ve been trying to participate answering questions as much as possible when I can. Even when I can’t the interface and functionality of letting things go by or "passing" on them has been well thought out for the user base.

Before you get started, you do need to register with using Aardvark on your twitter account.

Post from: EveryJoe

Aardvark Now Working with Twitter

What happens is that you register for the site and as part of completing your profile you provide areas in which you consider yourself having some expertise. Someone then asks a question via IM with Aardvark (you can integrate it with a variety of IM clients) and if the question has keywords related to your areas of expertise you’re sent an IM with the question. There’s also opportunities to answer "extra" questions that may not fit your exact expertise.

Here’s a sample conversation of mine with Aardvark via IM:

aardvark:
Hi Jason, I have an Extra Question that’s not related to your profile…
I have a question about *SEO* – can you help?
(Type ’sure’, ‘pass’, or ‘busy’.)

Sorry I missed you.

Type ’sure’ to see if you can answer the question, or type ‘help’ to learn more about Aardvark.
(Tip: try asking about a *gift recommendation* for the holidays, or get a *travel tip*…)

There’s a variety of other menu’s you can access via IM to find out what other people are searching for or what talents certain people have that are currently online and available for questions.

I love this service, but I can see how it could get interrupting to you during your day with messages automatically coming into your IM client regularly. I’m going to keep playing with it though because I really like the idea of it. It reminds me of how I enjoy using twitter to bounce questions off of my followers and see the results I get.

Give Aardvark a try yourself and sign-up, maybe you’ve got an answer out there for someone, I’m fairly certain you’ve probably got a question you’d like answered in the meantime.

Post from: EveryJoe

Aardvark – Delivering a Bit More in Social Search