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You may not immediately understand what Quora is at first glance. We will therefore explain what this question and answer site is all about.
The concept behind Quora
Quora is a social network and question-and-answer portal that was founded in 2009 and has also offered a German-language version since 2017. Users can ask questions, provide answers, and subscribe to topics, resulting in a personalized news feed.
- On Quora, you can ask questions and receive answers from experts or other people with specialist knowledge in your specific field. Experts and specialists from various fields share their knowledge, which contributes to quality assurance.
- The concept is based on helping each other and thus spreading knowledge.
- The questions you can ask on Quora are not limited to specific topics.
- When registering for the site, you can specify some interests and topics that you are particularly knowledgeable about.
- You will then receive a personalized news feed.
- This allows you to stay informed about new developments and acquire new knowledge.
How to ask questions on Quora
To ask a question on Quora, you must first be logged in.
- You can’t do anything on Quora without registering: you can register on the site using your email address, Facebook, or Google.
- The first thing you will see on your home page is your news feed. Here you will see relevant questions, some of which have already been answered, that may be of interest to you.
- You can also click on “New Questions” in the bar on the left side of the screen.
- Here you will see current questions that have usually been asked recently.
- If you want to ask a question yourself, you must first check whether it has already been asked.
- You can do this using the top bar “Questions or Quora,” which automatically searches Quora for the keywords you enter. If your question does not appear here, you can post it officially.
Quora compared to other platforms
Quora differs from platforms such as Reddit primarily in its focus on questions and answers, its centralized moderation, and its formal, mostly technically sound answer formats.
Reddit, on the other hand, relies on topic-based subforums (subreddits), decentralized community moderation, and diverse forms of discussion, resulting in a more informal, spontaneous exchange with a wide variety of opinions.
- Organizational structure and community: Quora organizes content around specific questions and relies on “spaces” for thematic groups, with experts and specialists being given preference. Reddit is divided into subreddits, each of which represents an independent community; moderation is often carried out by volunteers within the subreddits.
- While Quora focuses on the quality and expert status of the answers, Reddit encourages mass engagement through its karma system (upvotes/downvotes).
- Registration options and user guidance: Quora requires an account for full use, often with a real name and profile, as many users want to showcase their professional reputation; Registration via email or social accounts such as Google/Facebook is possible. Reddit also allows more anonymous profiles and pseudonyms; registration is done in the traditional way via email, Google, or Apple, and recently, increasingly without real names.
- Quora’s user interface is more academic and structured, while Reddit uses many of its own codes and abbreviations as well as a somewhat complex but flexibly customizable interface.
- Usage and exchange dynamics: Answers on Quora are often extensive and signed by individuals, frequently with references to sources and experiences; discussions usually take place below the questions. Reddit thrives on quick responses, discussion threads, and a wide variety of topics, with frequent exchanges of experiences and sometimes controversial debates; Posts can be commented on, rated, and shared directly.
- Quora is suitable for in-depth, well-researched answers, while Reddit is suitable for spontaneous, broad discussions and mutual assistance between community members.
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