Aardvark is a social search service that connects users live with friends or friends-of-friends who are able to answer their questions. Users submit questions via email or instant messenger and Aardvark identifies and facilitates a live chat or email conversation with one or more topic experts in the asker’s extended social network. Users can also review question and answer history and other settings on the Aardvark website.
via Aardvark (search engine) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Furthermore,
When a user joins Aardvark, Aardvark is added to the user’s IM buddylist. Users submit questions by email or IM. Aardvark guides the user through the question process by providing messages that confirm receipt of the question and explain any actions required by the user. IM users are also able to use a variety of “IM commands”–one word messages that can be used to fine-tune the question parameters, invite new users, or get help.
Aardvark currently supports Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, and AOL Instant Messenger.
If you need an invite link, feel free to use mine, available here.
Some people have responded to Aardvark by saying that it’s example questions can be answered using Google – and for the most part, I agree – increasingly, I find that people who use Aardvark are just damned lazy.
For example, I got this from some guy in Sweden:
How do I printscreen when using Parallels Desktop on a Mac?
Not having used Parallels before, I decided to Google it – I eventually stumbled across a couple of forum threads that suggested using XP’s built-in on-screen-keyboard with it’s printscn key worked a treat. It took me what, 30 seconds to look on Google? For crying out loud.
Another one I got was:
Anyone know any good Linux data recover software?
At the time Lifehacker hadn’t released their article detailing free data recovery tools, so Google proved fruitless. Of course, I wasn’t searching for “linux data recovery”, so I have to brush up on my Google-fu.
Last one I thought was pretty stupid:
How can i nstall the newest version of ICQ on my Windows 2000?
I mean, COME. ON. HAVE YOU HEARD OF GOOGLE?!
No, Aardvark is best used for those personal questions. “What’s the best way to ask out a girl?”, “Where’s the best place for a good meal on a saturday night in Hobart?”, “How do I tell my girlfriend of 15 years that I’m gay?” Okay, I’m kidding on the last one. But really – those personal recommendations that you can’t get though Google work a treat on these so-called “social networks”.
To each his own, I guess.
Anyways, if you need an invite link, hit up mine: available here.