

Google Baraza - pathikrit
http://www.google.com/baraza/en/

======
diggan
"What is Google Baraza?"

"I am a member of the Google Baraza team. One of Google’s goals in Africa is
to make the internet more locally relevant and bring more people online. One
of the challenges of the internet in Africa is that there is a lack of local
content online. At Google, we find that users search for information about
local businesses, entertainment, health, etc but often don’t find it because
the information is not yet available online. In order to help bring more local
content online, Google engineers have created Baraza to allow people in
countries across Africa to ask questions and post answers to questions from
others.

Here are some quick tasks to try out

\- Answer a question on your favorite topic - Find a question by browsing
labels (e.g.,"Programming & Design") or Search (e.g., "Economics")

\- Ask a question that you have been wondering about [...]"
[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=3084c339e2379cf8](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=3084c339e2379cf8)

~~~
RivieraKid
Why should Africans use this instead of existing Q/A sites like Quora?

~~~
AYBABTME
I don't understand why Quora seems to be a standard to some. It hides it's
answers behind a registration wall and ask that you give it access to your
Facebook profile on registration.

It's a creepy website from my perspective.

~~~
makeset
Not to mention quietly setting up a public profile page in your name that
starts showing up among top results when people search for you. Creepy is
right.

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selectnull
How come Google releases new software that is __not __using https, and still I
'm logged in with my account.

I'm surprised google can still make that mistake, making my account vulerable
after going to so much trouble of protecting it with 2factor auth.

~~~
giergirey
Are you sure that the Google authentication token(s) sent over HTTP can
actually be used to perform sensitive actions (e.g. reading/sending mail,
changing settings)?

That is, perhaps Google require an HTTPS-only token for sensitive actions and
the authentication token sent over HTTP is only used for basic personalization
(like showing your username) and some unimportant actions?

Though I guess we know that someone who has stolen your HTTP authentication
token could ask embarrassing baraza questions on your behalf ...

~~~
selectnull
No, I'm not sure and your questions are valid. But wouldn't you be happier if
they used https and the questions wouldn't have to be asked in the first
place?

This practice of having a website respond to both http and https simply has to
die. Google is not the only offender here, but I expected more from them,
because they are very security sensitive.

Google, next time you accuse Chinese of hacking you, reconsider your
practices.

~~~
giergirey
I agree, it would be good to see Google setting the trend here by going HTTPS
everywhere. Personally I think the next website I create will be all-HTTPS.

The main reasons I encounter for not going HTTPS everywhere are:

1) Possible negative effect on search engine ranking during transition period.

2) 3rd party content from analytics tools and advert networks not supporting
HTTPS.

3) Slower initial page load over mobile due to SSL handshake.

4) No-one else is doing it.

Hopefully these reasons will become less valid over time!

~~~
bad_user
Nr. 3 is very problematic for satellite connections, which have extremely high
latency, making HTTPS websites unusable. I guess that is why Google went with
plain HTTP in Africa.

~~~
ensignavenger
This isn't only a consideration for Africa- I am in rural Missouri, USA, and I
am stuck with a satellite connection. HTTPS sites are several times slower
than their HTTP siblings. The problem, as I understand it, is that my service
provider can't compress the pages before sending them over the satellite link.

------
OrwellianChild
This looks like an attempt to mimic the Quora or StackOverflow format of Q&A,
but the structure isn't there. There doesn't seem to be much organizational
structure beyond the top-level "Government" or "Computer Software" categories.
It appears to have been around since 2010 or so - there are some users that
have been contributing for a while (e.g. ivan -
[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/user?clk=tpct&userid=0708787...](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/user?clk=tpct&userid=07087875453522940748)).

What is the purpose of recreating English-language Q&A structure in such a
poor form?

~~~
wodenokoto
Gathering question answer pairs for training their answering algorithm in
google search.

------
pornel
> Baraza is not supported on your browser

Displayed in Chrome-based Opera that sends Chrome's User-Agent string and
deliberately doesn't even mention "Opera" in the header.

It's so annoying that Google keeps discriminating against other browsers even
when there can't even be a vaguest technical reason to do so.

Why would even simple Q&A site need to require only handful of latest
browsers? Why is Google still using User-Agent sniffing? (they have top-notch
web developers who all know how stupid that is...)

------
thomasfl
Will Baraza questions and answers be ranked higher than Quora and Stack
Overflow in Google search? When Google starts adding more services with
content created by users, will it be harder to rely on Google search?

~~~
joelrunyon
This is a good question.

At one point is google "impartial" search engine or when does it become a
funnel to their own services?

You can see it started to happen with the ITA flight software acquisition a
few years back
([http://www.google.com/press/ita/](http://www.google.com/press/ita/)) - now
google flights now beat out every booking engine for any flight query.

~~~
lopatin
I doubt that Google will ruin the integrity of their search results because
they want to push Baraza.

They do have widgets such as Google Flights pop up when it is clear the user
if looking for airline tickets but that's not an indication that Google
funnels all their own services for the heck of it. First of all, the widgets
such as Flights and People Bios are not in the actual search results, but
appear as separate sections. I believe the actual search results are sacred
and are exempt from being tampered with, even for Google's motives.

Second, flights are a very specific and objective thing which makes their
Flights widget extremely useful. If I'm searching for "flights from lax to
ord", I'm going to get all flight times available without even leaving Google.
The same cannot be said for most services such as Baraza, where the quality of
answers/questions is very incomplete and subjective.

~~~
joelrunyon
Their flight widget is the second thing in the search results (right under the
ads) and above any actual results. That alone - says they're prioritizing the
money-making options.

~~~
lopatin
The place under the ads and above the search results is just where they put
stuff like the calculator, sports stats, and other easter eggs. Yes they make
money off the Flights widget, but that doesn't automatically mean it's bad for
the user. My point was that the Flights widget is great and more useful than
the actual search results when you query for "flights to lax" just like the
calculator widget is more useful than the search results when you query
"sin(50)*1234". They are prioritizing useful widgets, and this one happens to
make lots of money.

------
crb
Note: this URL will be 404 if you're using an "https everywhere" extension.
Revert to [http://](http://) URLs and it will work.

------
niuzeta
I don't know which I feel sadder: that I'm logged in a service which I did not
_agree_ for, or that I've lost will to try out anything from Google.

the NSA deal and (more importantly) Google Reader shutdown really did it to
me. As soon as I find an alternative to gmail I'm leaving Google service
wholly.

~~~
Zhenya
I hope you figure out a way to ensure that service doesn't also shutdown. Just
because you pay for it, doesn't make it invincible.

I think you're mad at SaaS, not Google. I don't see the shutting down a CORE
offering anytime soon.

~~~
niuzeta
I know I'm mad for irrational reasons. I think you are right that I'm mad at
SaaS as well.

Yes, services shut down. That's just the way it is, or at least how I figure.

The thing about Google Reader was that it was one of the reasons that got me
interested in Google other than the search engine; then I discovered gmail,
and etc. I've felt that Google was one of the 'good guys', and lately, I just
don't feel the same way. I guess I'm quoting the Google Reader shutdown as
what symbolizes the change.

Having said that, I doubt I will try many things from Google, not because of
the fear of them shutting down, but because it won't do much for me.

------
ronilan
That's new. /s

([http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2010-11-16-n46.html](http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2010-11-16-n46.html))

------
arikrak
It looks like Google Forums but with StackOverflow-style votes. I guess they
didn't really use aardVark for it:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardvark_(search_engine)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardvark_\(search_engine\)).
I wonder why they didn't try to make a bigger Q&A service, maybe integrated
with G+.

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vinight
I highly doubt this is a serious product google will be pursuing. looks like a
low level offering for developing countries/markets

------
ekianjo
Where are the points coming from ? I seem to have 24 points while I never used
this service. How about you ?

~~~
adrianb
The 24 points seem to be the "initial sign-up bonus" and a "daily login
bonus". I got my initial bonus in 2011 it seems, so this must be an older
Google service that was just renamed and re-launched.

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nthnclrk
To me, I actually see this as Google crowdsourcing the data necessary to have
"answers" appear rather than search results for those things that make sense
to.

~~~
eniacpx
I was thinking more along the lines of upping their game against Siri.

------
KiwiCoder
Question for the Baraza team: The framework looks good, and I expect the
engineering behind the scenes is impressive. What are your thoughts about
content curation and acquiring a critical mass of (for want of a better term)
moderators?

See (for example) this question and its answers
[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=618ce3dee8dafc67](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=618ce3dee8dafc67)

------
goombastic
Whenever I hear of a product from Google, the first thing I wonder about is
when they plan to retire it. I'd rather patronize alternatives.

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dhlavaty
They shut down Google Reader, because it is "....unuseful" ?!? And now they
launch Google Baraza, because it is ... what ????

~~~
lcasela
Google Baraza was launched in 2010.

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jonahx
It looks like a row-rent version of SO, targeted at Africa.

The muffin stump of Q&A software:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eipl17WpOo&t=12](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eipl17WpOo&t=12)

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xmpir
[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=6551f90c5ef62dc2&...](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=6551f90c5ef62dc2&msg=QUESTION_POSTED&qposted=1)

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AndrewDucker
An answer to the question "What is Google Baraza?":

[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=3084c339e2379cf8](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=3084c339e2379cf8)

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pax
I wonder why they chose not to allow commenting on questions (possible on
Quora or Stack Exchange). Allowing comments could help improve existing
answers, but I guess it would add more noise.

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MichaelTieso
Without proper moderation, it's going to be filled with junk.

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r0h1n
What am I missing? Is this Google Answers under a new name?

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CmonDev
Don't want to log in, sorry. See no point for them to see my account if I want
to use the thing in view mode.

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oddshocks
I like the one that asks "Why Google collaborate with the NSA?"

The one response is "you crazy".

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gcb1
lol. first one on the question lost when i clicked

[http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=76951fbe3c65173e](http://www.google.com/baraza/en/thread?tid=76951fbe3c65173e)

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aashu_dwivedi
Is it because Quora's questions are behind the walled gardens?

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pax
also → [http://otvety.google.ru](http://otvety.google.ru)

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nkg
Oh, Oh... time-consuming website!

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ianleckey
404

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oxes
Wow that is ugly.

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stefan_kendall
They shutter google reader, and this is what we get.

Fuck.

