Social Media

Otavo Launches - Yahoo Answers, Friendster and del.ici.ous Rolled into One


Ontario-based Otavo, the social discovery site that appeared on Mashable back in March, just launched a public beta. As mentioned previously, Otavo is like Yahoo Answers crossed with bookmarking and search - while that may sound like yet another uninspired idea that's years behind the curve, it's unique enough that it merits a closer look. What's more, the service is looking far more polished than when I first took it for a spin.

Otavo users set off on "quests" for information - "What are the best web 2.0 blogs?", for example. When you're browsing the web and find something useful, hit the bookmarklet (or "floster") to add it to your quest. But this isn't solo bookmarking: other users can join your quest to help you find the information faster - they can also leave comments on the site itself. Additionally, Otavo seems to have figured out the motivation angle: instead of opting for ad revenue sharing (which can lead to cheating) users are rewarded with points for their participation (adding quests, inviting new users etc). Both the "quests" concept and the points system make Otavo feel like an MMOG - you'll remember that stock-trading site Bullpoo is taking a similar approach.

I'm impressed by the number of social features Otavo has added over the past few months: in addition to the invites system, the site now supplies widgets and buttons for MySpace, Typepad and other blogging platforms. The widget displays your latest quests and provides an RSS feed (it's very similar to the CoComment widget). Otavo also features Friendster-style social networking - you can add friends to your network and send them messages through the site. On-site blogging is supported, too, but I doubt it will be a heavily-trafficked feature. I am, however, a big fan of the "Who's Online" list, which gives a real sense of teaming up with other users. Finally, the design is worthy of a mention: it's simple, intuitive and understated.

Prelaunch, I was concerned that Otavo would become another geeky bookmarking tool with only niche appeal. However, the impressive growth of Yahoo Answers has shown that there's a real demand for collaborative Q&A services - Otavo needs to continue pushing the social features if they want to appeal to the broadest demographic possible.

See also Oyogi, a simple question and answer service.

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