Why I Refuse To Buy Or Promote The New “Question And Answers” Site
You may have recently seen marketers promoting a new script to have your own “Yahoo Answers” (TM) type of website. Personally, I think that kind of site is a GREAT idea, but…
I also see potential legal issues for those who buy it and upload it to their own server, as well as marketers who sell it.
If you look at the demo, you’ll see that it looks almost exactly like Yahoo Answers. I’d say it’s about 99% the same, in fact. I’m sure Yahoo had their own programmers create their Answers script, and it’s probably copyrighted by Yahoo (or whoever created it).
The one that’s being sold now by internet marketers is, no doubt, a really good replica of the Yahoo Answers (TM) site, but whether or not that “good” of a replica can legally be sold and used to create our own sites is questionable in my opinion.
I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer NOT to get into a legal tangle with big, bad Yahoo who certainly has deeper pockets than I do. LOL If you decide to purchase it, please do so at your own risk.
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on this, so please feel free to leave a comment below.
All that being said, I do love search-engine friendly, turnkey websites, and I frequently purchase them and install on my own server. They’re quick and easy to do, and don’t require a lot of “maintenance” because they’re “ready-to-go.”
If you’re looking for simple turkey solutions that WON’T get you into legal trouble, I recommend checking out the following:
Don’t forget to leave your comments below about the “Answers” site.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Denise,
I hear ya loud and clear. Despite it sounding like a wonderful idea,if the inner dynamics are that close to cloning Yahoo Answers,then there just may be serious underlying copyright issues.
A good motto to hold dear to ones heart is “When in doubt,toss it out”,in other words,if you feel that something isn’t 100%,don’t do it nor get caught up in it.
Sadlt enough,so many people on the internet today,get so helium-headed with glee over new things that they jump right on it without first considering such things as you had mentioned,copyright issues.
Will be interesting to see what the end-result will be. Will Yahoos’ legal counsel take action or leave it be? Time will tell.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:51 am
Thanks for the heads up, Denise. “Look and feel” suits have been lost by big companies in the past, and you’re smart to stay away from this. I was actually considering a purchase, but you made my mind up for me.
I have to wonder how someone could do something so foolish. Maybe the vendor outsourced the programming to the wrong place and isn’t aware of the situation.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 am
RE Ask Yahoo Clone
Just found the script offer you mentioned and it sure does look like the Ask Yahoo site. I see it is “Completely Customizable” (full source). If you customized it would it be more “Legal”
At eight bucks they will probably sell a lot of them to people who subscribe to the Internet Legal Theory…Better to ask forgiveness than permission.
I doubt if Yahoo would waste resources on a bunch of “yahoos” imitating them with an $8 script. Besides 99% will end up unused on a hard drive anyway.
Jim
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:12 am
Thanks for all the comments so far.
I agree with you, Jim, that a lot of people won’t do anything with it, but I worry about those who do install it at their sites.
I’ve seen a number of people promoting it today, not even just the $8 promo, and I’m sure they’re raking in the bucks. But I wonder if it will be worth it in the end if Yahoo slaps them with legal papers.
I would have thought the creator/owner of the script would have customized it so that it doesn’t look like Yahoo Answers before selling it.
And… I heard from someone who has it, that there are no directions for customizing it, so someone with little or no knowledge of php will have to hire someone to do that for them.
Denise
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I agree with Denise but I also want to add a slightly different perspective on the topic. “Copycatting” is NOT the way to go, with anything.
If you’ve really read the honest IM teachers, you’ll understand that what you want is to avoid anything that acts, sounds, smells, or tastes like something popular. And I mean avoid it like the plague!
Sure, it’s great to learn how someone else made their online fortunes. But don’t expect to duplicate THEIR success, especially in the same niches. That’s a recipe for disaster. And disappointment.
The thing you DO want to do, is to be the FIRST “yahoo answers” by creating something totally original that no one has ever seen before — something that is useful to as many people as possible, or at least to one huge hungry niche.
But people still look for an “easier softer way” — which is like a pipe dream that never gives them back anything but pain. Don’t go there!
Take a deep breath and just do the basics, one step at a time — not by copying everyone else’s latest flavor of success.
That’s just my 2 cents worth but I’d love to hear what others think about this.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Hi Dinese,
I agree with you 100%. I would be afraid I would be in more trouble than I could ever get out of. I hope for their sakes it is legit. Thanks for the warning and keep up the good work.
John
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I agree with you completely Denise. As a matter of fact I am also finding it so difficult finding “Good Quality” info products because there is just so much out there and are these all legal products or “copycats”? Not to mention with so many PLR versions, you find yourself wondering if a different name for one product is possibly the same product you already have under another name.
I have adopted a new point of view this year, in that, “Take a precise action and check results” rather than trying to find the next new ebook or tool that is “so easy”. So 2 points:
1) Many products seldom deliver the results they claim
2) After reading so many info products and buying so many scripts… Do more and research less… You may find you end up with great results and might even have the basis for a truely proven success model.
Bernie
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I wondered about that when I first saw the site.
Also, just because it works for Yahoo, doesn’t mean it will work for others - they are a big company after all.
In answer to Bernie: you are so right. You don’t know, until after you purchase, if you’re buying an updated PLR product. That’s why you should stick with just one or two people you trust, and who you know don’t rehash PLR for the sake of money.
Cheryl