The problem with the wisdom of the crowds remains obvious

[yendi]

I'm in Starbucks, and there was a nifty cover of "25 or 6 to 4" (one of my all-time favorite songs) on the sound system. After getting no help from Wikipedia, I Googled* a bit, and found someone asking about it at Yahoo Answers. And the "Best Answer," as voted on by a team of snarky hipster schmucks, was someone goofing around that it wasn't a cover, combined with pot jokes and long-tired snark over Starbucks pricing.

Meanwhile, the actual answer to the question (Pacifika, for those wondering), is buried down below with zero votes.

Of course, since I'm only a "level one" user, can't rate these answers (which appears to be different from voting, which isn't even an option at all; I've never really used Y!Answers much, so I'm not sure how they differ), so the crappy, smug, self-satisfied answer remains above the fold, and the useful info sits below, hidden from folks who only glimpse at the page.

I did report the off-topic answer for abuse ("chat or rant" is one of the qualifications), but it still seems like a silly process.

(And yes, I know that I did technically find the correct answer from the Y!Answers page, but that's more because I don't tend to give up on these things.)

*I know that Google says it's not a verb. They can bite my shiny metal ass.

Comments

[jerel.livejournal.com]

*I know that Google says it's not a verb. They can bite my shiny metal ass

Google may have delusions of internet domination. However, you cannot control the way human language works. If a lot of people decide you are a verb? You are a verb. Photoshop, I'm also looking at you.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

There's a delightful little app for whathaveyou called Shazam that will pick out the sounds in the air and give you the group and song by listening to it. You have an internet connection, you have a way to find it out instantly. (Blame Wheaton, he told me about it.) I have it on my Android phone, but I could also load it on the iPod or the iPhone (if I had one, which I don't. *spits* AT&T/Verizon.)

Yahoo Answers, I consider really - um - not effective at getting anything useful. And you have discovered the insulting all on your own. 'Nuff said.

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

I love "25 or 6 to 4" and all things Chicago, really. Of course, now it's in my head. :)

~*::Meow::*~

[nishar.livejournal.com]

Pacifika, I have seen a few of their videos before. National Geographic had a late late night world music show a few years back that played stuff from all around the world. I miss that show.