Answer Boards and Librarians

To be honest, I have never had much time for answer boards - I answer questions all day at work so don't really feel the need to seek more questions in my spare time! I would also never use this as a way to ask a question myself - all of the answerboards seem to lack privacy (I know, I know, it's all in my head, but I just don't like the idea of my questions being out there for all to see). 

Having said that, I have always thought the best thing about the Internet is it's capacity to link people with similar interests, no matter how obscure they may be. Before the Internet, people with eclectic or unusual hobbies were often isolated from others, but now a simple Google search will find plenty of others with similar interests to you. In the same way, I guess answer boards link people with questions to people with answers, and that's pretty cool!

It is fantastic to see other people using their skills to provide information/knowledge to those in need, and I know plenty of other people who do choose to spend an hour or so a day checking boards and answering things.  This would also be a great resource for a public library to have - their own public answer board which could act as a repository for our knowledge, kind of like the online reference service currently offered, but something a bit more lasting. A very interesting possibility...