They provide answers for a variety of reasons, including to establish their credibility in a certain field, to promote a Web site, to sell their services as an expert, or to just show off their knowledge. Of course, the volunteers vary widely in expertise, and AskMe does not guarantee that their answers will be accurate. Some experts may give you great answers, but some may give incomplete or even incorrect answers. The AskMe site lets you respond by rating answers, so the most reliable experts will begin to stand out from the crowd. The feedback system does a good job of weeding the useful volunteers from the clueless.
Experts have overall ratings and ratings in specific categories.
You can even ask a question directly to an expert with a good track record in a particular field. You can also register as an expert yourself, or recommend experts that you know. AskMe makes its money by selling its services to businesses. The first time you go to the site, you choose between using the AskMe service, which is free, and going to the Business and Technology part of the site, which provides high-end business solutions. Daniel Greenberg is a game designer who writes about technology.