once upon a time, in the golden age of the internet, there was quora. it was a shining beacon of hope, a platform where curious minds could ask questions and get answers from experts. you know, kind of like that nerdy kid in class who always had the right answer but cooler because it was online. but, as all good things must come to an end, quora has turned into something completely different.

it's now a bizarre mix of misinformation, fake news, spammy emails, and questions that make you question humanity. grab your popcorn, folks; buckle up.

the birth of quora

quora was born in 2009, brought to life by adam d'angelo and charlie cheever, who were ex-facebook employees. the idea was simple: create a platform where people could ask questions and get quality answers from knowledgeable individuals. it was like a digital library of alexandria but without the risk of fire. people loved it. experts from various fields flocked to quora, sharing their wisdom and helping to create a repository of useful information. it was beautiful, man.

was.

oh god, the spam

Hey guys, have you ever made the mistake of clicking on quora to find a response to a question, only to wake up to this?

yeah, just ignore that I opened that one email. I'm just curious sometimes.

…

yeah.

also, what is the explanation for this?

there was an attempt :))

And what is the explanation for people actually responding seriously to each and every single one of these entries…?

Is it boredom? Stupidity? Is it even real people?

enter the robots

to keep up with the flood of questions, quora introduced ai-generated answers. sounds cool in theory, but in practice, it was like asking your toaster for relationship advice. ai lacks the nuance and understanding of human experts, resulting in answers that are often generic, inaccurate, or just plain wrong. for instance, an ai response to "how to deal with a cheating partner?" might suggest taking them to a nice dinner.

yeah, that's gonna fix everything.

another classic was an ai-generated response to "how do i quit smoking?" which offered the genius advice to "consider starting a new hobby, like knitting." because when you're jonesing for a cigarette, what you really need is a pair of knitting needles and a ball of yarn.

I get the whole zero-click-searches bullshit, but we’ve already seen how pathetic gemini is at that.

let's not.

And that’s the disclosed AI content…. Not the myriad of responses that, in the same vein as linkedin, are written with zero thought and for clout… but that’s a story for another article.

the descent into chaos

Disclaimer: i’m not going to link to any of those threads because 1. i do not want you to fall down this rabbit hole of madness and 2. i do not want more people on their platform, generally. But if you have ever seen anything quora-related, you know exactly what i am talking about.

as quora grew, so did the volume of content. the quality control mechanisms, which were already pretty basic, couldn't keep up. soon, quora became a breeding ground for misinformation. you'd find answers to questions like "do vaccines cause autism?" that ranged from scientifically accurate to batshit crazy. apparently, the more sensational the answer, the more upvotes it got.

who needs facts when you have drama, right?

someone once asked, "does drinking lemon water cure cancer?" and, unsurprisingly, quora delivered a mixed bag of answers. some responses were rational, citing scientific studies and medical advice. but then came the quora crazies, with answers claiming that lemon water, combined with baking soda and a positive mindset, could magically banish cancer cells. (haven't tried...)

and coming back to the first thing, don’t even get me started on the anti-vaxxers. the question "do vaccines cause autism?" is like the cockroach of quora questions. legitimate medical professionals would respond with well-researched, evidence-based answers. but they'd be buried under an avalanche of conspiracy theorists claiming everything from government mind control to big pharma cover-ups.

political misinformation is another quora specialty. questions like "is climate change a hoax?" or "did aliens build the pyramids?" get so many answers that you can practically hear the tinfoil hats crinkling.

these answers aren’t just wrong; they’re passionately, definitely wrong. and yet, they get upvotes because, let’s face it, people love a good conspiracy. 

we're all doctors now

oh, health misinformation on quora. 

where do i even begin? 

if you ever needed proof that common sense isn't all that common, just take a stroll through the health section of quora. 

it's like walking through a minefield of bad advice and outright dangerous suggestions.

take the question "can drinking bleach cure covid-19?" yes, folks, this gem actually exists on quora. as if 2020 wasn't crazy enough, we had people asking if a household cleaner could cure a deadly virus. the best part? some answers actually suggested it might work.

yeah, no. don't drink bleach, kids.

one user, clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, responded with, "well, bleach kills bacteria and viruses on surfaces, so it makes sense it would work in the body too."

oh, honey, no. bleach also kills humans if ingested. this isn’t a life hack; it’s a one-way ticket to the emergency room.

then there’s the question, "can essential oils cure cancer?"

spoiler alert: no, they cannot.

but on quora, you’ll find users swearing by their lavender oil miracle cure. one answer went on about how rubbing essential oils on your feet every night could shrink tumors. sounds legit, right? except for the tiny detail that it’s complete and utter nonsense. 

the misinformation isn’t limited to covid-19 and cancer. you’ve got questions like "can eating raw garlic prevent the flu?" garlic is great for your pasta sauce, but it’s not going to save you from the flu. another winner is "does eating an apple a day really keep the doctor away?" someone enthusiastically answered, "yes, if you throw it hard enough."

okay, that one’s kind of funny, but still – no, an apple a day does not have magical disease-fighting powers.

and let's not forget the classic, "is drinking urine good for your health?" before you gag, just know that there are quora users who genuinely believe in the so-called benefits of urine therapy. one answer even claimed that urine is "the ultimate detox drink."

pro tip: stick to water, folks. your kidneys are already doing the detoxing for you.

clickbait central

quora's quest for engagement led to the rise of sensationalized questions. these are the kind of questions designed to make you go "wtf?" questions like "is the earth really flat?" or "was the moon landing faked?" attract a ton of attention and clicks but rarely lead to productive discussions. instead, they just add fuel to the fire of misinformation. it's like clickbait on steroids.

quora's most viral questions often look like they were plucked straight from the front page of the national enquirer. "did hitler survive world war ii and move to argentina?" or "is elvis presley still alive?"

these questions are basically intellectual junk food. they spark endless debates but zero meaningful conclusions. instead of fostering knowledge, they just spread confusion and nonsense.

the best part? these questions often get the most engagement. people can’t resist jumping into the fray to argue passionately about whether the moon is made of cheese or if lizard people secretly run the government. quora’s algorithm, of course, rewards this engagement, pushing the most sensationalist drivel to the top of your feed.

Which is exactly why people are doing it. Rinse and repeat.

omg psychology fact 💅🏻

and then, of course, we have the pièce de résistance – the completely bogus 'psychological facts about girls'.

I don’t even know what to say.

oh, quora, you poetic soul. buy my book!

"girls spend one year of their lifetime just to decide which dress to wear."

sure, and i spend an equal amount of time deciding whether to wear my underwear inside out again.

and my personal favorite: "more than the girls who cry, the girls who don't cry and hate being emotional need more love and care."

ok… :)))

another favorite is the response to "how can a narcissist sense when you are healing?" this question alone is worth its weight in comedy gold, but the answers take it to another level. apparently, narcissists have some kind of sixth sense for sniffing out emotional recovery like sharks detecting blood in the water.

in conclusion

quora started with noble intentions, aiming to democratize knowledge and provide a platform for meaningful exchanges. but now, it's a cesspool of misinformation, ai-generated nonsense, sensationalist content, and relentless spam emails.

for many, quora has become synonymous with the degradation of internet discourse – a place where quality and accuracy are sacrificed for clicks and engagement.

so, there you have it. quora: where the internet goes to die. it's a wild, wacky world out there, and quora is leading the charge into the abyss.

good luck, fellow peeps, you'll need it. 

that’s all.

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