PeerPong Blog

A Closer Look at PeerRank

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:56:00 -0400

At PeerPong, we are focused on a few things: making it possible to find the best person to answer any question and offering a service that is fun and easy to use.

The key to PeerPong’s ability to find the best person for any question is based on our PeerRank technology. Making the process fun and easy is a whole other question I can answer in another post :)

When we launched the PeerPong beta service in late June, we were able to claim that PeerRank was the “largest index of expertise on the Web” with 3 million people ranked and categorized. Today, we can say that PeerRank is the fastest growing - each month increasing by about 1 million knowledgeable people.

So, what is our PeerRank, exactly?

Let’s get technical for a minute…the PeerRank is made up of our proprietary semantic, natural language processing (NLP) indexing algorithms, which determine a numerical weighting for a person’s knowledge and expertise. That is paired with our massive ontology (fancy word for the representation of a body of knowledge) of “n-grams,” which associates groups of key words and phrases with a common idea or topic – like ski conditions, for example. The “n-gram” for ski conditions might include words like: snow, sun, mushy, humidity, icy, powder, etc. The combo of the algorithms and ontology lets us score and rank individuals according to their demonstrated interest and knowledge on any given topic. People demonstrate their interest and expertise with their Twitter and Facebook status updates (the relative importance and relationships of updates is part of our secret sauce).

In other words, the PeerRank is a huge list of people, cross-referenced by a huge list of topics, and then ranked by relevance.

What does this fast growing PeerRank mean for users?

Every month, our ability to find the very best person for your question gets better and better. As we add people to the PeerRank, we can find more perfectly suited people to answer a broader variety of inquiries. From baby food regulation to getting the best seats at a Miami Heat game, PeerPong should be able to find the most relevant person to ask.

As we add more information sources and more people to our PeerRank, we continue to hone the PeerPong technology backbone to create the mother of all expert sites – and give anyone the ability to find an expert, or be an expert.

- Ro

Featured PeerPong Expert: Spenser Jones - Technology

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:11:33 -0400

PeerPong expert SpenserJ is heating up the technology answer space with some quality answers to all your tech quandaries covering an extensive breadth of everything between iPhone jailbreaking, online music, PHP, laptops, and a ton in-between (steel cut rolled oats for instance!). I highly recommend following Spencer if you’re interested in technology or have a tech question that needs an answer.

Here are some highlights:

Q: What does steel cut rolled oats mean?

A: Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces. They normally take longer to prepare than rolled oats, however they have a lower glycemic index, resulting in less of a spike in insulin levels when consumed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel-cut_oats

Q: What’s the best laptop for both blogging (so not ipad) and reading ebooks?

A: There is no perfect laptop/netbook. You need to take into account what you want to use it for (do you want SD or HD/Bluray movies for instance), how much battery life you want out of it, and how long you want to use it before you replace it. Personally, I prefer a laptop over a netbook, even if it is a bit larger for things like reading ebooks. Reason being, is that I can use it for anything if I so choose. On a netbook you are limited by the speed of the machine AND the screensize.

I would suggest going into a retailer and trying out some of their computers for a few hours, going home and reading plenty of reviews on the ones you like, and then going from there.

Q: I need a new iphone car adapter. Little help?

A: I have used http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?p_id=6258 for quite a while now. It gets a little grainy at times, and occasionally comes apart (however I frequently throw it in the backseat), but is great for the price. It can also handle charging devices through USB, and playing music through an included 1/8” cable that you plug into other devices.

Have a tech question? Ask away!

Follow Some Futbol: Top Twitter World Cup Experts

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:18:38 -0400

World Cup fever has reached America and with it spreads the insatiable desire to stay connected with the most recent news WITHOUT having to awake at disturbing hours of the day and stumble to the nearest bar broadcasting your game (Ahem…). There’s a better way!

Using our PeerRank index we’ve found the most qualified Twitter users for you to follow.

2. @fifacom

9. @si_soccer

10. @KeithCostigan

Gooaaaaaaaaaaaal!

-Laura

Featured PeerPong Expert: Daren - Relationships

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:12:19 -0400

Where should you take someone on a first date?
Is online dating easier than offline dating?
What do you do when a mother gives you her daughter’s number?

Another qualified expert has graced the PeerPong ranks with numerous insightful answers to relationship quandaries like the ones above. PeerPong user Daren has been sharing his thoughts on dating and relationship questions and has a lot of good things to say like:

Where to take someone on a first date:

“An art gallery, poetry slam, book store where you can browse magazine and books together that each take pique your interests, then you can discover something about each other through your tastes in books. If he/she heads for the Guns and Ammo section while you pick up the Collected works of William Carlos Williams, I’d suggest picking another partner, but if you both head right for the Outdoors and camping section of the store then maybe you should go for a hike next time…”

When a mother wants to give you her daughter’s number:

“Run!

This is just weird. It suggests that the mother is more interested that the daughter. And how creepy would it be explaining that you’re calling because her mom gave you her number… If she didn’t give you her number then don’t call her…”

On online vs. offline dating:

“Dating is a numbers game. The chances of meeting someone compatible is slim, so the more people you meed and the more ‘out there’ you are the better your chances. Its like winning the lottery, the more tickets you buy the more chances you have. However, this being said, screening/filtering up front helps reduce time wasted on people that are not compatible. If you know what you want then online might be good…”

Have a relationship question of your own? Don’t be shy to Ask Daren anonymously to get a great answer yourself.

-Laura

We're launching our Beta!

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:03:00 -0400

We’re announcing the launch of the PeerPong beta service today! Instead of just delivering answers, we’ve created a service which intelligently finds the best people to answer any question. Sometimes, we find that best person is you.

What’s unique about PeerPong is how we find experts for your questions. Whether they’re an active member of the site or just an active user of the web, PeerPong analyzes publicly available information - like streams on Twitter, status updates and profiles on Facebook, RSS feeds from blogs and answers on PeerPong - to determine people’s interests and knowledge across the web. We then rate and rank people according to the key terms that are most relevant to them. (We call this PeerRank.) This lets us direct questions to the best people possible for almost any question, whether it’s a knowledgeable product manager who tweets about their latest social media project, or a good friend you never knew had an interest in cooking and recipes.

Once an answer is given, PeerPong rewards experts with increasing recognition for great responses, judged by the community of users on the site. Experts gain recommendations, followers and public visibility across search engines.

Find an expert. Be an expert. That simple. Join the site, connect us to your Facebook or Twitter account, or answer a few questions and we’ll take it from there. Enjoy getting great answers and meeting people who know what they’re talking about!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me directly at ro@peerpong.com or just ask me on my PeerPong profile – www.peerpong.com/rochoy.

- Ro

Featured PeerPong Expert: Ian Manton - Gadget Guru

Wed, 26 May 2010 17:25:00 -0400

It’s fascinating to see which categories of questions are naturally levitating to the top on PeerPong. We’ve always had our theories (electronics!, local!, food!) but now there’s evidence. A leading category getting a lot of attention is Electronics. The leading expert on PeerPong for this category is Ian Manton.

Ian has managed to earn 60 recommendations across categories like Handheld Computers, Mobile Computing, and the Internet with his 45 expert answers. His answers are witty, informative, and at times even bilingual!

Here are some snippets of Ian’s expertise:

Q: How can I manually upgrade my Nexus One to Android 2.2 (Froyo)?

A: The official answer … wait for Google to release the OTA. The unofficial answer, check out the Android fan sites and expect to see cooked Android 2.2 roms within days.

Q: Does anyone know of an iPad case that works with the keyboard dock without taking an x-acto knife to the poor thing? #apple #ipad

A: Speck does a hard case that has a flip open door to allow connection to keyboard without removing the case. http://www.speckproducts.com/products/candyshell/ipad/235

Q: I am seriously considering moving from iPhone to another smartphone. Any suggestions in the current market? Droid?

A: Check out my move from the iphone to the HTC Desire http://bit.ly/dbGBxU I can fully recommend the move to Android. You will will wonder why it took so long to move on from the iPhone. The iPhone is too closed whilst Android is open. But remember, even android will have its quirks but they are easier to fix :)

For more tech insights, follow Ian’s questions or add his personal blog to your reader.

Keep up the good work, Ian!

-Laura

Reaching people who really know the answer

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:59:30 -0400

One of the unique things we do at Peerpong is try and find expertise not only within our own community but across the entire web. We’ve built a patent-pending indexing platform that is able to look at what people talk about openly online, refine it to the most important key terms and then draw inferences about what a person has an interest in or keen knowledge on.

Yesterday one of our users asked “Why does it seem like Terry Gross on Fresh Air is always on vacation?”. We found and got an answer from Sue Spolan (http://twitter.com/extrenergy), who sometimes directs NPR’s Fresh Air. Probably the only better person to answer would have been Terry Gross herself :) Here’s her answer - http://peerpong.com/q/cmY98.

- Ro

We've Got Bieber Fever: Top Justin Bieber Experts

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:14:00 -0400

In a recent change Twitter updated their trending topic algorithm to show trending topics that are the most current talked about topics, instead of consistent popular topics, like Justin Bieber. This change knocked Bieber from the “Top Trending” spot for the first time in weeks and enraged fans.

Bieber’s loyal fans retaliated by spelling his name in different ways like: #Twieber, #Jieber,and #Bustin Jieber. They’re going so far as using his mother Pattie’s name instead of his: #pattiesson. The Bieber Fever is deep!

As a homage to this recent pop-culture-meets-tech dilemma, we’ve decided to give a nod to young Bieber and his fans, and publish his top 10 fans according to our PeerPong index. Below are the Twitter users with the most @JustinBieber expertise.

Follow these folks for the inside Bieber scoop…

Number Ten
@Bieberscovern

Number Nine
@MarieluvBieber

Number Eight
@ChantelBieber15

Number Seven
@justin_megafan

Number Six
@Vick_Jbieber

Number Five
@nichollexoxo

Number Four
@dymplez16

Number Three
@beliebinjbiebs

Number Two
@Annie_Sophiie

And Number One…
@BiEBERS_BABY

Want to see what Justin is interested in, and what you have in common? Check out our PeerPong analyzer here.

-Laura

Have questions about video games?

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:03:44 -0400

Want to know how good Red Dead Redemption is or when the next hottest console game is coming out? Ian Torney, one of Peerpong’s games experts, has the answers. Take a look at his response to “What’s the next big PS3 or Xbox console game that players are waiting for?” Check out his blog at http://blog.iantornay.com/.

- Ro

The debate rages on...what to get Mom for Mother's Day

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:05:31 -0400

…well not a debate exactly, I’m being a bit dramatic. A slew of great answers are filing into our recent “What are you getting your mom for Mother’s Day” question. Here’s a list of the most recommended answers in case you’re still scrambling to find the perfect gift for Mom:

“Taking her to a steak dinner. Flowers are for suckers.”

-Matt

“I’m making her brunch with all her favorite foods. The main thing is to make sure we can spend quality time together.”

-KathlynQ

“I’m just doing flowers and a card, then we’re going to go for a hike”

-ErinBird

Some people get off easy. RobWheatly uses the sibling divide-and-concur approach. Very efficient, Rob.

“Don’t know. My sister’s the one who deals with that. Ha! (I take care of Christmas)”

-RobWheatly

Don’t be shy to ad your clever ideas here and be sure to enjoy those precious moments with Mom.

-Laura

Everyone's an expert at something

Mon, 03 May 2010 23:07:47 -0400

Here at PeerPong we believe everyone’s an expert at something and that enabling people to share their knowledge will help get great answers to questions that may not be easy to find on a normal web page. Questions like: “What is the best place for Chicago styled pizza in San Francisco?” or “Who is a good artist to listen to if you like Jack Johnson?”

You probably know more than you think—I’m constantly reminded of this as I peruse questions on PeerPong (an addictive habit I’ve formed lately!). Give it a try and see what happens. I’m sure you’ll be surprised with just how many questions you’re able to answer in areas you didn’t realize you knew about.

Here’s a tip: first find your city in the Local category and browse from there. Share your insider happy hours, bargain bites, or even your favorite local couch vendor. Knowledge you take for granted could be someone else’s perfect answer. Happy answering!

-Laura

Peerpong Q&A widget for your blog

Mon, 03 May 2010 15:57:00 -0400

Just launched our Peerpong Q&A widget for Blogger, Wordpress, tumblr and Posterous users! You can see it on the Peerpong blog on the right. Users can sign in to the widget using Twitter or FB without ever leaving your blog, which helps control the quality of anonymous questions and we manage the sign-up, auto-tagging, categorization, notification process and question/answer flows. Try it out!

- Ro

Man do I hate allergies...

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:39:00 -0400

Every year allergies seem to hit me worse than ever. Dr Tom, one of PeerPong’s first experts in Health and Medicine, has several suggestions in dealing with them.

“Avoid dairy foods, especially milk and cheese (unless grass-fed sources) as they can cause increased mucus production.

“Take an antiinflammatory supplement that contains any/all of the following: ginger, bromelain, turmeric/curcumin, boswellia. All of the above have anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain in particular can be taken hourly (best away from meals) during extreme flareups.” (read more)

Great advice! Tx Tom!

- Ro

Ever wonder where to get Polish beer in SF?

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:34:00 -0400

Tx to Matthieu and Jana for dropping some knowledge.

I’ve never had polish beer. Any clue how good polish beer is?

- Ro

Have questions about San Francisco?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:40:00 -0400

At PeerPong, we’re trying to find the best people to answer any question. One of our experts, SharonChoe, really knows about San Francisco and Fine Dining! Check out one of her recent answers to “Which are the best wineries/tasting rooms to visit in Napa?”.

Here’s a snippet: “#1) My favorite tasting room is Round Pond Winery, hands-down!! The architecture and interiors are stunning. I particularly like to go on a warm day and snag a seat out on the terrace with sweeping views of the vines. Your tasting is accompanied by generous bites usually drizzled w/their olive oils, vinegars, and citrus syrups. Make reservations. But since you can’t specify which exact table/seat you would like, get there early to get your pick. Definitely buy up the Nebbiolo(!!!!) and the Sauvignon Blanc in bulk quantities…”

If you agree with her answer, make sure to recommend her for it!

- Ro

Welcome to PeerPong!

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:45:00 -0400

We believe everyone’s an expert at something. So we’re trying to do
something really simple – showcase what you know and connect you to experts who can give you great answers.

Connect us to your Facebook or Twitter and we’ll figure out what
you’re truly interested in, the topics that intrigue you, and the
questions we think you’re the best person to answer.

If you have a question for an expert, we’ll find the right folks who can give you a great reply as quickly as possible.

Ask, answer, get recommended and get recognized!

- The PeerPong team :)