Hwobot: the homework robot

There's something distinctly universal about school. No one likes it, especially if you don't understand a word your teacher is saying. Sometimes, students simply need the extra "boost". However, in the current economy, where schools are cutting back teachers, getting extra help can be hard to come by. That's where Hwobot, the homework robot, comes in handy. Although the name appears to intrigue by claiming to be an actual homework robot, that is not really the case. It's a homework question and answer site, much like Yahoo! Answers. However, it has a few bonus features that I thought was pretty cool.

For one, the site rewards you for answering questions. According to homepage, one top contributor each month is chosen, by lottery I suppose, as the winner of the monthly giveaway. This can range from gift cards to last month's, a Bullet Bill Cap. I thought that was an awesome added incentive to help promote people to help each other. It would also increase that rate that questions are being answered, providing help to needy students quicker.

Another thing I thought Hwobot had one up on Yahoo! Answers was that you can attach files. I know this is really useful because oftentimes, when using Yahoo! Answers, I would want to attach a picture to explain what I mean, instead of using just words. Sadly, that was never possible. However, with Hwobot, I could attach pictures for both questions and replies, making communication much easier between questionee and respondee. The picture formats, from what I could tell, where JPG and GIF files. The one bad part of this would be that the site doesn't say specifically what type of files can be attached, leaving the user to guess and test.

Lastly, what I really loved was that questions can be posted anonymously. Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but to a person who posts a lot of questions, that is. I don't have to go through the hassle of creating an account and then signing in every single time I want to post a question. I never have to worry about forgetting my username or password. Hwobot keeps everything simple because that's its goal, to create a place where questions can be freely asked and quickly answered. I think that's another reason why Hwobot has one up on Yahoo! Answers.

Aside from those differences, there was the fact that Hwobot looked like a decent site. The layout was very crisp looking, making it easy to navigate. Although there were a number of ads on the site, it doesn't clog the page. The site had a nice balance of color, neither neglecting it nor using excessive amounts. Overall, the page was well done and commendable. I tried asking a few questions and they were answered pretty quickly (within the hour). The site boasts a 98% answer rate, which means that almost everyone will have their questions answer. I suppose the only ones that won't be answered are the incoherent ones, "liezk mi good, wass fiftz poos foo?" Well, at any rate, if you ever have a question about school, or looking to answer some questions and chance a prize, I suggest giving Hwobot a look-see.