One of the wonderful things about the internet is that answers are just a mouse click away. Chat rooms, forums (Bellaonline forums) and groups abound on a wide variety of subjects. Active specialties sites typically have a few knowledgeable users lurking in their forums ready to chime in and answer questions.

These helpful strangers can seem like lifesavers when you find yourself with no one to turn to for help deciphering a knitting pattern, cooking a new dish or solving a computer conundrum. The web is the place to turn to for advice, but where to turn can sometimes be confusing.

If you're already an avid follower of a particular hobby or activity, odds are you've already found sites that cater to your interest and have answers for some of your questions. Yet there are going to be times when you'll be faced with questions regarding something new or obscure.

In the past, you would probably search for an active forum, ask your question and wait for an answer. Finding a subject specific forum or chat room is usually easy, the active part of the equation can be difficult to fulfill. If there is little or no activity on a site, then you'll probably be waiting for a long time for an answer.

What you need is a place that has lots of active participants eager to provide answers, Yahoo! Answers. The Yahoo! Answers site is extremely easy to use. You're allowed 110 characters to post a question or you can share your knowledge by answering questions posted by others. You don't have to be an expert, but you do have to be a yahoo member to post. If you don't want to join Yahoo, you can still find answers by searching through previously asked questions.

The main thing to keep in mind is that if you need expert advice about sensitive subjects such as legal, accounting or medical issues, then seek out an expert. If you just need some guidance or advice about a non-critical matter then ask your question and see where it leads.