Stop asking selfish questions

Kathy Sierra’s recent “Five(ish) Things I Don’t Know About You” is currently my favorite blog post of the new year. Kathy points out that the large majority of websites are asking selfish and dull questions in a transparent effort to monetize their audiences more effectively. Kathy’s fiveish questions offer a compelling alternative to selfish site questions because they encourage users to express themselves in a fun way. After reading her questions, I sit back in my chair with my head buzzing because I just know she is on to something elemental, something like great design, something huge. I believe helping people express themselves better, even just through asking better questions, is a surprisingly viral thing. What would happen if your website stopped asking selfish questions, and just helped people express themselves better?