"Do cats have nose hair?"

There's a truly weird site that you've probably seen, if you've Googled a lot of random trivia, but I for one have seldom dwelt on. It's called "WikiAnswers". The idea is that you can log on and type in any question you like, and take a chance that some random J Bloggs, somewhere on the Internet, will take the time to answer it just for the sheer joy of showing off their knowledge.

Or maybe that they'll make up something entertaining enough to be worth sharing with your friends.

It's amazingly popular. In a random 60 second period this afternoon, 20 new questions got posted:

• What is the name of the group made from former klymaxx members?
• Bobs discount furniture?
• Do apples brown faster in the fridge or on the counter?
• How are the functions of connective tissues reflected in its structure?
• What is the gvwr of a 1981 toyota 2wd pickup?
• What is broken down by cells to produce energy?
• In ancient china what did they use money for?
• Where is the high speed relay located on a 1983 chevy el camino?
• Is Nomex windproof?
• Outline the role of condensation and hydrolysis?
• What was the significance of the fall of fort sumter?
• How many syllables has the word house how many syllables has the wordcurtain?
• Ancient method to predict the future?
• Do cats have nose hair?
• What are the areas that border mexico?
• California's largest county?
• I had sex 3 days in a row alot of times he finished each time my period came the next day its a week early could you still get pregnant?
• Full faith in credit clause example?
• Is there a scary movie 5 comming out soon?
• Why are the dim lights on a is300 blue but the bright lights and running lights are white Can i make them all blue?

Fairly obviously, about half of these are from schoolkids trying to get their homework done for them. (I do hope their teachers look in from time to time. In fact, if I were a teacher, I think I'd post the question here myself before setting it to the kids.) One is a frightening testament to the quality of sex education. Some seem to suggest that the questioner has never heard of Google (which would tell you, without waiting, that California's largest county is San Bernardino, and Scary Movie 5 is scheduled to appear in 2011).

Or maybe they're just craving acknowledgment and validation, the (extremely indirect) human contact of some faceless, random stranger picking out and taking the time to answer their question.

So if you happen to know the answer to any of these, feel free to head over and show off. Make someone's day. But no-one will thank you.