5 alternatives to the nearly defunct LinkedIn Answers

This might not seem like a big deal, but for some, LinkedIn Answers was a valuable professional resource for finding answers, resources, and even vendor partners.

So what’s a LinkedIn Answer fan to do? What tools and sites can they use now that Answers is soon to be on the shelf?

Here are five different tools or sites to consider as alternatives to LinkedIn Answers:

1. Quora

This is the obvious choice. In fact, many people using Answers were probably using Quora at the same time. But when it comes down to it, Quora might be better than Answers.

Sure, LinkedIn had bigger numbers—200 million members and counting as of Jan. 9—but Quora has some impressive numbers, too. And it’s growing. Big time. Relatively recent stats have Quora growing at a brisk clip of 350 percent over 2011, netting 150 million visitors as of July 2012. However, those are “visit” numbers, not “member” numbers. Big difference—and there’s the rub. Answers was still the best option for many. Not only were you asking your specific network, but also other professionals in search of the same types of information.

Grade: B+