Has any question from a Q and A site ever led to an advancement, invention or innovation in the real world?

Keep in mind that “substantiation” of a positive response is the best that you can hope for. If I say “No,” then how would I substantiate that?

I think that if I say “substantiation” three times in a row I might hypnotize myself.

Have Q&A sites been around long enough to have given these innovations a chance to be developed and catch on?

I don’t know if you’d consider it an advancement or innovation, but I’ve taken arguments that I developed on this and other sites and written them into professional papers (some of which might eventually be published).

Thanks, @CWOTUS!

For giving me opportunity to insert a little Sunday morn Ella,
and for making me think of one of my favorite movies, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetl…

I believe they have, @elbanditoroso. It doesn’t necessarily take that long, and Q&A sites have been around as long as the internet.

Those are the best questions…the ones where you teach yourself something by participating, @SavoirFaire.

@SavoirFaire: MIlo here; Just make sure, if you publish, that I get attribution and pro-rated royalties.

In kittie treatz, right Milo!

^^ Milo here; I have several numbered accounts, in Zurich and in the Caymans also. Coin of the realm is acceptable.

I said I didn’t like Yahoo! Answer, but I have to admit that there were actually some decent questions, and they got the praises and answers they deserved.

One question there that inspired me the most was a checking-for-plotholes question. The plot the asker gave was pretty creative. I’m not going into details, but basically it’s about a world where people are born with special marks, and there are rules that determine which marks mean social respect and which mean social rejection. The main character was born with the “social rejection” mark and the story focuses on his life, how he grows up and strives for social acceptance. It was pretty inspiring indeed. I’m not going to use the idea but I think I can learn something from it.

And some technical questions I asked here, the answers for them pretty much changed how I viewed the matters. I could adjust my ideas with these answers. Like this question. I was about to let the judge give the wrong decision without the good answers I received.