Applications
Yahoo! India Answers unveils ‘Ask the Planet’ series to its knowledge sharing platform
MUMBAI: Yahoo! India has unveiled a new series titled ‘Ask the Planet‘ on its existing knowledge sharing platform Yahoo! India Answers, which acts as a forum and social community for its users. The internet giant has zeroed in on India and following the launch of what they call the ‘social media search,‘ with the ‘Ask the Planet‘ campaign, Yahoo! has outlined a regionalization plan to be implemented within the first and second quarter of 2007. Similar to the localization of their messenger service ‘Indichat‘ into eight languages, the company is also looking at expanding the ‘Ask the Planet‘ series into several local languages. |
The latest series has roped in Indian luminaries from myriad backgrounds to pose questions pertaining to education, health, law and enforcement, games and recreation, society and culture. This series will continue for a period of six weeks, allowing users to answer string of questions posed by these achievers. On the opening day, the first question was posted by the president of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who asked, “What should we do to free our planet from terrorism?” Taking the campaign forward, the company will conduct an All India School outreach program visiting 25 cities and urging kids to respond to the president‘s question. Finally, president Kalam will select 10 lucky winners who will get the opportunity to go on an educational trip to the Silicon Valley. Additionally, the top 50 respondents will also get to interact with the president on a trip to Delhi. The winners will be announced at the end of February. |
| Besides, having the opportunity to answer questions posed by prominent Indians, the common man can even pose and answer the simplest of questions. What‘s more, each registered user can earn points “reputation” for his participation. Speaking at the launch Yahoo! India MD George Zacharias said, “We are delighted to bring ‘Ask the Planet‘ Series to India. In line with the objective of Yahoo! Answers in creating a rich knowledge repository, the ATP Series will provide an innovative platform for the millions of Indians based on their real life experiences, to answer some of the biggest questions that touch our lives today.”Yahoo! India Answers was initiated by Yahoo! in April 2006. Starting June 2006, Yahoo! began a series called ‘Ask the Planet‘ on Answers where luminaries such as Dr. Stephen Hawking, former US vice president Al Gore, U2s Bono to name a few have asked questions on subjects ranging from survival of human race to eradication of poverty. The service currently exists in 16 languages across the world. |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
