What questions do you like to answer on Mahalo? Do you answer them for fun, or because you want to earn more money? Which ones earn more?

" and mahalo.com/answers/education/what-was-th... "What was the Mandan and Welsh language connection theorized by Goerge Catlin?"), but those questions are unfortunately rather rare. Aside from those, I like open-ended questions that anyone can answer (like http://www.mahalo.com/answers/poetry-writing/how-are-you-doing-please-answer-as-a-haiku-this-should-be-quite-fun "How are you doing / Please answer as a haiku / This should be quite fun" and http://www.mahalo.com/answers/food-and-drink/what-food-do-you-think-best-represent-america-cheese-burgers-apple-pie "What food do you think best represents America?"). I like more specific questions too, ones that are simple enough that I can research without knowing anything about the subject (like http://www.mahalo.com/answers/comic-books/how-many-tintin-books-were-published-by-herge "How many Tintin books were published by Hergé?"), and stuff I can answer with my own experiences as well (like http://www.mahalo.com/answers/book-recommendations/have-you-ever-listened-to-a-book-on-tape-audio-book-do-you-have-any-recommendations-for-a-good-genre-author-or-series-of-audio-books "Have you ever listened to a book-on-tape audiobook?

" and http://www.mahalo.com/answers/anonymous/can-you-help-me-with-ways-to-study-effectively "Can you help me with ways to study effectively? "). I'm all over the map, really.

:) But I answer because I like answering questions, and because I enjoy explaining things to people - not specifically because of the tips (though it's nice to get paid for doing something I'd already do on Yahoo! Answers). If I see something I know the answer to, I'll go for it.

I don't browse the though I probably would earn a bit more. As for your other question - I find that most people go with the default tip most of the time. And those who do offer a higher tip can do so on any question, there's no real pattern to it.

The staff may ask some high-tipped questions about current events and technology, but they're not the majority of well-paying answers, I don't think.

Personally I like music questions, really its one of the only things I feel I always know the answer too and I would say its my expertise. Probably the only thing I feel confident about 100% of the time. Other than that its a mix bag of trivia knowledge.

For example I just answered two questions from @davepamn about liver functions and the effects of alcohol. Its pure chance that I know about it and Dave asked about it, I actually failed biology every time I ever took a class on it so I'm no expert. Random little interests I had years ago come back when someone asks a question like that.So really thats why I answer questions, I feel it helps me remember things I learned but really have no chance to think about them.

I tend to start to forget this knowledge, answers that catch my eye almost always refresh my memory. I like the open ended questions of opinion but I'm a natural debater and sometimes feel bad for always disagreeing with people. Also I try to avoid high tip questions because usually there are so many answers my opinion is already on the thread just in different words than I would use.

Nothing grinds my gears more on mahalo than people not reading the answers before they post their own. I always go straight to the bottom for new and un answered questions. This seems to be the best way for me to make tips, I made 10 best answers the other day while I lost a contest answer for 10 dollars, it evens itself out.

If I focused on trying to get that 10 M$ I would have lost out on all the points and all the interesting 50 cent questions out there. The way I see it, answering a question with a small tip and no other answers is like finding the money on the ground, trying to get the 5-10 dollar questions is like entering your name in a raffle.(IE all the Does Obama deserve a second term answers).

I like technology based questions. I give answers to these question for a fun but for making money these questions are not too good they make a very little money.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.