1.  Tell us about yourself!

I’m the oldest of six kids – and an Aries  so generally I like to be in charge.   I started my own consulting business last year and I’m excited to finally be working for myself.  I’m married to a wonderful guy, Thomas and we love to explore new places.  Our travel plans range from trailer/tent camping to 5-star resort.  I love pictures and scrapbooking  I believe it’s important to document life’s experience so when times get tough you remember the good times.

I am a Research Psychologist.  Most people ask what that means.  It means I really like studying human behavior but prefer measurement and data over one-on-one counseling to help people.  My former classmates would certainly add that it was a good decision on my part as they have seen my counseling skills.  My husband and I run a small research and consulting firm for the senior living industry.  We have three kids, all with single digit ages.  In my spare time, I enjoy reading, exercising, planning events, and trying new recipes.

Our newest Yabbler of the Week is Andrea, also known as 1Baybreeze. Since joining in March, Andrea has given her advice on over 20 posts – including on posts about the Apple TV vs. Roku 3, tips for useful baby registry items, and even useful note taking apps. Congrats to Andrea!

Q. Tell us about yourself!

I am a Jersey girl that absolutely LOVES technology and gadgets. I love reading about and keeping up with all the latest tech news, and I’m the “go-to tech support” person for my family and friends, and sometimes even my co-workers (depending on how involved the issue) By no means am I am expert, though I’m pretty good at finding solutions. I’m such a geek that I have a Dropbox folder where I save all sorts of tech tips, computer problem solutions, and shortcuts for all sorts of programs & apps. This way if I or someone that I know has a PC problem and cannot access their PC, I can look it up on my phone or tablet from my cloud storage folders.

Q.  Everyone is busy these days.  Why did Yabbly make it on to your list of places to spend time?

Yabbly seems like a great alternative to some other similar sites out there. I really like the fact that when one requests an invite, one has to instantly write a very detailed review, on the spot, of a product/service that they love. I think that can help somewhat to try to weed out some people. I know that when I really like something, I always tell ALL of my friends and family about it, so I’m always making recommendations and always helping people find things. I enjoy helping others, and if my advice can help them, all the better. So far, I feel that fellow Yabblers are very similar in that they like to help others, so it’s a great community for sharing ideas and recommendations.

Q. What type of questions/categories do you enjoy helping out with the most, and why?

My favorite is the Tech category since I have some experience and knowledge of tech-related products and services, plus I deal with technology at work.

Q. If you could be asked one question on Yabbly that hasn’t come up yet, what would that be and why?

I am someone that, especially at work, always looks for a quicker way to accomplish tasks in order to save time, mainly in regards to software use. I love finding and using shortcuts and always share them with co-workers and friends. Questions related to this would be great to answer, providing that I know and use the software.

Q. What’s the biggest decision Yabblers have personally helped you with? Was their advice spot-on?

Well, I haven’t asked too many questions for myself yet, so I would have to say advice I received when I was looking for a way to use a PC as DVR for digital cable. One answer gave me a specific product, which I looked into, which led to me other similar products to research. 

Q. What advice do you have for new Yabblers?

If you find Yabbly as great a service as I do, tell and/or invite your friends and family – people that you know that can share and ask for great advice. Share Yabbly to your social networks to let everyone know about it. And most of all, participate, ask your own questions, and share your own knowledge. “A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle”  ” Quote by Kahlil Gibran

Q. Imagine we’re playing a diabolical game where any product you own could be swapped out by it’s 3-star equivalent.  The twist is you have one immunity card which prevents one product you currently owned from being swapped out.  What product would you make unswappable and why?

I think it would need to be my smartphone. My Samsung Galaxy Nexus, even though it’s not much over a year old and is outdated by now (in the technology world). Aside from battery life, I love the phone. I can accomplish so many things with it….phone calls, use the web, email, use it as a GPS, I can pay at some limited places using my phone, I have my AAA and all store key ring cards stored on it; I can do banking, pay my bills, do measurements if needed, use it as an alarm clock, read books, listen to music, watch tv and movies, and the list goes on.  It’s a great “all-in-one” solution for so many things.

Andrea has received over 10 “Helpful” votes!

You can be helpful and receive advice/recommendations for your product questions too at Yabbly – click to check it out!

Meet Oakie - Yabbler of the Week! Since joining on March 24, Oakie has chimed in on over 30 posts – with responses to questions about 21st century shoes, high-quality Bluetooth earpieces, and even tips on getting special Comcast deals. Congrats Oakie!

Q. Tell us about yourself!

I’m a USAF veteran and currently work for a DoD contractor with an acute gadget addiction. Fortunately i get to work mostly from home and spend most of my off time with photography, working on cars and racing motorcycles.

Q.  Everyone is busy these days.  Why did Yabbly make it on to your list of places to spend time?

I discovered the app through the iOS app store and figured it’d be a great way to apply some of my experience with consumer electronics after spending a week or so perusing the website.

Q. If you could be asked one question on Yabbly that hasn’t come up yet, what would that be and why?

 “What’s so great about Apple, Inc?” It’s a brand that is pushed often by users but very few have provided a worthwhile answer. It’s not a brand for everyone, but it does have a lot more value beyond their design.

 It’s important to stay on topic and make all attempts to answer questions with relevant information and be sure to include specifics that support your opinion. Don’t rush an answer; if you haven’t the time to formulate a complete, thoughtful answer, it’s best to save it for later when you have the proper time to focus.

Q. Imagine we’re playing a diabolical game where any product you own could be swapped out by it’s 3-star equivalent.  The twist is you have one immunity card which prevents one product you currently owned from being swapped out.  What product would you make unswappable and why?

My laptop. I currently have an Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display and I refuse to revert back to a lower resolution display or plastic chassis. You wouldn’t think it makes a huge difference, but it really does.

Oakie has received over 20 “Helpful” votes – Thanks for being an awesome Yabbler, Oakie! Yabble on

Congratulations, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jeff for being selected as our Yabbler of the Week. Jeff has asked some great questions and has responded to over 20 posts, including advice on gaming PC hard drives, tips on kid-friendly things to do in Boston, and recs for the quietest dishwasher. Here’s to Jeff!

Q. Tell us about yourself! 

I honestly thought about starting this off like the story of Steve Martin’s character in the movie, “The Jerk”.  But I am just a normal 42 year old guy living in the suburbs of Cleveland , where I am trying to be a great husband to the Love of my life, a good Dad to the kids, a person who friends and family can count on, and a stronger believer in God’s plan for my life.  I am an IT Consultant working to help implement and optimize Healthcare Electronic Medical Record Systems for Hospitals.  Prior to this job, I worked as an Emergency Room Nurse for 13 years.  I used to be an adrenaline junky who is completely happy now spending 10-12 hours a day staring at a computer screen.  I love to be outdoors and this year my wife and I have plans to plant a huge garden planted from seeds we started ourselves.  The whole family loves to be outside.

Q. Everyone is busy these days.  Why did Yabbly make it on to your list of places to spend time?

It seemed like a great way to get real-life advice on products.  I am a huge supporter and subscriber of Consumer Reports but their testing and recommendations seemed to lack any personal human impressions of the product.  They have a very technical approach.  Yabbly allows me to find information that incorporates applications in real life with personal experiences from the Yabbler, whether positive or negative.  On the other side of the spectrum, I am a bit of a jack of all trades.  I know enough about quite a few topics to be dangerous and am happy to share my experiences.

Q. What question or advice do you have for Team Yabbly?

Keep listening to your users and involving them in the direction of this tool and you will be VERY successful.  I love the Yabbly culture and the pretense of Yabbly interactions.  Kudos!

Q. If you could be asked one question on Yabbly that hasn’t come up yet, what would that be and why? 

Since I am a big Pro-Gun advocate I would love to be asked about gun related topics like “What is best first gun for a child and what age is appropriate to get them a gun?” or “What is the best concealed carry or home defense gun?”  I love all things outdoors though, so fishing, hiking, biking, etc are also topics I would enjoy answering.

Q. What’s the biggest decision Yabblers have personally helped you with? Was their advice spot-on?

I have been looking into cutting the tether of Cable Television and the community has been very helpful and the advice was exactly what I needed.  Yabbly is sort of like having the “Uncle who knows about that thing” around all the time to ask questions about.

Q. What advice do you have for new Yabblers?

This is an entirely different culture than many (dare I say…) social media outlets.  You are here to help people first and foremost.  Then, when you need help or advice on a product, you should expect to receive back honest and truthful information to let you make a more informed decision.  This is not a place where you overpersonalize things.  This is not a place where you get upset when somebody has contradictory opinions or advice.  This is simply about helping people by offering you advice and allowing them to use it as they see fit.  You don’t need to convert them.  I hope that makes sense.

Q. Imagine we’re playing a diabolical game where any product you own could be swapped out by it’s 3-star equivalent (e.g., your iPhone5 is replaced by a 1999 Nokia or your Dyson Ball is replaced by a 1998′s Hoover).  The twist is you have one immunity card which prevents one product you currently owned from being swapped out.  What product would you make unswappable and why?

You would have to pry the steering wheel for my Kubota Tractor out of my cold dead hands

Here’s Jeff’s profile (Karma compared to Yabbly’s):

Congrats to Susie for being selected as our Yabbler of the Week. Susie has been on Yabbly since late June of 2012, and has asked some of Yabbly’s most awesome questions (such as the pros and cons of TiVo and birthday gift ideas for a 2-year old).

Q. Tell us about yourself!

I’m a proud University of Washington Husky, living on Queen Anne in Seattle with my husband (who is also an enthusiastic Yabbler).  I’ve been in the pharma/biotech industry for the past 8 years, so I’m a sucker for innovation.  Whether it’s a new, groundbreaking treatment for prostate cancer or the hottest tech start-up, I’m interested.  On the weekend you can find me working on my Pilates instructor certification, drinking way too much coffee, trying out new vegetarian recipes, eating Mexican food, and enjoying the Emerald City with my husband.

Q.  Everyone is busy these days.  Why did Yabbly make it on to your list of places to spend time?

I Yabble because life is busy, and I don’t always have time to search for answers online or read a million product reviews. I can ask a question and get quick, meaningful, helpful answers.  In short, it makes my life easier and cuts down on decision-making time.

Q. What’s the biggest decision Yabblers have personally helped you with? Was their advice spot-on?

Most recently, Yabblers helped me choose a birthday gift for my friend’s 2 year old son.  I don’t have kids, so I was completely clueless!  A few Yabblers even included links to toys, so it couldn’t have been easier for me.  I went with Thomas the Train, and he was over the moon happy.

Q. You’ve got a magic wand that will allow you to add a feature that currently doesn’t exist to Yabbly. What would you add and why do you think it would make Yabbly a better place?

1. Anonymous questions – as the Yabbly user base grows, I’d like to be able to ask a question about a decision I’m making while still maintaining some privacy.  This feature would give me the opportunity to leverage the Yabbly community for even more decisions.
2. The ability to hide a question from another Yabbler.  For example, if I’m asking about ideas for a surprise for my husband, I don’t want him to see the question!  (This might be solved if #1 is implemented)
3. Being able to somehow signal that you have made a decision and responses are no longer needed for a question.  Or maybe have an option for the user to enter their ‘final decision’ and that would close out the Yabble.  This would help community members spend their time answering questions for Yabblers who still need help making a decision.  Or maybe add a deadline to a question?  Aka I need an answer in 3 days.  Could also be helpful in creating a sense of urgency for responders.

Q. What advice do you have for new Yabblers?

Make your questions specific.  Provide context around a decision you’re contemplating, what your current situation is, if you’re looking at other options, and what you’re trying to achieve with the new product or service.  I’ve also learned it’s important to specify your location if you’re looking for something in your community.  The better I get at asking questions, the better answers I receive.

Q. Imagine were playing a diabolical game where any product you own could be swapped out by it’s 3-star equivalent.  The twist is you have one immunity card which prevents one product you currently owned from being swapped out.  What product would you make unswappable and why?

The obvious answer for me is my iPhone, but instead of talking about that, I’m going to talk about my #2 product love – my VitaMix (which I’ve heard could actually blend my beloved iPhone).  Anyone who has ever made a smoothie in a regular blender would have their mind blown with the VitaMix.  On Valentine’s Day my husband surprised me by making chocolate marshmallow fondue in the VitaMix (it came out piping hot).  My first thought was “I really married the right man” which was soon followed by “Damn, that’s a good product”.  My next VitaMix projects are almond butter and strawberry gelato.