JustAsk Has All the Answers.

Posted by Mitchell Chin Tue, October 25, 2011 3:55 pm EDT

Where do you turn when you have IT questions?

As a kid I had a magic eight ball that I could ask any question, and it would provide an answer. I may not have always liked that answer, but it did give an answer.

Well the JustAsk IT knowledge base is almost the same — except it’s designed to show you the best possible answer to your technology related question. Search engines like Google extract and display data from the web based largely on individual search terms and popularity, leaving the user to determine what is the appropriate answer. In contrast, a knowledge base selects the most probable response based upon unique criteria we’ve set up about each topic. In addition to answering your specific question, the JustAsk IT knowledge base will suggest related to your questions. The criteria and probability change depending upon user responses, so the system adapts to the users. That means a knowledge base is not just a static collection of of data; it is a dynamic resource with the capacity to learn.

To properly utilize JustAsk IT, form your query as a natural question, like “How do I…?” or “What is…?” Unlike a search engine, single terms or words do not always produce a response. Think of that as akin to walking up to a teller at a bank and stating a single word, expecting them to know what you need.

Lastly, when using JustAsk, please let us know if the response received was helpful or not. Just below the response, you'll see our question, “Was this information helpful?” Your feedback is the magic ingredient that helps us build a better knowledge base.

Accessing JustAsk IT

You can easily get to JustAsk IT by clicking "Help" at the top of the Tech Team website. JustAsk for students is available from FSCJ.EDU, but since it is focused on student needs, it doesn't contain knowledge exclusive to faculty and staff resouces.