Providing crowdsourced answers to information needs presented by search engine and social networking application users

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory that comprises a plurality of components that are executed by the processor, the plurality of components comprising:
• a classifier component that receives a text string and classifies the text string as representing an information need that is desirably answered by a collective of crowd workers;
• an instruction transmitter component that transmits the text string and first instructions to a first plurality of computing devices operated by a first plurality of crowd workers in the collective of crowd workers, the first instructions instructing each crowd worker in the first plurality of crowd workers to perform a same task with respect to the information need;
• a response receiver component that receives responses to the task submitted by the first plurality of crowd workers;
• and
• an output component that outputs an answer to the information need based at least in part upon the responses to the task received by the response receiver component.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

• monitoring a public feed of a social networking application for questions included in messages posted to the public feed;
• determining that a message posted to the public feed by a user of the social networking application comprises a question;
• determining that the message posted to the public feed by the user of the social networking application comprises a hash tag;
• identifying that the question is desirably answered by a collective of crowd workers based upon the determining that the message comprises the question and the determining that the message comprises the hash tag;
• transmitting the question and first instructions to a first plurality of computing devices operated by a respective first plurality of crowd workers, the first instructions instructing each crowd worker in the first plurality of crowd workers to generate a respective proposed answer to the question;
• receiving proposed answers to the question submitted by the first plurality of crowd workers;
• responsive to receiving the proposed answers to the question, transmitting the proposed answers to the question and second instructions to a second plurality of computing devices operated by a respective second plurality of crowd workers, the second instructions instructing each crowd worker in the second plurality of crowd workers to submit a vote as to which of the proposed answers best answers the question;
• receiving votes submitted by the second plurality of crowd workers;
• selecting a final answer to the question based at least in part upon the votes;
• and
• outputting the final answer to the question to the public feed.