Amazon is testing its new question/answer site, Askville, and has begun emailing select customers to suggest they give it a whirl.

Askville is Amazon's answer to Yahoo Answers, which is a free service, and Google Answers, which is not free. Askville will be free and will reward users who answer and ask questions, Marketing Pilgrim reports. Askville will differ from its counterparts in that each question will be limited to five answers, which won't be shown publicly until all five answers are received. Each question will be assigned its own message board where the community can discuss it.

Overstated adds that Askville will reward participants with "coins" that can be redeemed in another online community, called Questville, which is slated for release in early 2007.

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