Google Helpouts shutting down April 20th

Friday the 13th’s first reaping is upon us, as Google’s Helpouts program, launched back in November 2013, will be shutting down at the end of April.

The service, utilizing the Google Hangouts platform, provided a way for people to get help on a variety of topics, spanning from cooking to tech support. Helpouts also allowed providers of expertise to sell their services, like in the case of piano lessons.

Google has posted a short informational about the closing on its product support page, but also took the time to send out an email discussing the matter:

Hi Joseph,
We have some sad news to share with you today: Helpouts will be shutting down onApril 20th, 2015. While this announcement was just posted on our site, we wanted you to hear the news directly from us. 
Since launching in 2013, Helpouts has been a home for people to connect with experts on topics they want to learn about or seek advice and solutions to everyday problems. The Helpouts community includes some engaged and loyal contributors, but unfortunately, it hasn’t grown at the pace we had expected. Sadly, we’ve made the tough decision to shut down the product. 
Starting April 20th, you’ll be able to download your Helpouts history using Google Takeout (available until November 1st, 2015). Until then, you can email us with any questions or concerns you have about your account or take a look at these FAQs. 
We want to thank you for your support—both the providers who shared their expertise with the world, and the people who needed some extra help or advice along the way. You’ve had a lot to contribute—and we’ve loved learning alongside you. 
Our best wishes,
The Helpouts Team

The Google Takeout mentioned by Google is a web-based program that allows users to download their Google data across the entirety of the Google products spectrum. You can visit that page by clicking here.

So long, Google Helpouts. It actually was a clever idea, it just never seemed to take off.

Source: Google

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