Yahoo has discreetly announced the closure of its Yahoo Answers section. A visit to the website provides a link that redirects users to a FAQ page related to the shutdown. The service will still be available until April 20th, when it will convert into a read-only mode before finally closing up shop completely on May 4th.

Even following the closure, users will still have a little over a month—until June 30th—to gather their information. They can log in to the website and download an archive of their questions and answers. After that, Yahoo will completely wipe the user data stored on the site. The downloaded information will only be available in JSON form, meaning that users will have to download a JSON viewer in order to easily sift through their data.

RELATED: Microsoft Shuts Down Cortana for iOS and Android Devices

For many users, this is the end of a long-run era. Since its initial debut in 2005, Yahoo Answers has acted as a spot for users to air their questions to the Internet and have them answered by other random users. While Yahoo refused to give an official reason behind the closure, readers can glean a bit of insight with a quick glance at the website. Initially, Yahoo Answers may have acted as a space to exchange objective facts, but has since descended into subjective, often controversial political arguments. It's unlikely that this was Yahoo's intended outcome for the Answers section when it first released the site.

Yahoo Answers Closes

Unfortunately, the closure of Yahoo Answers seemed to be an inevitability. With the absurd popularity of Reddit continuing to grow, the need for other, similar mediums has dwindled. Since Yahoo Answers had long outlived its use as a genuine Q&A service, it essentially shared a space with Reddit for users to exchange opinions with one another. This would likely be a losing battle for nearly any website. As well, as many critics of Yahoo Answers have noted, the site had become a bastion for controversial and inflammatory opinions. While users can only speculate on the exact nature of the closure, the answer is likely a combination of dwindling visitor numbers and a notable shift in user behavior away from its initial purpose.

Whatever the reasons, the closure of Yahoo Answers is another reminder that many facets of the old Internet have outlived their usefulness. For long-time fans of the Yahoo Answers section, there is still a small window to enjoy the service and salvage their information.

MORE: Masahiro Sakurai Parody Account Shut Down