What they're saying

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About I Can't Believe You Asked That!:

"Milano is quietly revolutionizing cross-cultural communication..."
- Pulitzer Prize-winning nationally syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts, The Miami Herald

"A book that's both hilarious and serious: It bravely answers questions many of us are too nervous to ask for fear of offending someone..."
- Linda Vester, "Dayside with Linda Vester," Fox News Channel

"A truly rare achievement. It's fascinating, fun and informative, but it also has the potential to have a profound impact on the way we all see and understand each other..."
- John D. Thomas, contributing editor, Playboy magazine; editor, Playboy.com

"Phillip Milano. He's a question-and-answer guy, sort of like a Dear Abby, but with really provocative questions ... This cat (has) a whole book of uncomfortable questions. It's race, gender, sexuality, handicapped people - a very bizarre book ... But people are people and the more we get this stuff out in the open, the more it disarms it. There's a difference between asking questions and reinforcing stereotypes, and that's important..."
- Marc Maron, Air America Radio's "Morning Sedition"

"I applaud you for what you're doing ... It's an incredible book. It diffuses everything ... Nothing is off limits, and the questions have that childlike honesty to them..."
- Dee Snider, lead singer, Twisted Sister; host, "Dee Snider Radio," WMMR, Philadelphia

"A take-no-prisoners attitude prevails between the volume's covers . . . Men and women in the street, so to speak, provide the book's initial responses. That's followed by professional answers and advice. This book is hard to put down..."
- Reviewer's Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review 

"He doesn't care what we think about the questions ... It's been great talking to (Phillip Milano) ... This was a good time - and I was a little nervous about this segment before it started..."
- Mark Riley, Air America Radio's "Morning Sedition"

"If you've ever hesitated to ask a question because you think it might be considered insensitive or impolitic, now is your chance ... Nothing is considered out of bounds..."
- CNN Headline News

"New workplace rules, political correctness and our tendency to be super sensitive when it comes to racial stereotyping has meant that there are questions that we have been dying to ask but were afraid we'd offend someone ... But how did a white man end up the moderator of what could become the great race debate? ... (Milano) believed in the need to understand where another human being is coming from -- even when we insist we couldn't care less. That is incredibly valuable stuff..."
- Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell

"You could benefit from flipping through the pages of I Can't Believe You Asked That! ... these questions can generate a range of emotions and reactions. But the point of Milano's book is not to get people mad, but to inform us about the lives and experiences of others. Though many of the answers that people offered to the questions posed in his book are conflicting, these responses are balanced by the comments of experts whose responses to the queries also appear in the book..."
- USA TODAY columnist DeWayne Wickham

"I like what Milano is doing ... I have to believe that there's sincerity about people who take the time to ask questions about things that they don't know about -- no matter how goofy their question may seem. So keep doing your thing, Phil. Because conversation is the first step to get people of different races and backgrounds to begin to listen to each other. And ultimately, to their consciences..."
- Tonyaa Weathersbee, BlackAmericaWeb.com, Tom Joyner Morning Show 's web site

"There is a genuine interest in the issues that his book addresses. A part of us wants to know about the weird stuff, the inappropriate stuff, the politically incorrect..."
- Susan Scott, author, Fierce Conversations - Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time

"Interesting, provocative reading..."
- Alan Caruba, Bookviews 

About YForum.com
and the "Dare to Ask" newspaper column

"Why are Asian people quiet? Is it okay to go 'commando'? Why do black men look good in purple suits, but white men look like dorks? These politically incorrect questions might occur to some, but few would think to vocalize them, let alone make them the basis of a column -- unless of course you're Phillip Milano of The Florida Times-Union and your column is called Dare to Ask..."
- Columbia Journalism Review


"There are still precious few media sources focused on connecting people rather than dividing them. People are so busy feeling aggrieved, persecuted and put-upon -- often for very good reason -- there's not much percentage in trying to unite them anymore. But Phillip Milano's trying ... So check out (Dare to Ask), and you just might learn that the question you've always wanted to ask wasn't such a dumb notion after all..."
- Eric Deggans, media critic, St. Petersburg Times


"The important thing here is the dialogue. It has been established under an original premise. The founder ... has taken a great risk because he has gone against the politically correct movement. Mr. Milano has dared to open the field of debate to the maximum to tackle all differences related to race, sex, social class, the generations, religions and geographical regions ... Finally, the universal impact of the Internet is beginning to be felt. Web surfers from all over the world are beginning to participate in debate..."
- Le Monde, Paris


"President Clinton's series of discussions aimed at improving race relations in America has drawn a lot of praise and some criticism that the participants are not always as candid as they could be. But now there's a new web site called The National Forum On People' s Differences located at www.yforum.com. You can use the site anonymously to ask questions about race, cultural differences, sexual orientation or disabilities that you may be too embarrassed or uncomfortable to ask in person..."
- CBS This Morning


"It's a sign of the times that racial, gender and nationality questions are deemed so controversial that typically they are only discussed by close friends, preventing much true exchange of information. A new Web site has sprung up that is designed to provide an anonymous forum for human beings of all kinds to talk openly. Its Web address is www.yforum.com..."
- The Washington Post


"Phillip Milano's remarkable contribution to cross-cultural understanding has arrived. Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out of the Rain? is a book based on his Y? The National Forum On People's Differences, a remarkable internet-based question-and-answer platform on which all of us can put inquiries about other people and their habits and customs, on the understanding that neither questioners nor respondents will get upset with each other..."
- The (London) Guardian


"A+ (highest rating). For all the talk about the web's power to bring people together, it's rare to find a community-building tool as unequivocally constructive as this no-holds-barred Q&A forum. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask gets tackled here ... all those things you were taught not to bring up in polite company. Thanks to the work of creators Phillip Milano and Robin Dycus- Milano, this frank discussion of society's divisions will leave you feeling oddly optimistic..."
- Entertainment Weekly magazine, "Best of Breed" award


"Phillip Milano has boldly crossed the line of political correctness to create a forum for people to acknowledge their fears and ignorance by asking questions that may not always be considered socially acceptable. 'My desire is to change the ground rules for how we discuss our differences,' he said, adding that, 'We can't get to the similarities until we discuss and respect our differences.' ... Milano does not label himself an expert, and neither his book (Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out of the Rain?) nor his Web site is intended to offer solutions. His only agenda is to get people talking..."
- AOL's "Dialogues Online: Racial Healing in Our Communities," launched by AOL founder and CEO Steve Case in partnership with the Western Justice Center


"A kind of frank, sobering and occasionally intense discourse that tells more about who we are and how we feel about each other than you're likely to learn from a dozen sociology texts. Milano has successfully taken a frequently unconventional medium - the Web - and turned it to a purpose it seems ideally disposed to serve: Allowing people to examine their prejudices, their misconceptions, their phobias, their curiosities within the protective anonymity of cyberspace. Here you'll find a virtual database of our differences - categorized and searchable ... Most surprising about the content of Y? is how thoughtful and well-considered some of the responses are to even the most demeaning questions... "
- Newsday/L.A. Times-Washington Post News Service


"My prayer has been answered ... there is now a web site where people can post all kinds of questions about other groups and get answers. When I checked the other day, the web site was crawling with concerns I'd never seen in writing before..."
- Columnist Betty DeRamus
The Detroit News


"Nearly all the questions were answered rationally and calmly, even when there was an obvious disagreement ... The Y? Forum shows the bulk of the people in the country aren't like those on 'The Jerry Springer Show,' eager to start yelling and punching and shoving at the drop of a hat..."
- Knight-Ridder News Service


"Even on the Internet, where the word 'shocking' has little meaning anymore, the brutal honesty of the Y? Forum shocks. But for adults who believe in the values of open debate, the Y? Forum is one of the most vibrant stops on the Net..."
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer


"Phillip J. Milano's Y? The National Forum On People's Differences is a candid information exchange that can help broaden our understanding of our differences and, ultimately, our similarities ... The site has received numerous awards and has been widely recognized as an outstanding tool for teaching tolerance..."
- About Campus, the magazine of the American College Personnel Association


"Can a straight, white male help smooth out our cultural wrinkles and get America talking over the fence again? Does a guy raised in an affluent, segregated suburb have the right to lead a national dialogue on our racial wrongs or our social rifts? That's precisely what's happening each daybreak in a dusty garage in Florida. There, Phillip Milano cranks up his computer and fields provocative, gut-level questions about some of the odd things that divide us. You've heard them before, those wince-evoking questions that kids ask in a crowded supermarket yet adults only bring up in whispers and select company. But at a rate of 80 a day, these touchy queries are posted on Milano's wildly popular Web site, Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. They are asked by a public hungry for frank talk and gobbled up by folks who are feeling overstuffed with political correctness. From all over cyberland, the questions draw rapid responses - some caustic, some funny, most sincere and carefully worded..."
- The Denver Post


"Y? ... is one of the most inventive uses of a technology that is too often dismissed as a glorified toy or a gigantic shopping mall ... This isn't Oprah, where audience members do the talk-show version of 'We Are the World.' Nor is it one of those canned 'town meetings' on race, where the dialogue is as natural as a snowman in Bali. The dialogue here can make your face turn red, but it's also refreshingly honest..."
- The Boston Globe


"So long as we are mysteries, one to another, we face a perpetuation of ignorance and a feeding of fear. That's why Y? has a profound appeal to me..."
- Leonard Pitts, nationally syndicated Miami Herald columnist; author, Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood, 1999 Longstreet Press


"Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out Of The Rain? Only in America! A new book from a web site that gives you answers to the questions your mum would whack you over the back of the head for or PCers see as racist, homophobic or just plain stupid..."
- BBC Radio


"Why do white people smell like wet dogs when they come out of the rain? Why is it OK for black people to use the N word, but considered offensive when white people say it? Why are black women so loud in movie theaters? Are you shocked by any of these questions? Or are you secretly curious about the answers, but too embarrassed to admit it? Well, don't be shocked, and don't be embarrassed..."
- "The Ananda Lewis Show"


"The Y? Forum was created under the assumption that there are a lot of things we don't understand about cultures not our own but are afraid to ask. This site lets us ask those questions without embarrassment and then get answers back from other visitors, with the hope that this kind of forum can bridge some of the gaps in the world..."
- Tribune Media Services' "Web Sightings"


"It seems truly unbelievable how clinically and constructively taboos are discussed on the site ... The great popularity of the site goes to show that at the basic level, the conversations we want to have about our differences are far from what the official statements of equal-opportunity employment groups would have us think..."
- The Helsinki News


"There's no question too personal, too sexist, too racist or too anti-Semitic to ask here. Nothing too embarrassing. Nothing too provocative. Nothing is too anything for the Y? Forum..."
- The Virginian Pilot


"The struggle to overcome hate is unending for those on the receiving end. For the privileged members of society, there is no way to know what it's like to be targeted because of something you have no control over, like your skin color. Open discussion is necessary to keep awareness levels high in all segments of society. Y? is a forum for just such discussions ... Y? gets what the Web is all about, meaning it brings people together from different cultures who otherwise wouldn't be able to communicate..."
- Al Natanagara
CBS-TV's "Wild Wild Web"


"Milano reviews all the questions and answers posted to the site for readability and length - and he often paraphrases reader questions in order to get to their essence. The result is a space where readers can safely follow a dialogue on sensitive topics without having to wade through racist attacks, foul language or flame wars..."
- Atlantic Unbound Web Citations
The Atlantic Monthly


"These are the kinds of questions you just don't ask: Why don't more black people surf? Why are old people so grumpy? Why is it that so many people with children seem oblivious to the rights of the rest of us? Why do TV and movie writers so often portray less intelligent characters as Southerners? The questions may be politically incorrect, logically flawed,essentially insensitive. But there is no end to them ... A spirit of genial openness pervades the exchanges. Apparently dumb questions get straight answers. So do questions that might get you fired or punched in real time..."
- Dallas Morning News/Knight-Ridder News Service


"Okay, you didn't hear this from me, but check out the activities at 'The National Forum on People's Differences.' The title alone should tell you what it's all about, but the great thing is that any visitor can ask or answer any question posed at the site. What a terrific idea: build understanding of our differences with an online forum in which people can address "no holds barred" cultural questions..."
- Yahoo's "Picks of the Week" (July 6, 1998)


"Questions generally reserved for familiar friends and comfortable surroundings are receiving a public airing - and spirited debate - on an Internet Web site that spares no feelings in addressing them ... Race, gender, age, class, religion, geographic area, sexual orientation and occupation are addressed candidly, honestly and often eloquently..."
- Associated Press


"In America's struggle with race, one man is trying to keep it real. His website dares to post the questions we're afraid to ask out loud ... If Billie Holiday got the ball rolling on civil rights back in 1939, today Phillip Milano is doing his part to foster understanding between blacks and whites. Just log on to yforum.com and you'll see what's shocking some people and thrilling others. "
- To The Best Of Our Knowledge, Public Radio International


"The president's town hall meetings on race are well-meant. Some say they're politically biased. But one man thinks they're just too highfalutin ... And so Jacksonville, Fla., newspaper editor Phillip Milano started Y? The National Forum On People' s Differences, where people get to ask what they really wanna know ... Is America really ready for this sort of exchange? Maybe not, but if you are, the address is www.yforum.com..."
- The Osgood File
CBS Radio Network


"The National Dialogue on Race may very well be happening on the Internet, but no thanks to the Clinton Administration. Credit goes to a free-market, private forum. Phillip J. Milano created Y? The National Forum On People's Differences as a way to answer tough questions about race, sexual orientation and other hot-button topics very few people speak about openly. The site has received praise from newspapers, columnists and editors alike. Unlike the government's National Dialogue on Race, the forum addresses the tough questions, and also allows every opinion to be heard..."
- Frontpage Magazine


"Sure, the questions are sometimes shocking and soaked in bigotry, but at its best, Y? is a powerful myth-debunker ... Y? isn't a perfect experiment, and it's not for the faint of heart or the easily ruffled. But at least people are talking and, one hopes, learning from one another. It certainly beats the alternative..."
- The Tallahassee Democrat


"Clearly, this is not your typical after-dinner conversation. After 10 minutes reading Y?, just about anybody will feel uncomfortable. After 20 minutes, just about everyone will learn something..."
- The Columbian (Vancouver, WA)


"This is different and challenging stuff. An open forum for people to ask those questions about other people that are too embarrassing for normal conversation. No holds barred, sometimes shocking, but very interesting..."
Evening Chronicle, Newcastle, UK


"If America is so racist, how does one explain the success of Asians in this country? Provocative, sometimes hurtful questions like those are part of a unique exercise going on in cyberspace ... Milano's new way is to let people use his Web site to ask direct, no-holds-barred questions about people of other races, genders, religions, ages, classes, sexual orientations, occupations, whatever..."
- The (Montreal) Gazette


"Y? facilitates dialogue between people who might not otherwise talk. It's a tool that can be used to bring understanding to peoples' misconceptions about gender, age, religion, class and sexual orientation. Participants post questions that they fear might be too sensitive or controversial to ask in a face-to-face conversation. Others respond, all without the threat of a shouting match or an embarrassing faux pas..."
- AsianWeek


"A good example of communal cooperation on the superhighway..."
- The West Australian


"Y can't we all just get along? Y can't we look beyond stereotypes and stigmas? The online site Y? Forum tackles those issues in an inviting, open discussion where even the most potentially insulting questions can be peacefully discussed..."
- College Press Network


"At (Y?) you may ask any question about people who are different than you and receive a straightforward answer..."
- The Human Side of Organizations, 7th Edition
Michael W. Drafke and Stan Kossen, © 2000 Prentice-Hall, Inc.


"Y? is a unique and progressive series of discussion forums. Y? challenges users to post their most uncomfortable - and sometimes discomforting - questions, working from the philosophy that stereotypes and assumptions can only be broken down when such questions are set forth..."
- McGraw Hill Higher Education Multicultural Superlinks


"An open chat board based on a brilliant idea: We all have questions about other people who (we think) are really different from ourselves, but usually we're too polite or too afraid to ask the questions. Here's where you'll find civil questions and civil answers. The site is well-moderated. An entertaining and educational read..."
- Magellan's Log e-zine


"The issue of race relations goes far beyond polite folks sitting in chosen audiences in orchestrated town hall meetings ... If you are to shake a bottle of something that is carbonated, you get fizz and then the contents go flat. The Presidential Commission on Race Relations doesn't have enough fizz to get it out of the bottle. For interesting dialogue on race relations, visit www. yforum.com on the Internet..."
- George Wilson, Washington Informer


"(Y?) is being hailed as a gateway to understanding diversity ... So go ahead, what is it that you've always wanted to know about another race, culture, or the opposite sex? If you dare to ask, chances are someone will dare to answer..."
- Next Step magazine


"An ambitious site..."
- Chip Rowe, editor, Playboy


"Diversity expert Phillip J. Milano says small cultural differences can create big gaps in workplace harmony if left unaddressed. That goes for both large and small companies. 'A critical mistake that a large company could make is to think that employees are not curious about people around them who are from different cultures,' Mr. Milano said. 'Just because we live in an information age, that is not to say that some people won't have broad and deep misconceptions.' ..."
- The Cincinnati Enquirer


"Questions pondered among close friends are now being tackled by crowds of perfect strangers..."
- The State News, Michigan State University


"A remarkable new web site can help us understand each other ... It's unlike anything I've ever seen on the Net ... A bold and worthwhile effort to use the web for grownup communications..."
- Charles Bowen
The Internet News


"If you've ever had a question about a sensitive issue but were afraid to ask, be afraid no more ... 'Y? The National Forum on People's Differences' is a good first step toward building bridges where few exist..."
- Encyclopædia Britannica's Internet Guide
"Site of the Day"


"Y? is an excellent place on the 'Net for young people. It is a safe, constructive way to dispel myths and stereotypes and to learn about other cultures. All questions are screened before they are posted, and are answered in an honest, frank manner..."
- Media Awareness Network


"No such thing as a stupid question? Check out Y? It's an awesome site that attempts to answer anything, and anything is acceptable! Talking about our differences will help dilute some of the ignorance and bring about a deeper understanding, or so goes this site's philosophy..."
- The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)


"Four stars. The goal of this memorable web site is simple but profound: To get people talking. This forum offers visitors the unique opportunity to confront their feelings head-on by asking difficult or embarrassing questions of people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds..."
- Pacific Bell Knowledge Network
"Blue Web'n Site" Award


"A terrific Web site ... It encourages people to ask questions about other cultures, genders, religions and occupations, even about subjects that are normally too embarrassing to broach..."
- Ask Yahoo!, Nov. 16, 1998


"Y? is a great resource to increase your knowledge of those different from yourself - which is, of course, everyone else ... a commendable attempt at using cyberspace to bring people closer together..."
- The Octopus, Champaign-Urbana
"Web site of the Week"


"Why ask Y? Because they're answering all of your burning questions ... Surely mature people wouldn't ask these kinds of questions in mixed company. Would they? You bet they would! And that is exactly what they're hoping for at Y? ... We've all heard the Internet touted as the great 'anonymizer,' so what better place than the web to strike up this kind of sensitive dialogue? Admit it, by now, you've thought up at least a dozen questions you'd like to get answers to, but have been too polite to ask. Why not head over to Y? and post a few? While you're there, take part in the debunking of a few stereotypes you're wise about..."
- Kimberly Hohman, Race Relations guide, About.com


"There's a Web site where the walls can be taken down ... Its concept is pretty simple: If you have a question about differences in economic class, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, occupation, age - just ask. Questions about behavior, speech, fashion, cultural nuance, rituals and history are all fair game. Embarrassing questions. Uncomfortable questions. Necessary and productive questions..."
- Columnist Rosemary Harris
The (Colorado Springs) Gazette


"Y? is, in fact, a different and challenging website - an open forum giving people the chance to ask those questions about other people that are too embarrassing for normal conversation. No holds barred, sometimes shocking, but always interesting, this is an experiment in cultural communication..."
- Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.


"Whoa! Now for some gut-level dialogue on race. Visitors are encouraged to ask each other embarrassing cross-cultural questions in a serious experiment to find out 'how and why people are different from each other..."
- Web Winners
The Philadelphia Inquirer


"This is the brilliance of Y?: people can ask questions that might be considered taboo or inappropriate, and a complete stranger will offer their response. Nobody gets embarrassed, and nobody's feelings get hurt. Y? explores a whole new world of topics that many people may have never been introduced to previously. Web sites such as this bring with them a sense of hope for the future of relations among people of different backgrounds..."
- The Florida Flambeau, Florida State University


"No matter your economic class, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation or whatever, this site is all about encouraging communications for genuine understanding..."
- "Web Watch," The Florida Times-Union


"Did you ever want to ask a sensitive question to someone who was different from you - another race or religion or sexual orientation - but were too embarrassed or shy? In a cyberforum with clear rules for courteous and respectful dialogue, newspaper writer and editor Phillip J. Milano allows browsers to share differences openly and frankly and to learn about what is so frequently kept quiet..."
- From Psychology: Themes & Variations, Briefer Version
Santa Clara University professor Wayne Weiten (2000, 4th ed., Wadsworth Publishing)


"One of the hottest new sites on the Internet is 'Y? The National Forum On People's Differences...'"
- The Detroit News


"Anyone can ask questions of any race/social class/gender/sexual orientation/etc. and have other users answer - interesting and enlightening..."
- IndyNet Gazette


"No such thing as a dumb question? Check out Y? ... It's an awesome site that attempts to answer anything, and anything is acceptable! Talking about our differences will help dilute some of the ignorance and bring about a deeper understanding for one another, or so goes this site's philosophy..."
The 411, Young People's Press


"Fosters a free and open environment where people are encouraged to ask any question they have ever dared wonder about regarding race, gender, homosexuality, religion, disabilities, etc..."
- In The Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication, J. Dan Rothwell, Mayfield Publishing, 2000


"Why the need for an honest, uninhibited dialogue, minus the vitriolic debate on politics, abortion or affirmative action on the cusp of a new millennium? Sociologists say it's because Americans of all walks of life suffer from cultural isolationism, which breeds stereotypes, intolerance and fear ... (Milano) created, and launched, the web site based in part on a feeling, and the failure of the conventional media to get people to talk across their differences."
-The Fort Worth Star-Telegram


"At a time when everyone is scrambling to figure out how to make a buck off the Internet, it's refreshing to stumble upon a web site with loftier, more genuine goals ... The creator of 'Y? The National Forum On People' s Differences' has taken on a task that few would dare in these times of political correctness. Not surprisingly, Y? is getting a lot of attention from major media outlets ... Let's hope all of the hype over Y? brings more people and money to a site that truly follows the intent of many early designers of the Internet: To bring the world together and help it learn from its member inhabitants..."
- The Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune


"Asking questions about gender, race and all the things you think are sensitive to ask people about (a.k.a. afraid of getting your ass whupped because you might offend them) is what this site is about, and it definitely lives up to its purpose..."
- Southern Fist


"The format is fairly simple, though incredibly effective. What has resulted is an informative and productive discussion about nearly every topic imaginable dealing with differences among the peoples of the world. The Y-Forum is an outstanding example of the Internet's unique ability to bring people of the world together..."
- Peel Magazine


"A wonderful web site that seeks to bridge the painful abyss between knowledge and understanding ... Phil Milano's brainchild allows people an opportunity to challenge their own prejudices. It allows people to expose their fears to light and air. Be brave. Step out from behind the gate..."
- Jacksonville.com, The Florida Times-Union


"The Y Forum ... allows questions from readers who are curious or even ignorant - but who don't ask out of hate or prejudice. Answers from other readers are posted if they are specific and thoughtful. The goal is to have reasoned dialog, and it is fascinating..."
- The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)


"Phillip Milano here shows the net at its best ... Differences of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and racial background, economic status - all of these and others are the focus of this informative set of resources and archives..."
- PsychREF Resources in Psychology on the Internet


"More evidence of a growing interest in racial and cultural ethnicity can be found on the Internet. 'Y? The National Forum On People's Differences' ... has no political bent, and it encourages people to ask questions of other races and cultures without fear of being called racist for asking. (The) site is drawing thousands of visitors daily..."
- Columnist Tonyaa Weathersbee
The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)


"The most hopeful event regarding race relations thus far in my life is not a major government program from our pain-feeling liberal President, but a small website run by a 35-year-old white guy from Jacksonville, Fla. The Y? Forum offers damning evidence against the contemporary strategy for dealing with racial tension, which is brute force ... Perhaps if we gave people the freedom to say what they believe without legal prosecution or public condemnation, we might begin to change how people really feel..."
- Columnist Michael Graham
The (Columbia, S.C.) Free Times


"An experiment in anonymous openness ... Many of the questions posed in Y? are the kind that if you were 6 years old and popped up with them, your mom probably would have smacked you in the head..."
-The Des Moines Register


"Attention, you African Americans who have a computer or access to one. Go online and visit 'Y?' Ask a question about some other group. Then answer a sticky question posted about black folks. Your answer will help others - and me, too..."
- Columnist Derrick K. Baker
N'DIGO weekly, Chicago


"Welcome to the Y? forum, a cyberspace alternative to President Clinton's tentative, touchy-feely dialogue on race ... the site has created quite a media buzz..."
- Columnist Michael Paul Williams
The Richmond Times-Dispatch


"Toss around touchy topics such as race, religion and sexuality with a sincerity that is normally tabooed by political politeness..."
- Rough Guides


"The postings on Phillip Milano's web site are as pointed as they are diverse. They are meant to linger in the minds of visitors long after the surfers move to another location. These are the kinds of questions people in a diverse society harbor but are often unwilling to share out of fear that others will label them ignorant or hurtful ... Y? illustrates the greatest strength the Internet has - as a forum whose size and nature of discussion is essentially unlimited..."
- Folio Weekly, Jacksonville, Fla.


"People ask the darnedest questions on a controversial new Web site that is sparking spirited debate among complete strangers. These aren't curious adolescents. They are professors, retirees, scientists, engineers, college students, stay-at-home moms and dads and a variety of other individuals from around the world who are logging onto the Internet to test the validity of the stereotypes they harbor ... Even those questions that might be regarded as the most offensive by some are often answered in the most tactful and intelligent manner..."
- The San Antonio Express-News


"Honest questions and answers from real people. Ask the race/gender questions you were always afraid to ask..."
- Webcrawler's Web Site Reviews


"Humans come in different shapes and colors. Now there's a place to ask questions about those differences without fear of being labeled a hatemonger. Race questions, gender questions, religion questions, occupational questions. As long as they are asked out of genuine curiosity, and not hate, there are no boundaries. The concept seems to be working..."
- The Orange County Register


"You will get answers from experts or those people who directly experience the facet of life you've asked about. Even if you don't want to ask a question, the site provides hours of fascinating reading..."
- NetReader; Canada's website


"Y not? Suppose you could ask any question of anyone else, regardless of how insensitive or even rude it might be? That's the interesting premise of Y?, a Web site devoted to helping people understand diversity by asking questions..."
-The Houston Chronicle


"This brilliant idea delivers answers to questions you never knew you had..."
- Netsurfer Digest

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