In my opinion, it's primarily a source of factual information, in answer to questions like "Which airlines fly from Stansted to Prague?", "How do I roast my Christmas turkey?" and "What sentence might I get when my case comes up in court?".
However it also provides a forum for discussion on current affairs etc, as well as welcoming light-hearted banter within 'Chatterbank'.
Its a business. So its purpose is to get in advertising income and to do that it needs members...including tools & spammers but not so many that it put's off or drivesaway too many other members
1) Primarily to give you links to the Internet of which you could get yourself .
2) To give insults to your hated political policies and representatives.
3) To answer your crosswords for you.
4) To continue never ending pointless debates of which only two people have interests, mainly personal.
5) To be nice to people that your have little respect for.
And to ask inane medical advice from medics of dubious qualifications and backgrounds, even those who have been struck off....not sqad of course, our own Sir Lancelot Spratt of 'Doctor in the House' fame.