Google "answers" goes live!

[Brett_Tabke]

Ask a question, and for a fee, a Google researcher will answer it:
[answers.google.com...]

Faq:
[answers.google.com...]

[click watcher]

well if you've got spare time apply to become an "answerer" and get 75% of the fee :)

i actually think its a very innovative idea

[Duckula]

Mike_Mackin, 11:39 am on April 19, 2002

For $30 I'd tell you to take a look at you tags and remove the STUFF that has no value. That is just a GUESS on my part BUT why not try it.

You want my wire transfer instructions ?

hmmmm...

[epanastatis]

What's interesting about this is that Google seems to have the begun the inexorable march towards portal-space. I signed up for an Answers ID, in case I decide to apply to become a researcher, and they indicated that they are planning to integrate this with Google Groups IDs, "Google in My Language," etc.

How much longer before we see "My Google!" or googlemail.com e-mail addresses?

[wolfy]

Once upon a time there was
Exp.com that paid "Experts people" for answering users doubts.
Now it's Google Answer, I think they are making nothing original, the only problem is that Google needs money!!

[Chris_R]

Well I must admit I am a little suprised at this. If you had told me this a month ago I would have bet money you were full of it.

I don't think it is a bad idea. It just seems a little disjointed. Is there a missing links somewhere?

Search Engine ---> Advertising
!
!-->Cellphone SE
!
Newsgroup SE
!
!
Image SE
!
News SE
!
!
Catalog SE

Google Answers

[Zips]

My tags Duckula? Whats up with them?

[europeforvisitors]

This sounds like:

1) A paid version of AllExperts.com and other "experts" sites that offer answers to questions for free. (And it's hard to compete with free, at least when you're dealing with consumers.)

2) A Web version of Keen.com, which charges by the minute for answers to questions over the phone (and where much of the revenue comes from calls involving sex or psychic advice, according to the reports I've heard).

I'm a little skeptical about Google's ability to make this concept work. It might work if it were directed to the business and professional market, with professional researchers (e.g., librarians) and rates that were in line with what a professional researcher would charge. But will the average person pay $4 and up for help in searching with Google, which is what this amounts to? And even if the researchers are getting 75% of the fees, will there be enough traffic at high enough rates to pay a living wage?

[Zips]

Was that to me Duckula????

:op

[Duckula]

Nothing personal, just that suddenly Mike_Mackin sounded like preempting the google strategy. Good instincts, collective unconscious or simply he already knew...

[Zips]

lol get it now

[Brett_Tabke]

> Good instincts, collective unconscious or simply he already knew.

We talked about doing the same here for some time on seo matters. We even had a prototype worked up two years ago and Liane was our first victim ;-)

[Alby]

I think it is a great idea, and I think it could work well. Things like searching for the cheapest flights take forever and is soo boring... I will be happy to pay someone $4 to do that sort of stuff for me.

[wolfy]

>Things like searching for the cheapest flights take forever and is soo boring... I will be happy to pay someone $4 to do that sort of stuff for me.

Well it seems Google will earn money from you and from other people that don't want to waste their time to search things, may be in the next years they'll create a service for people who doesn't want to eat with their hands !!!

[nutsandbolts]

Well done Google - but can we ask questions about our Google listings (or lack of them with the 0 ranks) ;) ?

I would pay for that.. no doubt about it!

[Zips]

Well I can tell you where to go for the cheapest flights and you can give me $4 but that would be blatant advertising ;)

[Tigrou]

This would be very interesting if you could text message questions from your mobile phone. The brand of G coupled with the fact people are willing to pay for premium messaging on mobiles (at least in some countries)

If so, can't wait till someone tries to cheat with this on 'who wants to be a millionaire' :-)

[Tigrou]

Incidentally, how serious are people going to take this? I've already recieved two email chains regarding the 'how much calcium in smegma' question...

[answers.google.com...]

[click watcher]

Incidentally, how serious are people going to take this? ... etc

well not that google would stoop so low, but it's an excellent way of "virally" spreading the news of the launch of their new service

[Jill]

Is anyone actually asking questions yet? All I see in the examples (maybe that's all they'll show) are from -ga which are the Google "experts". Has anyone applied to be a ga?

[seofan]

I think it is a fine idea. With their resources and search oriented staff, it is an unobtrusive, elective service that is an additional income generator.

Sure, it may not generate millions, but hundreds add up to thousands.........

[ideavirus]

Is anyone actually asking questions yet?

I presume the service was launched on 18th.
There seems to be nearly 120 questions out of which almost 75% are already answered by paid researchers.

I was just wondering , what could be their thinking behing launching such an Idea..??
Any serious guess here..??

Thanks
:)

[TvED]

There are these fabulous folks at the Boston Public Library who do this for free, no kidding. But you do have to look at a human face, use your vocal chords, and yes, leave the house. (I know, it's a nice idea...)

[bird]

Well, it's certainly not a new concept [dmoz.org], but Google has already improved on many existing ideas by providing a better implementation and a great brand name.

I'll go and apply as an expert just for kicks... ;)

[europeforvisitors]

>>Things like searching for the cheapest flights take forever and is soo boring... I will be happy to pay someone $4 to do that sort of stuff for me.<<

How much faith are you willing to put in a researcher who charges only $4?

[Crazy_Fool]

would they be able to tell me why i'm so damn stupid?

if anyone does get a job as an answerer then please let us know how it goes.

[ideavirus]

Okay...My own guess here..!

Well Google Search results happens to be the best in terms of relevancy.which is actually ranked by their algo..!
Probably, they also wanted to have Human factor ... and their approach seems to benefit those who can find relevant info and those in need of it..!

In a sense, they are trying to have a fine mix of technology and human search to give the relevant results..!

Any takers..??

[EliteWeb]

If you are doing research for a project and need the kind of answers the google researchers supply you can pay more to get answers quicker, they have some good answers for things. hehehe

[seofan]

Ah....the mafia approach.

If you don't find any relevant results in your search for answers, we'll make some relevant for you.

:)

[Alby]

Is anyone actually asking questions yet? All I see in the examples (maybe that's all they'll show) are from -ga which are the Google "experts". Has anyone applied to be a ga?

Jill,

You have to register to ask and answer questions and everyone registered with Google gets the "ga". It stands for "Google Answers" I would presume...

How much faith are you willing to put in a researcher who charges only $4?

We aren't talking life and death questions here. If they find what seems like a reasonable and good answer in a short time that is good enough for me.