---Research Assistance--- [revisited]
answers.google.com
Google.com has recently launched a beta version of their new Google Answers service. The idea is to match people whom have detailed questions they've been unable to answer with those whom might have the ability to do so. This is another example of a burgeoning industry that will incur many different adaptations in the coming years, and I'm excited to watch things unfold. This type of information exchange is what the Internet is truly about IMO.
From what I've heard, they're not promoting the service yet. There have only been 264 questions asked as of this post. Here is their current explanation of it as taken from the FAQ page:
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Google's search engine is a great way to find information online. But sometimes even experienced users need help finding exactly the answer they want to a question. Google Answers is a way to get that help from Researchers with expertise in online searching. When you post a question to Google Answers, you specify how much you're willing to pay for an answer and how quickly you need that information. A Researcher will search for the answer and send you the information you're seeking, as well as useful links to web pages on the topic. If you're satisfied with that answer, you pay the amount you specified.
Your question will also be published on the Google Answers website so registered users can add their insights and share in the benefit of the research. Users who provide comments will not be paid for their posts, but they may add interesting perspectives to the data gathered by the Researcher.
While our Researchers will do their best to help with every request, some questions simply don't have clear answers (e.g., "Should I have married my high school sweetheart?"). And sometimes, what a Questioner is willing to pay is too little to justify the time commitment required for an answer. It's also possible the answer to your question is simply not available online. If you do receive an answer, but are not satisfied with it, you can first request additional research through an "Answer Clarification" request. If still unsatisfied, you can request to have your question reposted for a new answer, or you can apply for a refund and you can give the answer a poor rating.
answers.google.com
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The commerce portion of it is a bit complicated.. but this is my rough understanding of their current structure:
-bidder pays .50 cent listing fee per question asked
-the researcher paid gets 75% of the bid after having answered a question sufficiently
-google.com gets the other 25% for facilitating the transaction, etc
-bidder must be willing to pay minimum of 4 dollars for legitimately answered question
-maximum offer to pay for more difficult question capped at 50 bux
-you can register w/ them for free and add comments to questions and answers
-only those whom have been hired by google as designated researchers will get paid for their answers |
