A new social search site called ChaCha.com will pay people to answer questions online. CNet reports that ChaCha.com will pay what they call “guides” up to $10 per hour as they search for Web sites that contain answers to user questions. Additionally guides can invite other guides to the site and earn 10 percent of what the invited guides earn.
When a user asks a question, a guide is supposed to respond in a live chat window, providing a link that will contain the answer to the user’s question, as well as a snippet from the Web page referenced. Targeted ads appear next to results. The free site currently has about 2,500 guides.
It will be interesting to see if it is actually successful. I attempted a search and all I got was a message that stated, “Please wait while search results are retrieved …”.
Mmm… maybe their servers can’t handle the traffic that CNet and other news sources are sending their way or possibly you have to wait for a real guide to respond to your query. Seems to me like this is something that would have come out before we had search engines that can retrieve results in nano seconds. I guess we will just have to wait and see… kind of like I am still waiting for my search query to be answered.
I think that ChaCha is a really neat concept that definitely has a lot of potential to be an awesome search engine. I tried it out a few days ago and it was really nice to be able to sit back and relax while someone else did my searching. I did experience the site crash on me as well but I would expect it because the site is brand new and they probably have some bugs to work out but give them a month or so and I bet this site will be running flawlessly!!
I’m a ChaCha guide. Currently they’re not accepting new guides, but will be again in a few days. If you’re interested in becoming a guide, shoot me an email, and I’ll put you in the waiting invitation list. I’ll send it out the moment the invites are accepted again
Sounds like a really cool idea–just read about it on Wired.com. Hope I can get an invite!
It’s not about being lazy! Sometimes if you are searching, you may not be able to find something faster than someone else could and what’s the harm it’s not costing you anything?
Just this morning, (10/2), I heard about ChaCha.com on “Good Morning America.” I can’t believe that Americans have apparently gotten too lazy to do their own Internet searches anymore! SHEESH! Just sit back and let someone else do your searching for you. I mean, how lazy can you get!
I think its a great way to make extra money in your spare time. The comment made by another reader about people being to lazy to do their own searches, some just don’t have the time. If you stay home & don’t have anything else to do & you could be making extra money, then who is being lazy!
I like the idea of ChaCha.com. I tried to sign up as a guide but seemed to not get right info – help. Sounds like a great opportunity. Thanks, Caroline
Hello! I am a ChaCha guide, and I thoroughly enjoy it. It is a fun way to make some extra cash. If you would like to be put on my waiting list for an invite, e-mail me at melody at peoplestel.net with ChaCha as the subject.
ChaCha.com has some bugs – but it is up and coming. I am a guide and have been very inspired by what it can offer. If you want to be invited as a guide, e-mail me at pldtld at juno.com and I will put you on a list when the invites are opened up again!!
I used to be a Google Answers researcher and am looking for another site which allows me to help answer questions for others as a side “job” to my current profession of paralegal. If Cha Cha ever has any opening for a legal researcher, I would be interested. I have 7+ years experience in employment law, criminal law, family law, personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. I also have experience in mental health areas, such as bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and GAD. Please let me know if there are any openings or invites. Thanks!
This is an interesting concept. I like to do research on the web, so this sounds like one of those “win-win” situations. Thanks!