Is it wise to try to out-Google Google?
Indiana tech inventor Scott Jones may not be trying to do just that, but he's also not ready to concede that the world's leading search engine has the Web search trick down completely, writes SFGate.com.
Scott Jones is working on a new search engine model that employs thousands of paid guides, who will provide live help to users who need extra assistance tracking down online information. The free service is called ChaCha.com and it went live Monday expecting to go into full beta later this year.
ChaCha connects users immediately to a knowledgeable guide, who has experience or background in a particular field. The connection is set up via instant messenger from the ChaCha homepage and the user can ask all kinds of questions of their guides until they get the information they need.
The company expects to have about 3,000 guides when the site launches and will earn revenue through advertisements that will be shown while users wait for their guides and during search.
Although Google and other search technologies have nailed searching pretty well I think this is a smart move. For users to be successful in their search they still have to know exactly what to ask and how to pose their questions. Having knowledgeable people helping you with that (for free) would be great.
SearchSpy shows a real-time list of what people are searching for right here and now. There's a
family-friendly version and an unfiltered one.
