This is one of my favorite Google goodies out there. People sign up, post a question and an amount of money they’d be willing to pay for an answer (ranging from $2-200), and anyone out of 500 researchers takes it upon themselves to research and answer their question.
It’s fun to just browse through some of the questions and answers in the different categories. I like to sort them by price and read all the $200 questions. The things some people would pay that kind of money to know! :eek:
I bet if some of the people who use the site knew about SD they could save some money by asking people who’d answer out of the kindness of their hearts.
While I’m on the subject of Google goodies, check out Google Earth . It’s a download and it’s still in Beta, but oh man is it ever cool. Try going to a major city, turning on buildings, and adjusting the camera tilt. geeks all over the place
I don’t exactly go to Google Answers. In a very real sense, it might be said that I live there.
Last month I spent 275 hours on Google Answers. Plus who knows how many hours noodling around in the private Researchers’ Forum. I even dream about Google Answers. People tell me to “get a life,” and my first thought is “I bet I could find a good, cheap one by using Froogle.”
Sometimes when questions on GA are badly underpriced and do not receive much attention, I’ve been tempted to refer the clients to the Straight Dope Message Board. But I doubt that the SDMB would benefit from the influx of a large number of “guests” a day who join only to ask questions, then disappear.
So, pinkfreud, if you don’t mind giving away some information, could you give an idea of how much money your 275 hours earned you?
Or maybe, if you don’t want to be so specific, could you give an idea of how much a conscientious researcher with decent writing skills might expect to earn doing this.
Is it enough to actually help pay the rent and put food on the table? Or is it something that you have to do for love, with the money as just a nice little extra?
My hourly wage is very low, since I spend much more time “fishing” than “catching.” Google Answers is my only source of income, and is likely to remain so, since am battling a chronic illness and cannot work outside my home. Most Google Answers Researchers are just working for “mad money.”
You guys do know your local librarians are already paid for with your tax dollars, right? I mean, some of those really aren’t good reference questions - but some of them are, and the librarian would have done it for free.
They aren’t accepting applications at this time. As far as I know, the last new Researcher was brought onboard in the fall of 2002. If Google ever decides to promote the service, they might want to add new folks to the team, but right now there are many more Google Answers Researchers than needed.
If, in the future, new GARs are sought, I think the SDMB would be a wonderful recruiting ground.
