A new 24/7 service from ChaCha allows cell phone users on the go to ask a wide range of reference questions in conversational English and get answers free of charge. Each question is routed to a human guide who searches the Web for the information and within minutes returns the answer in a text message with a web reference link.
Asked if ChaCha represents competition for reference librarians, David Tyckoson, president of ALA’s Reference and User Services Association, told American Libraries that people already rely on librarians less for help with finding short, factual results that they can obtain on their own. “What they need a librarian’s help with are the more complex searches,” he said.
this guy doesn’t like it (chacha)
http://rolandsaintlaurent.blogspot.com/2008/06/chacha-retraction.html
…boy, I wish someone could write a book and mention me and make my blog really popular…
The stories I could tell
I know about 15 cha-cha guides. They all belong to a message board where I post on occasion. Most of them think it is funny and post jokes about all the stupid answers they give. They also report that about 25% of their questions relate to things that are not answerable and/or about sex. I tried it 3 times and received 3 wrong answers. It is going to implode soon unless they get some quality on board.