The Sherpas of Web search

Like searching the Web, but wish it wasn't so much work? ChaCha is the search engine for you.

Launched in November, the Web site provides searchers a personal human guide who communicates with them in an instant-messaging chat room and does the searching, so ChaCha visitors don't have to. (Cha means “search” in Chinese.) Users can type in queries the way they do on Google, Yahoo and the like, but when they can’t find the information they need – or are simply lazy – the guides are available with a single click.

The format is similar to the one used by Jyve, which puts users in charge of answering questions.

Co-founded by Scott Jones, ChaCha has filed for 19 patents and has about 30,000 guides. Jones previously founded Boston Technology, where he invented the voice mail system now used by most of the world’s telephone companies. He also founded Escient, a company known today as Gracenote, which developed the music-recognition technology used by Apple iPods.

“ChaCha guides are rated by end users and are paid accordingly, encouraging guides to deliver fast, relevant results,” the company states on its Web site.

The only way to become a guide is to be invited by another guide, and then undergo training that involves tests and hands-on tutorials, says ChaCha's co-founder, President Brad Bostic. Guides, who earn about $5 to $10 an hour, can invite new guides only if they have reached the “master” level, that is, they demonstrate a high degree of search competence. Some guides also help refine the ChaCha search index.

“The system is basically very Darwinian,” Bostic says. “You are constantly being rated as a guide.”

We wanted to find out more about ChaCha’s professional searchers, so we chatted with one on the Web site. Here are the results:

ChaCha: Welcome to ChaCha!

NWW: What are the advantages of using ChaCha?

ChaCha: You have someone to help.

NWW: Are you an expert in any particular field?

ChaCha: Yes.

NWW: Which ones?

ChaCha: Each guide has certain keywords.

NWW: How do you qualify to be a guide?

ChaCha: Take a training course.

NWW: What is your top field of expertise?

ChaCha: I have 26 keywords.

NWW: Can you tell me about UFO sightings reported in America?

ChaCha: One moment please. . . .

(Results came up after a few seconds. The top one is from Wikipedia.)

NWW: Thanks. Did you find that with Google?

ChaCha: No. ChaCha has their own search.

NWW: Is this your full-time job?

ChaCha: No.

NWW: What are your 26 keywords?

ChaCha: To many to list.

NWW: How about you just give me a few?

ChaCha: Why so many questions?

NWW: Isn't this a search engine?

ChaCha: Yes, but not about the guide.

NWW: I wanted to know what your expertise is, so I could learn about whatever subjects you are most knowledgeable in.

ChaCha: Please RATE ME. Thanks for using ChaCha.

Status: Session ended.