I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE ALL RESEARCHERS TO PASS AN UNPAID ONE
SENTENCE COMMENT.
WHAT E-COMMERCE HURDLE WILL PREVENT GOOGLE ANSWERS AS A PRO-ACTIVE WEB
ACTIVITY FROM CRITICAL MASS PARTICIPATION.
I WILL PAY $$$ AUSTRALIAN 50.00 FOR THE FIRST CORRECT COMMENT.
AFTER I HAVE CHOSEN THE FIRST CORRECT COMMENT
I WILL THEN PAY $$$ AUSTRALIAN 100.00 FOR WHAT I CONSIDER AS THE BEST
SOLUTION TO THIS E-COMMERCE HURDLE RECEIVED IN 500 WORDS OR LESS.
THE FIRST CORRECT COMMENT AND THE BEST SOLUTION CAN COME FROM
DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS.

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 24 Mar 2003 19:47 PST

No change in the question despite the new introduction by pafalafa-ga,
of the words " absolutely prevent GA from becoming a full-fledged
successful web activity with full "mass participation" ".
No not interested in why a slow start. This is IT, nothing happens as
we plan it despite best efforts.

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 24 Mar 2003 21:55 PST

Can you define what criteria determine a 'correct' comment?
It will help if you can somehow convey the way in which you
will be able to recognize that a response is correct.

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 25 Mar 2003 18:29 PST

It is not possible to provide a definition of criteria as asked by
sublime1-ga, where the criteria might determine a correct comment.
Reason, it will provide the answer. There may however be more than one
answer. This task is a genuine attempt to highlight the fundamental
missing link in GOOGLE ANSWERS(GA), and a missing link in all other
web based e-commerce options. This missing link is a hurdle to
critical mass participation. As an indication of reality, GA will
prove to be a very - very useful tool in the vibrant solution of many
research issues. How does GA achieve critical mass participation when
GA can not be used in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) - the
biggest population base in the world. Students in PRC would love
access to GA as a research tool.
I have a son, a student at high school, who is always in need of
qualified research help. GA has the support research resources to
provide him with qualified, fresh, experienced, independent and non
mainstream research opinions. My son can not use GA.
So far our e-commerce hurdle has eliminated the majority of students
and PRC, and I could go on.
GA is the consumer product of a trans-national electronic global
structure and must like all of us find a user friendly solution to
this HURDLE.

---

Request for Question Clarification by journalist-ga on 26 Mar 2003 09:16 PST

I wanted to let you know that in order for you to pay two different
Google Answers Researchers, you will need to adjust this question
price to your first amount stated and then ask the first Researcher to
post their correct comment as an answer.  Then, you will need to post
a new question for the commentary answer if it comes from a different
Researcher.

A question may only be answered by one Researcher.  To my knowledge,
GA does not have a way to spilt one question fee between two different
Researchers.  You may want to contact the GA editors to ascertain the
correct payment procedure.

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 29 Mar 2003 01:49 PST

This clarification is directed to fons-ga. Can you please explain what
you mean by : " I have no problem in using both Googles and GA in
China ". What is your definition of " USE ".
The purpose of this e-commerce challenge is within the context of a
defined
' USE ". 
Does the following help ":  This missing link is a hurdle to
critical mass participation. As an indication of reality, GA will
prove to be a very - very useful tool in the vibrant solution of many
research issues. How does GA achieve critical mass participation when
GA can not be used in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) - the
biggest population base in the world. Students in PRC would love
access to GA as a research tool.
I have a son, a student at high school, who is always in need of
qualified research help. GA has the support research resources to
provide him with qualified, fresh, experienced, independent and non
mainstream research opinions. My son can not use GA

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 29 Mar 2003 15:49 PST

BINGO - send conlyn-ga $ 50.00

NOW - I WILL PAY $$$ 100.00 FOR WHAT I CONSIDER AS THE BEST SOLUTION TO THIS 
E-COMMERCE HURDLE RECEIVED IN 500 WORDS OR LESS.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 29 Mar 2003 16:18 PST

cash1948,

Since conlyn-ga is not an official Google Answers Researcher, he or
she cannot receive payment. In order to distinguish Researchers from
Commenters, note that a Google Answers Researcher's user name is
highlighted in blue, and is a "clickable" link to the Researcher's
profile. The name of a commenter is not highlighted, nor is it
clickable.

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 30 Mar 2003 12:30 PST

journalist-ga -  " now there can only be one payment made $ 100.00 to
the best solution to the e-commerce hurdle in 500 words or less ".
sublime-ga -  " now you have a correct answer "
pinkfreud-ga - " Since conlyn-ga is not an official Google Answers
Researcher, he or she cannot receive payment ". This comment in itself
is a problem and will restrict the number of subjects that can be
covered with quality assistance. Maybe the 500 word solution to the
e-commerce hurdle will provide a methodology to overcome this
additional restriction.

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 30 Mar 2003 13:29 PST

cash1948...

You state: "sublime-ga -  'now you have a correct answer'"
Does this imply an interest in compensating me?

---

Clarification of Question by cash1948-ga on 30 Mar 2003 15:34 PST

sublime1-ga
No, there is no basis for a payment to you.
This clarification is to tell you that I understood your comment to be
"Google and Google Answers seem to be only two of many sites being
filtered by network administrators in the PRC". This is not a correct
answer.
My note " sublime-ga - now you have a correct answer ", is a
clarification to your previous question " Can you define what criteria
determine a 'correct' comment? ".
The criteria required was a correct answer ". The correct answer is "
e-commerce sites can not achieve critical mass "take-up" whilst
participation and use of GA means payment and payment is limited to
payment by CREDIT CARD
The answer that CASH1948 is looking for evolves around the use of
CREDIT CARDS.

In my opinion, there aren't any hurdles that will absolutely "prevent"
GA from becoming a full-fledged successful web activity with full
"mass participation" as you put it.

However, there are quite a number of factors that have led to a
(deliberatley) slow introduction of the service.  If you are
interested in those factors, perhaps you could clazrify this for the
researchers.

Hello -

Researchers are prohibited from answering questions about this
service.  Please direct your questions to answers-editors@google.com

jbf777-ga
GA Researcher

Hello there

The main reason this service will fail totally is due to a sinister
plot hatched up by myself and a few other researchers.  We have
devised a method by which we can steal all the world's electricity. 
After we have stolen it all and stored it in large batteries in the
middle of Lake Erie, which will give the cities of Cleveland and
Toledo, Ohio, a delightful blue neon glow, we plan to package it and
resell the energy by means of contracts established with bottled water
companies, many of which also find Lake Erie to be a renewable
resource needing minimal treatment to make it consumable.

When the electricity vanishes, the service of necessity will collapse.
 Though I understand that there is a conglomerate attempting to
develop kerosene powered computers and a monitor that operates from
the output of a single birthday candle.

Short of our success in that endeavor, I see no reason why this
service will not continue to grow and prosper.  We have a great team
of researchers who grind each other without mercy to keep the quality
up, an excellent team of editors who try to keep up with our (and
your) demands and even some members of the questioning public who
actually like us.

So, I guess I will have to apologize since I can see no real reason
for our failure.  I find only reasons why we will succeed.

Now, I have to go see what Pinkfreud, Missy, Revbrenda and others are
up to.  They are supposed to be stringing triple outlet extention
cords up the banks of the Ohio River to direct the flow of pilfered
electricity toward the Great Lakes power repositories.  Some of them
don't follow instructions well.  They are supposed to be standing at
least knee deep in the river while connecting these live power cords
to each other and I know at least one of them who insists on wearing
boots, which is against all the rules.

Better go buy a flashlight, or if you are of British persuasion, a
"torch."

Cheers
digsalot

I'm not taking off my boots, and you can't make me.

So there.

--M

WHAT E-COMMERCE HURDLE WILL PREVENT GOOGLE ANSWERS AS A PRO-ACTIVE WEB
ACTIVITY FROM CRITICAL MASS PARTICIPATION?

Advertising.  If the masses are not aware of the service, then they
are unable to participate.

Standardized quality is the major e-commerce hurdle that Google
Answers (and the rest of the Internet) must overcome.

The way to overcome this hurdle is to test, qualify and limit
Answerers to the specific categories they are qualified.

Changing the pricing structure so as to attract these qualified
Answerers would also be a step in overcoming this hurdle.

cash1948...

Google and Google Answers seem to be only two of many sites
being filtered by network administrators in the PRC.

An ongoing study of this subject is being conducted by
Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman at the Berkman
Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.

Here is a page with documentation and screenshots of
replacement sites;
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/google-replacements/

Here's a page where you can sign up and use the interface
designed by Zittrain and Edelman to test whether specific
sites are currently being filtered:

Real-Time Testing of Internet Filtering in China
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/test/

Here's an archive of sites which have been filtered in the
past, with dates and times recorded. Google is often listed:
http://asp-cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/list.html

And here's a page of resources surrounding this issue:
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/resources.html

On the screenshots page, listed above, it is noted:

"Martin Schwimmer has analyzed certain legal implications
 (namely, implications under trademark law) of China's
 apparent replacement of Google with other sites."

Martin's article, quoting Bruce Tonkin, chief technology
officer at Melbourne IT and chair of the Names Council
of the Domain Name Supporting Organization at the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,  notes:

"For Chinese users and Google alike, there may be little
 available recourse, however. 'China has not signed any
 agreement [not to tinker with the DNS system inside China].
 No government has. There is no legislation, no mechanism
 to stop them,' Tonkin said."
http://trademark.blog.us/blog/2002/09/10.html#a145


I hope that helps, though there is no immediate solution.

sublime1-ga


Searches done, via Google:

"Google Answers" china
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Google+Answers%22+china

I have no problem in using both Googles and GA in China.

Cheers,

Fons (in Shanghai)

"I understand and appreciate the point made by CASH1948.
Two examples were quoted by CASH1948 in the explenation of why GA and
all other
e-commerce sites can not achieve critical mass "take-up"

1. The student without a credit card, and
2. The population of PRC- that have no credit cards.
The answer that CASH1948 is looking for evolves around the use of
CREDIT CARDS.
Whilst participation and use of GA means payment and payment is
limited to payment by CREDIT CARD,how does a student pay,
how does the ordinary resident in PRC pay when they have no CREDIT
CARD.
What about a potential GA user that does not feel comfortable using a
credit card for payment over the net for a micro-payment transaction".