Pure curiosity here, folks, or maybe just slightly impure, mixed with
a dash of sympathetic concern.

When I look at a researcher's ratings and history, I usually see
instances of the line "This answer has not yet been rated."  Sometimes
there are many of them, and sometimes they seem to go back quite a
while.

I infer from this that a lot of customers fail to rate answers that
have been given, thus leaving the question in limbo--no pay for the
researcher.

Is this true, and if so, what recourse is there?  It seems very unfair
to let people go unpaid when they have fulfilled their part of the
bargain.

Thanks,
Apteryx

Dear Apteryx,

How nice to know that someone worries about us. Trust me, things are
not quite as gloomy for us Researchers as you fear. Actually, rating
an answer is purely optional; customers are not required to post
ratings to questions. However, our customers' ratings and the
explicative comments they add can be helpful for us. That way, we
learn about the quality of our work and about aspects of our
individual answering styles that may need improvement. Under certain
circumstances, ratings can add much to a Researcher's motivation
because tips for excellent answers can only be given in conjunction
with a rating.
But fortunately, we also get paid if no rating is given and the
customer just tacitly accepts the answer.

Again, thank you for your concern!
Best regards,
Scriptor

---

Request for Answer Clarification by apteryx-ga on 18 Apr 2004 17:12 PDT

Thanks, Scriptor.  But wait, then--does the fee become payable as soon
as an answer is posted?  What if a clarification is requested?  What
if, after clarification, the questioner decides that the question just
isn't being answered satisfactorily?  This isn't a question about how
refunds work, etc.  It's about timing.  I thought the fee wasn't
payable until the questioner considered it done--and so indicated by
posting a rating.  What does make it "done," then?

---

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 18 Apr 2004 17:35 PDT

Well, I am not a jurist, but I'd say that delivery of the answer and
payment without contradiction make the deal done. In a grocery store,
you can also purchase a pound of apples without explicitly declaring:
"I hereby consider these apples bought!" The fact that you received
the apples from the clerk and in return put the money on the counter
is sufficient.
The rating would be the equivalent to returning to the shop to express
how wonderful the apples have tasted. And the refund ... well, in that
case you came home, noticed that the apples were rotten and went back
to the grocery to get your money back.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by apteryx-ga on 18 Apr 2004 17:59 PDT

Ah, but here, I don't receive the apples and *in return* put the money
on the counter.  That's a nice, clear-cut way of signaling the
completion of the transaction, but that's not how GA works.

Here, I put the money into an envelope, mark the amount offered on the
front along with a request for apples, and give it to someone else,
who posts a sign that says, "Someone is offering $3.55 for some
apples."  You come along and deliver a bag of apples, of a number and
quality that you decide are worth my $3.55 (or more), and the
intermediary hands over my envelope to you.  THEN the intermediary
asks me if I like the apples.

What I was originally asking was, when do you get the envelope?  I
thought it was after I accepted the apples, which didn't seem quite
right.  Now I find that it's when you say, "Apple delivery," park the
bag, and go, before any inspection takes place.  That seems much
better for you, but it does make my rating an afterthought and not a
necessary part of the transaction.

Maybe that's why some folks don't give ratings?

Anyway, I am glad not to have to worry about you in this respect any longer.

Apteryx

---

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 18 Apr 2004 18:13 PDT

This is getting far more complicated than I expected on first sight.
Honestly, I never really thought about that side of the
transactions...

But if you are unhappy with my apples ... sorry, I mean: with my
answer, don't hesitate to let me know.

Best regards,
Scriptor

Thanks, Scriptor.  Practically everything is more complicated than it
seems at first sight.  But your apples have always been top-notch,
thank you.  As for my ratings, the reason I just about always give
five stars is that if I don't get everything I'm after at first shot,
I keep asking until I do get a five-star answer.

Apteryx

I think all GARs will agree that it is disappointing to work hard on
an answer, but get no reaction from the customer. Why do some
questions remain unrated? My theory is that sometimes the customer may
be displeased, but not want to give a poor rating, so he or she leaves
no rating at all. Other customers may feel that rating requires
tipping, and they may not be in an economic situation where that's
feasible. Still others may never log in to see their answers; if an
answer is read without the customer logging in, GA won't give rating
options, since GA doesn't know you're the customer until you "sign in,
please." And there may even be customers who never read their answers
at all, either because they haven't received the email notification
that GA sends when a question is answered, or because they no longer
care.

If our payments were to be withheld until and unless a rating is
given, I would expect that few of us would continue to be Google
Answers Researchers. This would make the process of "playing the
system" and getting free answers entirely too easy. I would expect a
boatload of questions priced at $200 which the asker never intended to
pay.

Elsewhere on the Web, credit cards are billed at the time the service
is rendered. Amazon.com, for instance, does not wait until you have
received and inspected your merchandise before charging your card;
when I buy anything online, it is my expectation that my card will be
charged at the time the item is shipped. In the case of a service like
GA, the item is the answer, and it is shipped when the Researcher
posts it.

Hi, Pink--

Thanks for your comments.  That's exactly why I asked.  I never even
thought about it until I noticed that a lot of questions out there
said "This answer has not yet been rated." and I started to worry that
it meant the researchers hadn't been paid.  I just wanted to be sure
that wasn't the case because it would not be fair (as I said in my
query).

But then, rating an answer didn't have the meaning I thought it had. 
I have always tried to give prompt ratings because I thought I'd be
holding up payment if I didn't.

Apteryx

Prompt ratings are very much appreciated by Researchers, even though
they are not tied to payment. Few of us are in this only for the
dollars; those stars do mean a lot.

I wish more customers would persist with clarification requests until
they receive what they're looking for (as you sometimes do, Apteryx).
It's disheartening to receive low ratings from customers who didn't
make their dissatisfaction known by requesting clarification.

On occasions, I given Sugar Lumps for an exceptional answer ...

Are my Sugar Lumps appreciated or are these just taken with a pinch of salt?

Bryan,
        You, like me, usually give prompt ratings and generally high
ones as well.  I dont think you would need to give sugar lumps in
addition to your normal rating but I am sure you will continue to do
so if you so desire.

  John From Melbourne P.S  I think I still owe you one trip to
Australia for your excellent comments to my question of a few days
back yes??

Hi, John From Melbourne

Many thanks for your Comment which certainly deserves 5 Sugar Lumps.

I shall bring them with me.

It would be great to meet up.

Bryan