Hi Researchers, Bryan, Steph, and TimeSpacette, 

A/ Are commentors comments in answer to a question to which you may
have had the opportunity to derive income, a pain in the posterior?

B/ Conversely, are you as Researchers alerted to new questions posted,
in order that you can lock out a question in reasonable time before a
commentor beats you to it?

If yes to A/ and no to B/ then what time frame of etiquette might you
suggest as to the lead-in time prior to attempts by the less learned
and those commentors wishing to assume ownership of this excellent
medium of thought? (Also, how do we convert G time to local time?)

This thought has sprung to mind after I successfully assisted in
helping someone. I now feel guilty and embarrassed that I gave no
thought to those of you relying upon this enterprise as a source of
income from your efforts.

B, S & TS, I include you three as I respect your comments and
intelligence from which I continue to learn. Your joint regular
contribution is not to be confused with my topic of argument.

I saw a bit of myself in another commentor's comments. I detested it.
To think that another commentor might attempt ownership of this domain
by using words of invitation and pre-emptive acclaim coupled with
disclaimers negating expertise does nothing to foster excellence.

I apologise in advance should any of you Researchers have held me in
that same regard from your perspective. I should hope not. My
difference is that I like to help just as I appreciate your help; I
consider this fantastic learning; it's better than watching TV; I do
have a life and I have no points to prove.

The other purpose of this post of course, is that my exact thought was
politely alluded to by a Researcher some weeks ago, hopefully in
reference to another, not I. Reference was made to "those whom aspire
to be Researchers". Well, why don't they just fill out an application
form? I hope that I might be expressing some thought on behalf of
Researchers who dare not tread upon the customer's toes.

As Researchers, you may not be privy to proprietory information.
However, if you are able to access my contact details, you are all
welcome to do so to share your thoughts which you may not wish to do
so here.

Your distant friend in thought and learning, Phil

Debates like this one tend to throw
The bathwater with the baby.
Your answer, Phil, is "yes" or "no"
Or "definitely maybe."

Respectfully,
Pink

---

Request for Answer Clarification by silver777-ga on 26 Nov 2004 21:06 PST

Pink,

ps Thank you too for the rhyming verse in answer.

Phil

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 26 Nov 2004 21:20 PST

Phil,

Thank you very much for the five stars and the nice tip! And special
thanks for the thought-provoking question.

I hope this thread will continue to attract posts. The "yes, no, and
maybe" responses from different viewpoints can only lead to better
understanding among Customers, Commenters, and GARs. Google Answers is
a microcosm of society at large, I think: we need more bridges and
fewer walls.

Best,
Pink

Pink,

Thank you for your answer in closure. Please accept my nominal tip to
enjoy some roasted peanuts in memory of the question.

Kind regards, Phil

Wow, Phil ...

What a question!

And you have even included Little Me anong the High and the Mighty.

Now, I fully expect that you will be inundated with dozens of comments
slagging off poor Probo ...

I'm now going to get tanked up on Dom Perignon before I dare look in again ...

Just in case.

Bryan

Sir Probo,

That was not my intention as you well know, hence your inclusion in my
asking of your comment from one whom I respect, as an unknown. I am
sure that you will detect the target of my argument, unless of course
it be my own reflection. If so, and I remain positive in doubt, I will
bow my head and scrape my tail upon the pavement as I seek a park
bench befitting my demeanour, if indeed I am describing myself. Enjoy
your Dom P.

Phil

I do find it annoying when a question that is rather fresh is fully
answered in a comment. I don't mean the posting of something useful or
a helpful hint: I mean an entire, correct answer that doesn't need any
expansion.

Here, for instance, before I ever saw the question, a commenter posted
an answer (which I knew, too), and apparently satisfied the customer's
need sufficiently. The customer's $50 question was answered to her
satisfaction for 50 cents (the listing fee). The commenter received
nothing. I received nothing.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=365589

I could, of course, have posted an answer even without hearing back
from the customer. Some of the more money-driven GARs would probably
have done exactly that.

If you are going to post material that is essentially an entire,
complete answer in the "Comments" section, I think it's best to wait
until the question is at least a couple of days old.

I am aware that some of my colleagues believe that I make a habit of
answering questions in comments just to annoy them. I have tried to
respond to these colleagues in a civil fashion in the past, and I
don't intend to open a new dialogue on the issue. I just wanted to say
my piece to you, Phil, since you are one of the brightest stars of the
non-GAR Peanut Gallery. Or perhaps I should say that you are one of
the saltiest peanuts. ;-)

Hi Pink,

Well, I take delight in being a salty peanut. A legume encased in his
own Thyme perhaps? I just love that suggestion of yours.

You know, I have noted more often than not, that you post your answers
as a comment asking the questioner if that satisfies the question. You
are to be commended. That I presume is an element toward my perception
of your success.

It just ****** me off that some flusey (sp) chooses to prance on in,
taking up a seat of presumption, then welcome, direct, apologise for
responding without knowledge as a disclaimer, then proceed with
directions to sites available in the public domain, presumably to
display intelligence or speed of keyboard skills .. for what? Self
gratification? A potential job interview?

I have read your question on Downe's Syndrome. I see what you mean. I
too will sit on my hands for three days before responding again ..
maybe!  :) Then again, it usually only takes you 20 minutes to respond
with a correct and full answer.  :)

Phil

ps Please note the sparing use of emoticons .. enjoy the privelage.

Hmmm, my name isn't Bryan, Steph, or TimeSpacette and it isn't in bold
and underlined, so please stop reading now if I've offended your
criteria!

This to me is an interesting post subject, hence my comment: I think
you're missing a trick here - who is this service for? Who is the
customer? It's not the researchers (for whom I have utmost respect)
but the 'ordinary' public who post the questions. One of the most
important factors in any sales environment is the return visit or the
second sale and if the question is answered to satisfaction, by
whatever format, then the punter will be happy and will likely post
again.

You talk about "the less learned and those commenters wishing to
assume ownership of this excellent medium". GA researchers don't 'own'
the medium, they provide a service. Last time I checked (a while ago)
the doors to becoming a new researcher were still closed as Google had
a full compliment signed up. I think its a gross injustice to paint
the non researchers as 'less learned'. Knowledge is the one commodity
worth money that can be given away for free and not be diluted in
value by its dispersion.

I say value the posts from whomever and take the long term view on GA.
More happy customers - more questions - more opportunity for
researchers to make money - more knowledge spread around.

In response to Pinks comment about waiting a few days prior to
posting, unfortunately I don't see that working. Back in the good old
days it was possible to have read every single question and follow
topics over a number of days, but now, I suspect that the majority of
non researcher users only visit every other day which makes it
impossible to view all the 'missed' questions due to the sheer numbers
now being posted. Hence, on viewing a topic that the users has an
interest in, I think it unlikely that they would wait a couple of days
and then come back to add their 50c.

Your thoughts?
fj

Phil, 

The answers are "yes" and "no", as far as I can tell, and I am also
sometimes annoyed, just like Pinkfreud here, to see questions that
could have been answered get a comment that satisfies the client.
Sometimes I also feel unease when I see some of the comments, which
reflect unfounded opinions given to a client who is not always aware
of the difference between a comment and an answer.

On the other hand, one should not dissmiss the fact that commentators
have contributed greatly to this site. Some in particular could have
been great Researchers. I just wish some people would have waited
before posting a comment.

Hi Phil,

Thank you for mentioning me. I feel humbled to be grouped with the the
great minds of the Researchers, Bryan and Timespacette.

I've been a fan, questioner and commenter of GA for 2 and 1/2 years
now and have seen all kinds of things here on the boards. There are
quite a few commenters who answer a question fully and completely. In
my own humble opinion, some of them appear to be Google Researcher
wannabees. I see no problem with that, as so many questions here
remain unanswered ( a question I once posted but was removed by the GA
Honchos ).

As well, many of the GA Researchers themselves were commenters before
being hired, based on their writing skills and responses.

Great question Phil!!

Steph53

Phew ... Nothing too awful .... YET

Here we go then ...

I've just done a Search for 'ID:' and I discovered that 'about' 83,417
questions have been asked, out of which 'about' 31,112 have been
answered and 'about' 69,626 remain unanswered.

Huh? 31,112 + 69,626 = 83,417 ... Well, who am I to disagree?

So only 'about' ONE THIRD of Questions ever get answered!

Now, I have only asked or commented on 'about' 2,845 questions so am I
really such a villain?

Poor Probo ... Everybody picks on him.

Aw!

Forgive the intrusion as I know I have not been invited, but I feel
compelled to point out that GA itself invites the very activity Phil
describes.  See http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html#providecomments:

"While you will not be compensated for providing comments, it is a
good way to demonstrate your suitability to be a paid Researcher."

Google could well control this practice by, e.g., "locking" all new
questions for the first, say, four hours so that only Researchers
could post.  Or, they could certainly write a script to prevent
certain frequent commenters from posting if it became a nuisance or
disservice.  But they do neither.  Indeed, I have exchanged e-mail
with the Editors on this very topic (since, as an active commenter, I
too was concerned about giving offense to a paid Researcher), and they
have assured me that comments are welcome at any time.

So what to do?  I very much enjoy posting comments that might contain
an entire answer since I look at this as sort of a competition. 
Should I, then, as a matter of courtesy, wait a respectful amount of
time to allow a Researcher to answer?  If this group feels that I
should, how much time should I wait (especially if the question is one
with which I am intimately familiar and can answer fully and quickly,
like copyright, trademark and Internet law)?

I will admit that there are some Researchers, like Ms. Pinkfreud, for
whom I will certainly withhold a comment if I know she is working on
it because I highly respect her efforts and skills and would do
nothing to impair her revenue opportunities.  But candidly, there are
other Researchers with whom I have engaged in friendly competition
regarding a particular question and actively seek to post a full
answer as a comment because I know from experience that their answer
will be only partially correct or, frankly, wrong.  This happens
occasionally in the copyright and trademark realms, as they are
extraordinarily complex topics.  But because I have studied,
researched, written about and taught copyright and trademark law for
15 years, I feel obligated to step in when appropriate.  Thus, with
all due respect to politicalguru, my comments to these types of
questions do not merely reflect unfounded opinion.

I am most curious to see what consensus develops as a result of this
string in terms of commenter/Researcher etiquette.  Thank you, Phil,
for raising the issue.

ipfan

Hi ipfan......

Count me in as to being in favour of commenters feeling free to post
answers here. Given the sheer volume of unanswered questions ( thanks
Probo ), even a comment to a question is probably welcomed by most
questioners.

And , as you pointed out, the GA honchos welcome commenters to answer
if they so chose.

Steph53

FJ,

Thank you for your comments. No offense taken and none intended.

I don't believe that I have missed any tricks as you put it. You are
correct in saying that the service is for the customer. Your sales
environment argument is flawed however. What if I was to walk in off
the street and start to show one of your customers around while you
were out the back of your shop looking for the goods or services to
make your sale? Then I direct your customer next door, or just give
them what they need for nothing. You emerge with the
answers/goods/services, but the customer has gone. Are you not going
to boot me out of your shop?

You are correct again. Reseachers do not "own" the site. Point is,
neither do the commentors. I see you missed the tongue-in-cheek
reference to the less learned, myself included. It is not a gross
injustice, it's slight humour in pointing out the exact opposite. That
is, there are many knowledgeable people using the site. Some could
quote answers immediately, while a Researcher will often answer and
also provide further reference material. The question is, should we
give them a go first, or just jump in?

I do like your view of the long term approach. Should we maybe view
this similar to a stock exchange or on-site auction? Perhaps we
should. Walk into a room, wave $20 in the air and ask a question. You
might then have a valid argument FJ. It could be viewed that a
privileged few are allowed to be paid, if they are quick enough to
beat those who can not accept payment.

Thank you for your thoughts on the subject.

Phil

geez, what a surprise.  I'm so new to this GA virtual community; it
was only a month or so ago that I realized that it functions as such
and not just a research service. My own learning curve has been steep;
in just a matter of several weeks I've managed to annoy and incite
rapacious remarks, tread on peoples toes, start wild political rants,
even had a post removed by the gods of GA (it was a little over the
top, yes, even R rated - oh my!) and I suppose have contributed
something here and there (at least in Phil's eyes!) . . . though I
think I've disqualified myself from ever being a GAR!
(My son had an interest in a GAR job and I posted a question regarding
employment and resume requirements, and I found myself taking a closer
look to see how it all works; then got hooked!)

With regard to the issue at hand, Phil you beat me to it!  Just last
week I posted a simple answer to a simple question about an engraving
on a tombstone, and tryx pointed out that it would be better etiquette
to allow a researcher first dibs.  It had never occurred to me,
really, and as a result of this comment, I was actually thinking of
formulating a question just like silver's about this very subject. (is
this called morphogenic resonance???)

Interesting comments so far . . . and at this juncture I have no idea
what to say, as it was I who had the question and not much in the way
of answers, hmmm . . .

I think I"ll take probono's lead and have a beer, sleep on it, ask my
subconcious ... it always knows!

cheers!

ts

Phil,

Please excuse me but I've been rather vocal about this in the past and
I couldn't resist.

I agree wholeheartedly with fp-ga.  This service is for the customers
and whether the question is answered in an answer or comment the point
is that the question was answered and the customer is satisfied. 
There are a few commentors out there that may be more qualified than
the researchers and have offered answers to some questions.  They are
just unfortunate enough to be on the wrong side of the research
community.

I agree that the researchers are underpaid and overworked and that
questions are hard to come by.  But there is a service to be rendered
here and the researchers are well aware of the hazards of the business
at Google Answers.  It would defeat the purpose of this forum to
withhold an answer if a commentor knew the answer.

Personally I try to pick questions that have been sitting around for a
while unless the subject jumps out at me.  I've had some success at
answering questions but mostly I try to facilitate the researcher by
clarifying the question or giving the customer a few leads.  Once or
twice I've posted a comment and the researcher said the same thing in
their answer and got paid for it.

There definitely should be some courtesy between the commentors and
the researchers but everyone should know why we are here, for the
customer.

Bowler-ga

I suppose my feelings on this matter are inescapably colored by the
fact that Google Answers is my only source of income. When a
fifty-dollar question is answered by a commenter before I have a shot
at it, I feel as if someone has snatched bread off my table. This may
delight the customer no end, but the selfsame customer may be
disgruntled the next time he or she posts a question and actually has
to pay the question's set fee because a Researcher is permitted by the
masses to post an answer.

My two cents on this (or is that one point five cents)...

As has been properly pointed out already, comments are encouraged by
the powers that be who operate the Google Answers service. As an
independent contractor privileged to participate in this service, I
both understand and respect this. I also understand, and accept, the
financial risk that this represents.

One point that has not been expressed yet, is that of accountability.
All customers of this service have the ability, through the rating
system as well as through contact with answers-support@google.com, to
keep a Researcher accountable for his/her work. The Researcher has an
obligation to try to satisfy the customer, and if such is not
possible, there is always the refund process. Researchers operate
under the understanding that a trend of customer dissatisfaction can
lead to a loss of their Researcher privilege.

Comments which imply a complete answer, while clearly being of
perceived value to the customer, do not come with the same
satisfaction guarantee. While certain commenters, such as ipfan-ga,
consistently post useful and complete answers as comments, this is not
always the rule. If you put yourself into the shoes of a first-time
user of the Google Answers service, someone who is not familiar with
how this service works and the difference between comments,
clarification requests, and answers, a comment posted that appears to
be an answer but is not accurate can lead to a dissatisfactory
experience. Anyone who has "been around" the Google Answers service
long enough, and read enough questions/comments, knows what I am
talking about. The problem is that the first-time/second-time users
may not. So, from a customer service perspective, I am concerned when
I see comments-posing-as-answers that I feel may be misleading to a
customer. When such a comment leads to a customer closing the question
so that I cannot post anything to it in order to help clear things up,
then I am annoyed at the possibility that the customer will eventually
be dissatisfied, and blame wrongly Google Answers. However, when a
comment that is well written and a complete answer is posted, I simply
utter a little curse that I didn't get to the question first, then I
move on.

Again, just my thoughts.

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Just to avoid some possible misunderstanding:

The comment bowler-ga agrees wholeheartedly with was written by fj-ga
(not by fp-ga).

okay!  I slept it off, back in the saddle, and I'll tell you what my
subconcious told me:

ask Pink (and other GARs) what set of guidelines she would, in the
best of all Google worlds, like to see followed by non-GAR commenters
. . .

I always think in cases like this it is better to listen than to hold forth . . .

ts

Hello again,

a few further thoughts and responses:

firstly apologies to fp-ga, although I (think) I predate you on GA,
you have certainly been far more prolific and probably have more right
to the moniker than I do! But what of your thoughts on this issue?

I'm thinking of promoting the 'Conscientious Commentator' programme by
appending the following to any comments that I make as answers:

"Please be aware that this comment has come from an unpaid source and,
as such, is not bound by the quality and guarantee requirements of
official GA researchers" - or words to that effect.

Why drives the behaviour of commentators posting answers? I think that
there is the competitive element of 'beating the official route' - I
think that most people want to help other people and in this case, the
'us' is the non GARs and the 'them' unfortunately is the GARs. Perhaps
commentators feel more affinity for the group of non-researchers? The
positive, immediate, certain consequence for the behaviour is a self
given 'reward' of beating the pack to the answer (think of eager young
kids putting their hands up in class - 'look how clever I am'!). The
negative, future, uncertain consequence of annoying the research
community doesn't, I think, even appear on the radar when commenting.

But this question thread has modified my behaviour, so you can claim
at least one success (see
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=432785).

Back to the comments made so far:

thank you Phil for your considered response, perhaps I did over-react
with my 'gross injustice'! That is the danger of this medium, you
don't necessarily read between the lines of what is written unless you
know the individual who's posting them. But I still take issue with
the sales analogy - the customer doesn't walk into the 'GARs shop',
again this implies ownership by the GARs and, in any case the locking
process available to GARs goes some way to avoiding this issue. I
wonder to what extent having unpaid answers acts as a spur to the paid
researchers to keep on the ball - actively and avidly waiting for the
next question to arrive...

Finally, what does the data say? As a bunch of diligent intelligentsia
should we not have a look to see if there is any difference between
reuse of this service by first timers who have had their questions
answered via comments and those answered via a paid fee? I suspect
that no difference would be found.

Best regards,
fj

Please accept my apologies for being crass enough to comment on a
question where to my embarrassment I have been specifically excluded.

I have to assume that this was due to an administrative oversight. 

But it sure is fun to challenge the boundaries.

All I have to say is 'Gresham's Law'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresham's_Law

Gresham's law is stated as: "bad money drives good money out of circulation

In an influential theoretical article, Rolnick and Weber (1986) argued
that bad money would drive good money to a premium rather than driving
it out of circulation

The Gresham's Law principle has been applied, by analogy, to many
different fields. For example, in higher education, "Diploma mills"
have come into existence producing low-cost qualifications which are
often of little or no market value. According to Gresham's law as it
applies to money, these "bad" diplomas ought to drive out the "good
diplomas". However, unlike laws for money, there is no law requiring
employers to accept all diplomas as being of equal value.
Consequently, each employer is free to assess the value of
qualifications as they see fit.

It would appear that there is a reasonably distinct line between
Commentors' and Researchers' points of view. Thanks to everyone for
your spirited and thoughtful contributions.

PoliticalGuru .. That was a very diplomatic answer. You have my vote
in the next election.

Steph & Probo .. Good points. The fact that so many questions remain
unanswered go toward furthering FJ's argument of taking the long term
view.

Ipfan .. Well, if GA itself promotes comments, who are we to argue?
You also raise another thought. If a Researcher unversed in say
Trademarks locates
information from a presumed reliable source found later to be
incorrect or out of date, what would you do?

TS .. Morphogenic resonance ? Maybe, because it was my answer to your
question about the medication reminder that led me to pose this
question. Thanks for the cyber cigar by the way!

AHT & Bowler .. I guess I had been looking at this medium as "pay
first, comment later". As in a Commentor is a back seat driver. But
what you guys are saying is that it's free for all, with the chance
for a few to be accountable and paid for the privelage.

FP .. yep, I think we picked that up, but thanks for the clarification.

Mikomoro .. No not crass, just misunderstood. The post was one of
inclusion not exclusion. It could have been posted to a single
Researcher.

FJ .. Excellent! Yes, the flaw in my "shop" argument is that you can't
lock up your customer, or at least not legally anyhow. I'm still not
suggesting that either the asker or answerer own the site. The asker
owns the question, I know that much. You have made a far more
interesting observation though. What really does motivate people to
answer a question, paid or unpaid? You might like to present that
question to the masses yourself. I am impressed by your demonstration
in exercising the topic of sitting on your hands when you know the
answer. I'm still laughing. I could almost see you wincing in your
seat and biting your lip as you tested the theory. You are to be
commended.

Pink .. I will take TS's advice. How might you suggest we strike a
happy medium? (And I don't mean hitting a soothsayer). Naturally any
change would have to come from GA. Etiquette from commentors could not
be relied upon, if at all that is a considered option. What if all
questions were either locked immediately, or viewable only by
Researchers from the moment of posting before general release, say one
hour later? With the 4 hour option still available, you could then
re-lock your target question.

Thanks you lot. You're great. Don't forget to smile as you read.

All the best, Phil

Phil,

To answer your question, if an Answer was posted dealing with
trademarks (to use your hypothetical) that I knew was incorrect, I
would post--and have in the past posted--a comment hoping that the
Client would figure out that although not "official," my comment was
important in terms of clarifying the posted Answer.  Sometimes this
works and sometimes not.  For example, on one recent copyright
question I posted a comment in an effort to clarify an only partially
correct Answer, and the Client ignored the comment and gave the GAR
five stars and a tip.  This frustrated me to some degree since I knew
that the Client did not fully get what they paid for.  I agree,
however, with everyone who has either said or implied that there must
be some caveat emptor at work here, and I think the GA disclaimers go
a long way toward assuaging Researcher and commenter concerns about
misplaced or unfounded reliance on either an Answer or a comment. 
Sometimes, when a question is particularly arcane or esoteric, e.g., a
difficult software licensing issue (see, e.g.,
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=404108), I will just
go ahead and comment as quickly as possible since I feel the question
would likely go unanswered otherwise.

AHT,

Thanks for the compliment.  I make no secret of the fact that I am a
GAR wannabe, but GA will not have me.  Thus, I salve my ego by posting
comments that I hope are as complete and full as possible as a sort of
continuing job application, in accord with the FAQ on the topic.  This
string, however, has given me new insights into the etiquette of
commenting, and I am grateful for everyone?s ideas.  Perhaps GA will
see this and implement some of the suggestions, e.g., a
?Researcher-only? lock on all new posts for the first hour.  If GA
does not do so, I guess we are stuck with the current somewhat
anarchist structure, relying on common sense and good manners.

Happy Holidays to all,
Ipfan

Hi, Phil

Yet another point .... Lots of questions do not have a precise answer
(or may even be unanswerable) and the questioner is clearly seeking
opinions even advice.

On occasions, I have posted questions which have attracted numerous
comments (NO: Not THAT one!) and I have invited one of the Researchers
to post an answer. Interestingly, the invitations have not always been
accepted, which disposes of the theory that the Researchers are simply
after the loot.

My own view from personal experience (and I may or may not be the
longest serving user of GA) is that they all do a cracking job and
deliver great value for money.

What irritates me is when a Researcher's Answer is given a great
'Rating' and often even a generous Tip but then gets less than 5
Stars.

It's a funny old world, isn't it?

But it's a lot better now that so much info can be easily exchanged
among folk in the US, Canada, Germany, The Philippines, NZ, Oz,
Britain, The Czech, The Netherlands, etc.

I should like to thank one and all and YES! I shall keep smiling.

All the Best

Bryan

Posted in Hove, UK @ 16.46 GMT.

Hi Phil,

Here's a similar situation which I experienced. I answered a $2
question, then the questioner posted a clarification, and before I had
a chance to respond (which I could've), someone posted a comment in
response to the clarification which answered the question. The
questioner chose to ask for a refund for the $2 question since I
hadn't actually answered the question (although I would've had I been
allowed to respond to the clarification).

My only point is, please folks, think about all of the ramifications
before you do anything (at the least, please don't respond to requests
for clarifications!). For me, the first priority for GA is that the
questioner receive a good and proper answer, the researchers are
secondary. However, researchers put alot of time and effort into GA
(more than you realize!), often for no compensation, and we can only
hope that common courtesy will prevail.

Sincerely,
hummer

Fp an fj:

I'm sorry about the mistaken identity.  You both are excellent
commentors and your names are easily confused.

Pink:

I hope I have not offended you or any of the other researchers.  I
have the utmost respect for you guys and I hope I have never "stolen
bread off your table".  Google Answers has mislead me to believe that
if I submitted enough useful comments that I would be able to join the
research team.  I guess I let that get in the way of common courtesy.

It's interesting to see the class division that has developed in the
GA community, the Researchers and the Non-Researchers.  I've seen it
many times and it is just one of the many things that facinate me
daily about this forum.  Perhaps discussions like this will help
define the roles of the participants in this community.  I thouroughly
enjoy the flavor many of the commentors bring to this forum. 
Probono's sarcastic, biting, astute and thouroughly hilarious comments
are a treat to read.  Ipfan, Fj, and Fp's knowledge and research
ability are certainly worthy of researcher status.

I think some people may like to answer a question in a comment to show
that they knew the answer before anyone else but ultimately I think
that we all enjoy helping people and enjoy finding the correct answer
above all else.

Bowler-ga

Like Ipfan, I have found that Researchers occasionally provide
incorrect or potentially misleading answers but, fortunately, some
learned user (like Ipfan) soon sorts things out by way of a comment.

This sometimes occurs when a non-English or a non-European Researcher
tackles a question relating to a UK or a European situation.

It also arises (and I am saying this quietly) because not all the
information that can be gleaned from The Net is 100% reliable or
up-to-date.

Of course, many researchers (and I list Answerfinder, Leli, Scriptor
and Politicalguru as stellar examples) often go way beyond The Net in
their search for whatever. Others have stacks of expertise in
specialist topics.

Similarly, some commenters (e.g. fp, fj, bowler, ipfan, augusta,
probo, steph53, timespacette and Phil, our noble question master,
etc.) also do a great job and make this Community much more
interesting and useful.

Overall, I reckon that GA has a great concept that works really well.

I pop in most days and I always manage to learn something new and truly amazing.

Mike

Hummer is too polite to tell you all that it was me (I think) that
messed up that question to which he refers.  When I saw that the
Client had asked for a refund, I was shocked since Hummer had indeed
answered the question.  Anyway, I apologize for that one, and thanks
to this invaluable string I will indeed think before posting a comment
when a question is in "mid-stream," so to speak.

Hey Hummer--I have always wondered--that's a reference to the car, right? ;)

Hey Pink, since we're on the topic, is the one at
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=431146 one in which I
usurped your opportunity?  If so, I apologize.

Thanks, 
Ipfan

Yikes, ipfan, I had no idea it's happened to me twice! No, I wasn't
referring to you, heck, you're one of my favorite posters - it's
always nice to know you are there checking up on things.!

You know, when I chose hummer, I had never even heard of a Hummer car!
 No, I'm afraid I opted for something alittle less masculine but no
less exciting - the Hummingbird  8-)

Don't you dare change one hair on your head, ipfan.
hummer

I hope I haven't presented myself as someone who views non-GARs as
enemies. I was a prolific commenter before I was brought onboard as a
Google Answers Researcher; I have also been a paying customer. Having
experienced GA from various angles has, I hope, given me some useful
insights.

If it were up to me, I would reserve newly-posted questions for the
attentions of Google Answers Researchers for 24 hours. If a question
remained unanswered after 24 hours, I would release it to be commented
upon by all site users.

Most questions that haven't been answered in 24 hours are badly in
need of attention. Such questions tend to slip through the cracks, and
customers may (justifiably) feel ignored. It would be a blessing to
hard-working Researchers if GA's better commenters would focus more on
the old than on the new.

I confess that, when I was a Peanut Gallerian myself, I didn't always
follow this policy. Strong in me was the desire for one-upsmanship and
recognition, the need prove that I was smarter than the GARs. I had to
beat my ego down with a stick sometimes, saying to it, in a stern,
Yodaesque voice, "A Jedi craves not these things."

Hummer .. your contribution fairly well sums up what I had suspected.
You're part way through your research, then say I come along and
bugger it up for you. Your balanced point about serving the customer
is what it's all about I guess. For you Researchers, I suppose it ends
up being a numbers game and as FJ rightly stated, the view should be
long term as opposed to question by question.

Phil

All,

Bryan, you are the only one to have picked up on the hidden question
(bracketed at the 10th line). Your posting at 16:46 hours GMT on 24
November from Hove, gave me the answer to correctly convert G time
(PST) to local time.
I now see that when you might be enjoying Marmalade on toast for
breakfast, I will have been pouring my second Scotch for the evening
while those on Pacific time are missing out on both. Might you send me
the local race results in order that I back a winning horse 11 hours
before the race starts?

PoliticalGuru, would you consider the position of mediator/arbitrator
in future questionings? You do a fine job.

PinkFreud, have you put your own suggestion forward to your employers in contract? 

Interested Researchers. Would anyone care to put this topic to rest by
posting an answer? PoliticalGuru's answer of "Yes and No" will more
than suffice.

Thanks to everyone for the fun, concerted thought and of course
politeness and understanding in discussion.

My bag of peanuts is now saltier and richer for having conversed with
you all. Thanks for being you. Phil

Well, I do try to wait "some time" before writing a comment. Sometimes
half a day, sometimes more than one day, such as
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=430926

I know that some of my comments resulted in the question being closed
soon afer they appeared, e.g.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=387430
and
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=311957

However, it is not possible to know in advance if the researcher or
the asker will find a comment helpful.
When trying to write a comment right away it may happen that the
question is locked before the comment is finished. So it may be wiser
to wait a while before writing a comment.

If an interesting question is unlocked (one or twice) without a
comment or request for clarification left behind I usually don't wait
any longer.

Of course, waiting for 24 hours would give all researchers around the
globe the opportunity of reading a question.

By the way, not all of questions currently asked are viewable (as
there are more than 2000 questions), only the questions 1 - 1000, e.g.
"976-1000 of ...":
http://answers.google.com/answers/currentquestions?sort=qestartts:D:R:d1&start=975

and the last questions, e.g. "976-1000 of ..."
http://answers.google.com/answers/currentquestions?sort=qestartts:A:R:d1&start=975

There is a gap as soon as more than 2000 questions are being asked.

Hi, Phil

You have now proved conclusively that us humble makers of Comments do
have some uses as trainees for elevation to the Court.

Some day, one of us might also be invited to follow in the footsteps
of the Mighty Pink Lady.

Wow ... If I ever get the call, I'll LOCK every question for a week
... until I've had a chance to knock out the answer.

All the Best

Bryan

Heh, Bryan, try to do that and you'll quickly find yourself assailed
by the Editors and as many of your colleagues as were able to get
through to you, and sternly warned!  Fact is, we can only lock ONE
question at a time, two at maximum and that only if we have a #$%&
good explanation for doing so, such as waiting for a phone call on the
first one, but it is physically impossible to lock more than two
questions at once, period. THAT is part of the reason for some
distress at having questions answered in the comments, simply because
we CAN'T lock them all.

For my two cents on this whole deal, the answers are also "yes" and "no."

I don't especially mind having peanuts answer, except when they try to
make themselves sound like Researchers to the customer, and/or post
personal emails and otherwise violate the TOS in an effort to garner
some gain from this board. It's not fair to Google, to us, or to the
customer, who is frequently confused by who is who, and unable to
effectively use the clarification and/or answer process.  I do like
the idea of having questions reserved exclusively for Researchers for
a period of time after posting.  24-48 hours would be good.

The other thing that irritates me no end is when Researchers
themselves follow this practice. Dangit! If you have the answer, post
it; if you don't then don't. And if you want to make some off-the-cuff
comment without doing the work of answering the question, fine. Just
wait 'til you see whether or not someone else may want to actually
answer. Some Researchers may approach this as a fun hobby, but others
of us do derive income from it and treat it as a professional
activity. To have that undermined just because somebody doesn't care
whether or not they're paid is just wrong and extremely frustrating!

Have you hit a nerve here, you think?  Heh, thanks for the chance to sound off! 

Cheers,
Byrd

My colleague byrd, composed the words so well that described what so
many of the researcher community feels it bears repeating.

And I quote:

"I don't especially mind having peanuts answer, except when they try to
make themselves sound like Researchers to the customer, and/or post
personal emails and otherwise violate the TOS in an effort to garner
some gain from this board. It's not fair to Google, to us, or to the
customer, who is frequently confused by who is who, and unable to
effectively use the clarification and/or answer process.  I do like
the idea of having questions reserved exclusively for Researchers for
a period of time after posting.  24-48 hours would be good.

The other thing that irritates me no end is when Researchers
themselves follow this practice. Dangit! If you have the answer, post
it; if you don't then don't. And if you want to make some off-the-cuff
comment without doing the work of answering the question, fine. Just
wait 'til you see whether or not someone else may want to actually
answer. Some Researchers may approach this as a fun hobby, but others
of us do derive income from it and treat it as a professional
activity. To have that undermined just because somebody doesn't care
whether or not they're paid is just wrong and extremely frustrating!"

That is it in a nutshell.  Short and sweet.

Best regards,
tlspiegel

OK, so what's the answer?

Would one Researcher please post an answer? "Yes and No" will be fine.

Bryan, no need to LOCK up a question for a week. Pink suggested 24
hours. It was my idea to have an AUTO-LOCK for the first hour, with a
4-hour relock after that. Then it becomes open slather.

Quote "Wow, Phil ...

What a question!

And you have even included Little Me anong the High and the Mighty." End quote.

No Bryan, you are not a nong! Your comments are well received,
undoubtedly by all. Obviously, it's a matter of balance. And no Sir,
you are not the subject of my initial question. In fact, I will now go
to a thread to invite another commentor to the discussion prior it's
ending, to exemplify the example.

FP, Byrd and Tlspiegel have summed it all up, albeit with the benefit
of hindsight in reading others' comments here.

Researchers .. as you feel so strongly about exactly that which I had
detected, have you or are you prepared to, collectively approach your
employer under contract with a suggestion of change to suit your needs
and that of the questioners?

Looking forward to striking a balance, Phil

silver777-ga:

I was reviewing the comments just now, and noticed a point from you
that I had missed originally. If you would, please allow me to clarify
my position:

"AHT & Bowler .. I guess I had been looking at this medium as "pay
first, comment later". As in a Commentor is a back seat driver. But
what you guys are saying is that it's free for all, with the chance
for a few to be accountable and paid for the privelage."

To be clear, I am not saying that Google Answers *should* be a free
for all. On the contrary, I disagree when I see people describe GA as
a forum instead of what it is, a service that features the ability for
all users to participate. The difference between the two is a major
one. A forum's strength is in the willingness of all users to
contribute to developing and debating an answer to a question. The
Google Answers service, though, is positioned to first-time users as a
recommended (by Google) way of getting expert researchers to provide
"carefully-screened" research services. I reference all readers of
this comment to the answers.google.com homepage, and the pitch found
there:

"More than 500 carefully screened Researchers are ready to answer your
question for as little as $2.50 -- usually within 24 hours. Your
satisfaction is completely guaranteed."

The implication is that, if a person is unable to find the information
they seek on their own using the free search services of Google, then
they can pay someone (who is carefully screened by Google) to find the
info for them. They are also told that their satisfaction is
completely guaranteed. I then see too many first-time users of this
service get led astray by the type of comments mentioned by byrd-ga.
Where possible, I will post a comment myself to ensure that the
question-poster does not mistake those comments as an answer provided
by a qualified researcher accountable under the GA satisfaction
guarantee.

Ultimately though, as a contractor providing services to GA, I feel
that it is my responsibility to provide those services within the
rules and capabilities maintained by Google Answers. Since the current
GA environment allows for a "free for all" approach by anyone who
creates a user account for themselves, I must make the best situation
possible for myself within that environment. Please note that I (along
with a number of other Researchers, for sure) have made suggestions
regarding changes to the environment that would, in my opinion,
provide for better control of the customer experience. This includes
the concept of a comment-lock for a certain period of time to allow a
qualified Researcher to take on a question first. To date, the
suggestion has not resulted in a change in the service. So, like I
said, I must make the best situation possible for myself as a
contractor, and work with the rules and capabilities as they exist. I
may disagree with aspects of the rules, but I fully respect that I
need to accept them if I wish to continue providing research services
through Google Answers.

Respectfully,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

by the way, forgot to mention... thank you for posting this question!
The comments have been enlightening.

Comments received silver777. Will go away now.

That wise young owl, AHT, has quoted the sales blurb:

"More than 500 carefully screened Researchers are ready to answer your
question for as little as $2.50 -- usually within 24 hours. Your
satisfaction is completely guaranteed."

If I were being picky (Heavens Forbid!) I would go to the stats ...

And, of course, if questions were going to be locked for 24 hours ...

They would simply get LOST!

When I do a trawl of new questions, I sometimes post a 'Fascinating
Question' comment, simply to remind myself to watch the progress of a
question that interests me. I would never dream of going back - unless
directed to some previous question - and there are of course lots and
lots of those to plough through.

Really, I have got absolutely no wish to be a Researcher or to usurp
the job of any Researcher.

But I do like to tune in from time to time and keep myself reasonably up-to-date.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=432114

One final thought from me, (after a wonder if this is the most wordy
response to an unanswered question - other than *that one*):

there is something that researchers can do to modify commentators
behaviour and that is to recognise and encourage those situations when
good commentator behaviour is evidenced. Working on the premise that
we all like recognition and thanks, when a comment is left which
enhances the askers experience, whilst not impacting on the potential
$ return for the GAR - recognise it! Acknowledgement from an 'Official
Google Answers Researcher' can act as a pat on the back for the lowly
commentator. Additionally / alternately, post a link to this question.

fj

This morning I prepared a comment for posting to a new $20 question
that would have killed it stone dead ... but before hitting the Post
Comment I thought better ...

Would someone now please say that I am a good boy?

Someone?

Anyone? 

OK ... I'll say it myself 'Bryan ... You are a very good boy!'

Mr. Brosnan, You're a very good actor (and a good boy in general). 

Silver - thank you for the compliments.

>> there is something that researchers can do to modify 
>> commentators behaviour and that is to recognise and 
>> encourage those situations when good commentator behaviour 
>> is evidenced. Working on the premise that we all like 
>> recognition and thanks, when a comment is left which
>> enhances the askers experience, whilst not impacting on 
>> the potential $ return for the GAR - recognise it! 

I wholeheartedly endorse this suggestion. A kind word from a GAR can
mean a lot to a "common tater." I remember how thrilled I was when, as
a non-Researcher, I received pleasant remarks from Scriptor and Voila,
two of my Google Answers idols. Their encouragement made me feel that
my unpaid efforts were not in vain.

P.S.
Bryan, you are a Good Boy, and I hope Father Christmas knows it.

Aw, gee thanks PG & PL

I feel so much better now.

And that $20 question is still unanswered!

Off to London today.

If it's still there when I return, the 24 hours embargo will be
removed and I can do my good deed for the day.

Scriptor & Voila have NEVER said any nice things about me!

In case you wondered ...

PG stands for Pink Guru and PL for Political Lady (Freud).

I just found this post because it was linked to a new question posted
on 12-8-04.  Very interesting (especially from a new commentor's
perspective) to see all the different viewpoints but how embarrassing
and wrong that a customer was brought into this discussion. While I
totally agree with your comments here, shame on you ipfan for dragging
that poor customer into this. Don't let the "paid" researchers ruin it
for the rest of us.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=439859

Here's the post I mentioned in the above comment.

Harry,

Have you checked out:

www.ga-commenters.com

>> Don't let the "paid" researchers ruin it for the rest of us.

This comment troubles me. How can paid researchers ruin things?

Shame you, silver777, shame.