This bugs me, especially after seeing this question:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=571140

Wouldn't it be great if FAQs included the suggestion to thank when a
comment answers the question.  Some questioners do, of course (thank
you), but many don't.

Even better:  if the system prompted to post a comment before a
question is canceled  If the bluebirds  - and pink one -  could sell
that, that would be really great.
Myoarin

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Clarification of Question by myoarin-ga on 30 Sep 2005 09:27 PDT

Alicia,
It is not about praise, just the normal, civil politeness of thanking
someone for helping, especially when it was so obvious that you were
were being 100% helpful with a free comment.

I've got an easier to implement suggestion to Google Answers:
let people "expire" their questions without them being closed to
comments, just to an answer.  Then the community can still remark.
But I have gotten a couple of very appreciative thank you comments;
very gratifying.

Cheers all, Myoarin

Dunno whether this will make you feel better, but lots of questioners
don't bother to acknowledge a formal answer, either. It is not
uncommon for a question which has received an admirable answer to
remain unrated, with no response of any kind from the questioner.
Although the Researcher gets to collect the fee regardless of whether
the customer responds to the Answer or not, it's disappointing to work
hard on an answer and not get any feedback.

Thanks, Pinky.  I just had to pop this question again after seeing that link.

Should google commentors answer questions or should we leave it to the
professionals?

Hey, I'm the one (a google researcher) that answered his question,
without making him pay.  I thought it would be just ludicrous of me to
post that as answer.....since he's going to turn around and pay 40
bucks for the actual information.

However, regarding not being thanked...grrrr.

Oh, well.  Karma, baby.

Your welcome.  I mean, maybe something happend and they never got to
read the answer.

Shockandawe, It won't stop our trying.
And with hindsight, Alicia, I can imagine that you avoided a
discussion and one star rating, and nice of you.  GA likes to help job
seekers, about-to-be-weds ...

Alicia,

It's nice to know that some researchers have some consideration when
answering a question.  Most of the researchers do.

As to the question of whether a commenter should answer a question, by
all means yes!  This site is a tool for the question asker not solely
a tool for researchers to make money.  If I were a question asker and
knew that someone knew the answer to my question and was withholding
it because they did not want to offend a researcher I would be highly
disappointed.

I agree that in these cases it is common courtesy to say thank you. 
Alicia, consider all these comments as your thank you.

Bowler-ga

In a society full of praise-junkies...I am trying to teach myself that
praise is not necessary.  I find myself all-too-often doing work and
then expecting praise. I think it comes from going to a Jesuit
college, where students were lauded constantly for their academic
prowess.

Nonetheless, thank you very much for your comments....