I've post 2 questions but after 14 days (since posting the first
question), I haven't received answers or meaningful comments. I'd
really like these questions answered. I think that they are fairly
easy for a skilled researcher to answer since at one time I found the
answers myself (I don't have time now.). I've, of course, read the
FAQs on pricing and drafting questions. I'm a business consultant and
I had thought that this would be a great service to use regularly, but
if I can't get questions answered the first time out, the service
seems -- with all due respect -- unreliable. I need help: What is it
about these questions? What do I have to do to get them answered?


Original Question:
Subject: Disney business plan graphic & Tandem Computers business plan graphic 
Category:  Business and Money 
Asked by: bayardchase-ga 
List Price: $20.00 
Posted: 01 Nov 2005 11:39 PST 
Expires: 01 Dec 2005 11:39 PST 
Question ID: 587623 

In the 50s, I believe, Walt Disney staff created an elaborate one page
drawing showing the interconnection of Disneyland, licensed products
and, I think, TV and movies, to show stakeholders how the various
elements supported each other.

Jimmy Treybig, founder of Tandem Computers (later acquired by Compaq
which in turn was acquired by HP), had, as a start up, a complex one
page drawing of his business model for Tandem.

I've seen both of these reproduced. I'd like to download copies or
perhaps purchase copies in an oversized format.


First Question Split into Two:
Subject: Tandem Computers business plan graphic 
Category:  Business and Money 
Asked by: bayardchase-ga 
List Price: $20.00 
Posted: 09 Nov 2005 15:16 PST 
Expires: 09 Dec 2005 15:16 PST 
Question ID: 591206 

Jimmy Treybig, founder of Tandem Computers (once publicly traded,
later acquired by Compaq which in turn was acquired by HP), had, as a
start up, a complex one page drawing of his business model for Tandem.

I've seen this reproduced. I'd like to download a copy or perhaps
purchase a copy in an oversized format. Where can I find that business
plan graphic?


Subject: Walt Disney Co. business plan graphic 
Category:  Business and Money 
Asked by: bayardchase-ga 
List Price: $20.00 
Posted: 09 Nov 2005 15:16 PST 
 Expires: 09 Dec 2005 15:16 PST 
 Question ID: 591207 

In the 50s, I believe, Walt Disney staff created an elaborate one page
drawing showing the interconnection of Disneyland, licensed products
and, I think, TV and movies, to show stakeholders how the various
elements supported each other.

I've seen this reproduced. I'd like to download a copy or perhaps
purchase a copy in an oversized format. Where can I find that business
plan graphic?

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 14 Nov 2005 17:26 PST

In my experience, "easy" questions rarely are.

Images, in particular, can be notoriously tricky to track down, as a
few of the comments, below, have noted.

By the way, the comments you received below are from Google Answer
Researchers (whose names appear in blue hyperlinked text) as well as
from non-researchers (anyone can post a comment).

In this case, the non-researcher comments are way off the mark, and
should not be taken terribly seriously.

Hope we'll find a way to assist you with these.  If you can recall any
other specifics about where, when or how you came across these images,
please let us know.

All the best,

pafalafa-ga

---

Clarification of Question by bayardchase-ga on 14 Nov 2005 17:34 PST

Wow, thank you VERY much for your comments. I deeply appreciate
knowing that some people did see my question and did attempt to answer
it. Such as "spent several hours trying to find the graphics" and
"Several other Google Answers Researchers have also locked your
question and later released it unanswered" That's very gratifying. I'm
sorry that you, pinkfreud-ga, and others have invested time and not
been able to earn a little cash.

I had also wondered if Google had neglected the service. I am sure
that there many people around the world who can participate as skilled
researchers. Also I think Google should let the questioners know how
many people have searched on a question. I would have been a happy
questioner, as I am now: people looked and could not find it.

Thanks for your comments very much!

As for any further research: I'm not necessarily asking for the pages
to download myself. Reference to a book or an organization that would
sell copies would be great and satisfy the question. For the life of
me I can not remember were I saw the graphics, it may not have been
online, which as I said above is okay. I?m also looking for the
source.

I think Disneyanna people (collectors of Disney stuff) would have this
information. The right person would almost have it at their finger
tips. I may have seen the image in a Disney book. I know that it is
available, but it may take ?offline? research.

I think that there are Tandem people (current employees at HP who
worked for Tandem when it was a separate company or ex Tandem
employees.) who might have that graphic in their personal collection
or would know of someone who has collected Tandem historical stuff.
The Tandem image in some sort of public resource. I had heard about
the Tandem graphic while an employee at Tandem. It was something of a
legend. Did not see it then, but in the last several years I did see
it and found it especially interesting. I believe it was in a public
source such as a website or a book.

How would any of you recommend that I research for these documents? I
might email or phone a few of the Disneyanna people and websites and I
might search for a HP/Tandem historical society or phone HP?s
historical department. Do you know of research companies? Any other
recommendation?

I'm sorry that you haven't received answers yet. Although this may
seem easy, discovering exactly the right combination of search terms
that will lead to a certain page can be quite difficult. I believe
myself to be a competent researcher, but I spent several hours trying
to find the graphics that you seek, and I came up empty-handed.
Several other Google Answers Researchers have also locked your
question and later released it unanswered. I sincerely hope that
someone will succeed in this quest; I'm interested in the results
myself!

You are not the only one who has unanswered questions. If you look at
the boards, its only a tiny fraction of questions that get answered or
even commented on.

This is not the way it used to be here at GA. In the beginning, in the
spring of 2002, GA hired some 500 Researchers and answers and comments
were flying. However, there is just a handful of Researchers that
remain active here.

Why it has not occurred to the GA "higher-ups" to hire new
Researchers, is beyond my comprehension. There are so many people that
have asked how to apply on here, but GA just deletes their questions
:(

Too bad, because this used to be a first class service.

Steph53

Hello bayardchase-ga,

I took a look at your questions and spent some time trying to come up
with an effective search method to find what probably exists and is
available from a website. I believe you when you say you've seen these
documents. It might help to know when and where.

Unfortunately, archival materials from Tandem are not readily
available since the company has ceased to exist. It's hard to guess
what the "one page drawing of his business model for Tandem" might be
labeled if someone has it in their files. The best bet would be
finding a trove of Tandem memorabilia. This will take a lot of
digging.

Finding the Disney illustration is just as tough. Business graphics
from over fifty years ago may be of interest to a few but are not
likely to be readily available even from Disney. It's grown into a
huge conglomerate since the 1950's. There is not easy way to wade
through the glut of Disney stuff.

I'd love to help you but I've already spent much more time on these
searches than the price you're offering. I hope that you can provide
additional information about the documents you're looking for.
Otherwise it seems hopeless unless someone happens to have these
graphics and can point you to them.

I hope you'll be successful in your quest.

~ czh ~

The basic problem, bayardchase - which the comments above imply but
don't state explicitly - is that Google and its researchers work on
the principle that all questions can and must be answered using only
the Google search engine. But - as great as Google truly is - the fact
is that not all knowledge is contained within its archives; and
sometimes a visit to a top class reference library would probably
furnish an answer more readily than the internet.

Offer $40 or $50 instead of $20 and they will get answered.

http://www.usc.edu/isd/archives/la/disneyland/dland_model_1955.jpg

Is this it?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.mouseplanet.com/more/mm051005rk.htm

Now, to The Art of Disneyland. Author Jeff Kurtti and designer Bruce
Gordon have put together a dream book for fans of the concept art
produced over the last 50 years by what is now known as Walt Disney
Imagineering. The book is a big 10.5 x 13.25 inches, enabling the
reproduction of the artwork to be large enough so that you can see the
details.

They get it perfect right out of the gate: The dustjacket is the
hand-colored version of Herb Ryman's 1953 ?weekend? concept art of
Disneyland that Walt took to the bankers for financing. When you open
the cover, Sam McKim's 1957 park map (the first to be sold) covers
both endsheets?and the rear endsheets bookend everything with Nina Rae
Vaughan's 2000 park map.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

geof-ga
I believe most researchers do rely on a variety of sources to research
their  answers above and beyond search engines.  (see question 389594)

Researchers tutuzdad-ga and answerfinder-ga use their past experience
in law enforcement to come up with many excellant answers.

Some researchers do however appear to use only research engines (At
least one has said so)  When I see comments from the questioner
stating they already know what the researcher has told them , I
suspect that the researcher is relying too heavily on search engines
to research the question.

I believe the best answers come from researchers who combine an
intelligent use of search engines with their own in-depth knowledge of
a subject and also past experience.

Steph53-ga
As also a frequent visitor to this forum, I fully endorse your comments. 
It is high time Google started to hire some "fresh blood" into the GAR
ranks. To the best of my knowledge no new researchers have been hired
since the original 500 group in 2002/2003. This is not to critisize 
any of the current researchers. However their numbers have shrinked
and indeed fewer questions are been answered. Although we can always
rely on Pinkfreud to find that movie whose name we never knew or
Hummer to sort our that pesky immigration problem or Scriptor to tell
whether some organisation is legitimate or not , far too many
questions go unanswered and from my perspective some of them appear to
be rather straightrforward.

Regards

Mongolia

From a researcher's viewpoint, questions that take a lot of time need
to be either  very interesting and/or very well priced.

Geof-ga's first comment is not quite correct. Most of us use a variety
of sources, but we are essentially web researchers. Although we may
well use our own personal libraries, a trip to the public library is
usually not practical, since on all but a very high priced question
our right to answer the question will have expired by the time we get
home.

We have also had a spate of queries where customers offering a low fee
have also been very demanding or downright rude, which is
demoralising, and also beyond anyone's control.

You, on the other hand, have responded politely and delightfully to
czh, Pinkfreud's and Pafalafaga's comments. (All, incidentally, are
among the best and most dedicated of the regular researchers.)

I think your idea of some kind of flag which indicates "X researchers
have looked at this question" is a good one, and would probably
reassure many customers, though I don't know how easy it would be to
implement.

Please continue to give us the opportunity to answer your questions -
we value thinking clients such as you.