Hello,

can someone tell me some facts about answers.goggle ?

I am a student and working on a study about knowledge management
through the internet.

1.) When was answers.google going life ?

2.) How many questions are answered on average per month ?

3.) What is the average rate on these questions ?

4.) Is there any additional fee the researcher have to pay from their
payment to google ?

5.) How many members are registred at answers.google ?

6.) What is the percentage rate of questions coming from US, Europe,
others ?

7.) From the 500 registred researchers, how many are from US, Europe,
others ?

Oliver

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 28 Sep 2003 18:09 PDT

Hello again jung10!

Unfortunately, researchers are prohibited from discussing certain
matters with customers. One of the things prohibited by policy is the
discussion of our forum's business affairs. We are also prohibited
from discussing anything about ourselves or our fellow researchers,
including who they are or where they are located. These inquiries are
to be directed to certain sources within the forum's infrastructure.

If you'd like to reduce the price of your question substantially to
accomodate a brief answer which includes contact information I'd be
happy to post that for you as an answer. I cannot guarantee you that
you will actually get the information you are seeking by contacting
the source, but I can save us both some time and tell you up front
that the answer you are seeking will not be found in this forum.

regards;
tutuzdad-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by knowledge_seeker-ga on 29 Sep 2003 04:46 PDT

Hi jung10,

I have your question locked, but before I put any work into it, I am
going to email the Editors and confirm that they will allow me to do
what I propose below. Be aware that they will probably not get back to
me until later today since they are in the US Pacific time zone.

I also need to know from you if the following would be acceptable as
an answer. First, be aware, Researchers are contractors for Google
Answers and do not have any "inside" information regarding the company
or its customers. Pretty much what you see, is what I see. So, here's
what I propose to do if you (and the editors) are amenable --

1.) I can answer
2.) I can calculate
3.) I can calculate based on a representative sample
4.) I can answer
5.) I cannot answer.
6.) I cannot answer.
7.) I cannot give you an accurate count. I can however provide you
with a list of countries / locations of researchers based on the
Editor's statements and information provided by the researchers to
each other.

If this would constitute an acceptable answer, let me know. Then, as
soon as I get a go-ahead from the Editors, I'll start work on your
question.

Thanks -

-K~

---

Clarification of Question by jung10-ga on 29 Sep 2003 08:08 PDT

Dear researcher, an answer as you offered it would be fine.

I hope, you are allowed to answer me.

Oliver

---

Request for Question Clarification by knowledge_seeker-ga on 29 Sep 2003 10:21 PDT

Hi again jung10,

I just got an email from the editors and they have no objection to me
answering the question the way I proposed. So, since you also approve,
I'll start on it right away, and should have an answer for you late
this afternoon my time (US EDT; GMT -4).

-K~

---

Clarification of Question by jung10-ga on 29 Sep 2003 10:22 PDT

Okay, thank you

Oliver

Hi Jung10 –

Ok, here are the answers I promised you. For the ones I had to count
and calculate for you, I’ve shown you how I came my conclusions and
have give you the data I used, so that you may pursue the information
further if you need to.



==============================
WHEN DID GOOGLE ANSWERS GO LIVE?
==============================

Google Answers (Beta) came online Thursday, March 18, 2002 and was
announced to the public April 18, 2002.

April 19, 2002 - Google Selling Answers
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/7_1013021


The first question was posted on April 9, 2002. It is here:

SUBJECT: WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=2


The service left Beta in May 2003. 

WIKIPEDIA – GOOGLE ANSWERS
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Answers#Google_Answers



============================================
HOW MANY QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED ON AVERAGE PER MONTH? 
============================================

There are between 37,000 and 43,000 questions currently listed on
Google Answers. (The number varies depending on how I go about
searching and sorting the list).  This averages to about 2200 - 2500
questions posted per month over 17 months.

Of those, approximately 20,000 – 25,000 have been answered. This
amounts to approximately 1200 – 1500 per month – or just over half.

I found this by searching “all of the questions” and “answered
questions” for the phrase “ga” (which I knew would be contained in
every question) and then seeing how many returns I got. The number
varied when I sorted the list by amount or date. I’m not really sure
why.  I cross-checked by searching for "List Price:" The numbers were
close to the same.


===========================================
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE RATE ON THESE QUESTIONS? 
============================================

According to my calculation, the (mean) average question price is $20.

This is based on counting the number of questions in each of the main
pricing categories, from $2 to $200, and calculating an average from
that.  Here are the numbers I used:

PRICE      #QUEST   AMOUNT
===========================
$2.00   5882	$11,764.00
$3.00	1373	$4,119.00
$4.00	1052	$4,208.00
$5.00	5767	$28,835.00
$10.00	6809	$68,090.00
$15.00	2203	$33,045.00
$20.00	3787	$75,740.00
$25.00	2031	$50,775.00
$30.00	862	$25,860.00
$35.00	248	$8,680.00
$40.00	443	$17,720.00
$45.00	65	$2,925.00
$50.00	2115	$105,750.00
$55.00	24	$1,320.00
$60.00	133	$7,980.00
$65.00	33	$2,145.00
$70.00	36	$2,520.00
$75.00	237	$17,775.00
$80.00	54	$4,320.00
$85.00	9	$765.00
$90.00	8	$720.00
$95.00	2	$190.00
$100.00	1022	$102,200.00
$110.00	2	$220.00
$125.00	27	$3,375.00
$150.00	164	$24,600.00
$175.00	9	$1,575.00
$200.00	450	$90,000.00
==============================		
TOTALS  34847	$697,216.00
==============================

 697,216.00 / 34847 = $20.01 mean question price


I got the above numbers by searching ALL QUESTIONS for the phrase:
“List Price: $2.00”  ; “List Price: $25.00” ; etc.


=================================================================
ANY ADDITIONAL FEES RESEARCHERS HAVE TO PAY TO GOOGLE? 
=================================================================

Researchers do not pay any fees to Google Answers. 

Perhaps by FEE you are referring to the 25% of the question price that
Google Answers keeps.   Google Answers Researchers receive 75% of the
posted price of the question, plus 100% of any tips the customer gives
them.

For example – this question is priced at $25. I will have $18.75
credited to my account once this answer is posted.

However, there are occasions where Researchers do not receive the
entire 75%.

REJECTION OF AN ANSWER:  If a customer rejects an answer and requests
a refund within 30 days, and if the Editors approve the request, then
the Researcher only receives 50% of the question price.

QUESTION REMOVAL: If a researcher answers a question that is
subsequently removed by the editors, the researcher receives nothing.

Finally, Google Answers withholds no fees or taxes from payments to
Google Answers Researchers. As independent contractors, researchers
are responsible for paying their own taxes on their income from Google
Answers as applicable in their country.


===========================================================
WHAT COUNTRIES ARE REPRESENTED BY THE RESEARCHER COMMUNITY?
===========================================================

As it turns out, my colleague Aceresearcher-ga has already provided
this information on a previous question. Although that list was
compiled in March of 2003, I would trust it to be current as there
have been no new researchers added recently.



Argentina 
Australia 
Austria 
Barbados 
Belgium 
Brazil 
 
Canada 
- British Columbia 
- Manitoba 
- Nova Scotia 
- Ontario 
- Quebec 
- Saskatchewan 
 
Chile 
China 
Colombia 
Cyprus 
Czechoslovakia 
England 
Germany 
Hungary 
India 
Ireland, Northern 
Ireland, Republic of 
Israel 
Italy 
Japan 
Lebanon 
Malaysia 
Netherlands 
New Zealand 
Norway 
Philippines 
Poland 
Romania 
Russia 
Scotland 
Singapore 
South Africa 
Spain 
Switzerland 
Tanzania 
Turkey 
 
United States 
- Alabama 
- Alaska 
- Arizona 
- Arkansas 
- California 
- Colorado 
- Connecticut 
- Florida 
- Georgia 
- Illinois 
- Idaho 
- Indiana 
- Iowa 
- Kansas 
- Maryland 
- Massachusetts 
- Michigan 
- Missouri 
- New Hampshire 
- New Jersey 
- New Mexico 
- New York 
- North Carolina 
- Ohio 
- Oklahoma 
- Oregon 
- Pennsylvania 
- Rhode Island 
- South Carolina 
- South Dakota 
- Tennessee 
- Texas 
- Utah 
- Virginia 
- Washington, DC 
- Wisconsin 
 
You can read the rest of that answer here:

Subject: Location of researchers
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=178189




====================
RELATED QUESTIONS
=====================


Re: Google Answers
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=143137


Subject: Will Google Answers live or die?
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=201292


Thank you for your question Jung10. I’m glad the editors and you
approved of me handling it this way. It worked out for all of us! If
anything I’ve said isn’t clear, please let me know and I’ll be happy
to clarify for you.

-K~

Great answer

I suggest you'll address these questions to this email address, since
- as my colleague mentioned - we are not able to answer such
questions:
mailto:answers-editors@google.com