There are several other question-and-answer services on the Internet.
Below I have listed a few, with brief descriptions (as published on
the sites themselves). In each case, the first URL that I've posted is
the site's main page, and the second is the site's "about us"
self-descriptive page.
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AllExperts
http://www.allexperts.com/
"Allexperts, created in early 1998, was the very first large-scale
question and answer service on the net!
We have thousands of volunteers, including top lawyers, doctors,
engineers, and scientists, waiting to answer your questions. All
answers are free and most come within a day!"
AllExperts: About Our Service
http://allexperts.com/central/service.shtml
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AdviceTrader
http://www.advicetrader.com/home.asp
"AdviceTrader is a clearinghouse for advice, help, support and
information. We have over 1900 real credentialed Advisors currently
online, who are ready to answer your questions, on almost any
conceivable topic, for as little as 99 cents per question. Advisors
are rated and reviewed on their expertise.
How It Works:
If you know how to use eBay, then you know how it works. You can
either post your question and let Advisors bid on it, or ask an
Advisor to propose a price to answer your question, or have a live
chat session with an advisor. Its that simple.
Advice Trader: About Us
http://www.advicetrader.com/welcome2.asp
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Professional Researcher
http://www.pro-researcher.co.uk/
"Professional Researcher provides a coherent starting point for people
researching a broad range of subjects, however the site is intended to
have a business, politics and current affairs slant, with a particular
bias toward the UK.
We also provide online research services to help you find that elusive
information. We have a research product to suit your needs, whether
for a commercial venture, academic project or purely for personal
information."
Professional Researcher: Intro
http://www.pro-researcher.co.uk/intro.html
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Ingenio
http://www.ingenio.com/categories/get_answers.asp?TF=1
"Ingenio provides immediate anytime access to knowledgeable advisors
who are standing by to take your call. You can save valuable time and
money by talking directly with an expert advisor over a private,
secure phone connection.
Search our directory to find the right person to give you advice. You
can view their background, feedback, credentials, price and photo.
Click "Call Now" next to the person you choose. Your phone rings.
Ingenio connects you to this person privately and safely by phone. You
pay the person?s per-minute fee for as long as you wish to speak on
the phone."
Ingenio: What is Ingenio
http://www.ingenio.com/documents/homepage/wik_pop.asp?TF=1
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Kasamba
http://www.kasamba.com/
"Have you ever needed the answer to an important question, but when
you searched the Internet, all you found were broken links and useless
pages of over-generalized information? Kasamba is a unique question
and answer service that matches people who have questions to the
people who are qualified to answer them. With Kasamba, you can
instantly locate a real person who is a professional in the field of
your question, and communicate with the Expert via web cam, audio,
chat or email.
Kasamba provides:
Instant Access to Highly Specialized Experts
Real Time Communication with Experts
Free Tools for Experts to Manage All Professional Activities"
Kasamba: What is Kasamba?
http://www.kasamba.com/help/h_new/kasamba_what.asp
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Research-o-Matic
http://www.research-o-matic.com/
"Research-O-Matic works for you. Our team of Researchers gathers the
information you need while you can focus on other matters."
Research-o-Matic: Sample Questions
http://www.research-o-matic.com/home/samplequestions.htm
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Ask an Expert
http://www.askanexpert.com/
"Askanexpert.com connects you with hundreds of real world experts,
ranging from astronauts to zookeepers. These experts have volunteered
to answer your questions for free!
Here?s how to make it work for you:
Step 1: Think of a question. Chances are, you already had one in mind
before you visited our site.
Step 2: Find the expert that best matches your question. You can
browse for an expert by category or do a keyword search.
Step 3: Click the link to visit the expert?s Web site. Most of the
experts have excellent Web sites with a wealth of information in their
area of expertise. Many have even posted answers to frequently asked
questions (FAQs) so you can get instant information. So, take a few
moments to peruse the site before submitting a question.
Step 4: If you don?t find the answer on the site, submit your question
to the expert. Some experts have a special form on their site for this
purpose; some simply post their e-mail address."
Ask an Expert: Welcome to Askanexpert.com
http://www.askanexpert.com/indexframe.htm
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In addition to the general-information sites listed above, there are
sites which specialize in answering certain kinds of questions. Here
are a few.
Medical questions:
Ask the Doctor
http://www.afraidtoask.com/askdoc/
Legal questions:
FreeAdvice
http://freeadvice.com/
Home improvement questions:
HomeTips
http://www.hometips.com/help.html
Parenting questions:
AskBaby
http://www.askbaby.com/
Business and engineering questions:
Intota
http://www.intota.com/
Infomarkets
http://infomarkets.com/
Tech questions:
AnswerSquad
http://www.answersquad.com/
Psychic advice:
Keen
http://www.keen.com/
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Here you can get help in locating "expert" sites where you can find
information, seek advice, or ask questions:
AskA+ Locator: Alphabetical Listing
http://www.vrd.org/locator/alphalist.shtml
Ask an Expert Sources
http://www.cln.org/int_expert.html
Google Directory: Reference > Ask an Expert
http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Ask_an_Expert/
Yahoo! Directory: Services > Web-Based Knowledge Exchanges
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Communication_and_Information_Management/Internet_and_World_Wide_Web/Web_Based_Knowledge_Exchange/
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I hope this has given you an overview of the field. There are, as you
can see, a number of other places on the Web that are similar to
Google Answers in some ways. But it is my firm belief that none of
these sites can surpass GA. In my view, what makes Google Answers
unique is that many of the Researchers here do not view each other as
rivals, but as teammates who share the common goal of satisfying our
customers. In an effort to provide the best service, we often share
useful information with each other, and some of us have become fast
friends behind the scenes (even though we may never be able to meet in
person). Although only one Researcher answers each question, there is
a huge, networked hive of other Reseachers in the background whose
assistance and support, while often invisible, helps to keep Google
Answers humming.
Google Answers: Try the rest, then fly the best. ;-)
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
