Part Wikipedia, part Yahoo Answers and part About.com, ChaCha is a new search engine with a compelling hook – real-time results from human beings. The site launches (in “Alpha”) today and offers users two ways to search: traditional algorithmic results or help from live “guides.” Users interact with guides via an embedded instant messaging window in the search results page.
See the video about the site (and ad opportunities) and read my long post on Search Engine Watch.
____
Related: I stumbled upon another new online community/blogging/local site, ParentsConnect, while on affiliated site GoCityKids. GoCityKids powers the local section of the site. Both are owned by Viacom. Viacom thus becomes a potential buyer for InsiderPages and other “social directory” sites.
Per Search Engine Watch, Yahoo! Answers launches in the UK. Here’s more also from Search Engine Journal.
Screenwerk 
September 5, 2006 at 3:42 pm
[…] After my ChaCha post I was “pinged” by Ask.com director and librarian extraordinaire Gary Price who pointed out that he had previously written a post about online Q&A services and library based virtual reference services here. […]
September 18, 2006 at 8:10 am
[…] I wrote about it briefly here (bottom) and in this post toward the bottom. […]