It never really occured to me how bad people can be at searching the web until I met “SusanL” at Cha Cha.
Actually, I knew my friends and family were bad at getting the results they wanted out of searches, but I thought it was just them. 
Apparently, most people have trouble at least on certain subjects where they don’t know the lingo well enough to put good search phrases together to get what they are looking for in the results.
Enter Cha Cha: A search engine with real human guides (as opposed to fake human guides) that help you find what you are looking for.
According to SusanL (a real live guide at Cha Cha who helped me because she has a friend named Jack Humphrey) each guide has their own keyword group specialty and will pick up search requests in their specialty to find things more quickly for visitors.
How It Works
So, you do a “Search with Guide” and someone will come on and help you find what you are looking for, presumably faster than you could by yourself.
It makes sense. I can search on internet marketing and promotion-related topics like the back of my hand.
I know the lingo and can return results the first time, in most cases, for exactly what I am looking for.
Search Is Better When You Know How - Or Know Someone Who Does
People will find what they are looking for faster when it is something in their experience range where they know the intricacies of the language spoken, say, in horticulture circles.
That just popped into my mind, but I’d have no idea how to find things fast in that arena.
Which makes Cha Cha a darn good idea that I, once again for the 5th time today, wish I had thought of first!
Make sure that when you search with a guide that you are ready for a real person. I was kind of dumbfounded for some reason that someone would actually be on the other end waiting to help with such a mundane task.
But I am starting to see that this could be a very useful service.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jack,
It was a pleasure to be your search guide yesterday. Here is a bit more info on ChaCha and how it works.
ChaCha has a free search toolbar available for download if anyone is interested. Just email me at this email address and I can send the download (it is by invitation at this time since it is in beta). The toolbar is a great searching resource where you can use the ChaCha database or search with a guide without having to go to ChaCha.com. Speaking of the ChaCha database, it is much more relevant then using google or some of the other search engines in that each time a live guide does a search those answers are stored in the database, those making it smarter and lessening all the irrelevant sites that you can get using another search engine. This database is constantly being updated and will only grow smarter as time goes on.
ChaCha is also looking to add new guides at this time. People who would like to become a guide need an invitation from a Master level guide to apply (the levels are Apprentice, Pro, Master, Elite). As a Master level guide I have several invites available to people who are serious about making a bit of spare $$. After a brief training period guides get paid between $5.00 to $10.00 of active searching time depending on their guide level (basically experience and great ratings). It is great for students, homemakers, disabled folks or anyone else looking to make some extra $$. You set your own hours and can work from anywhere that you have a connection other then dialup. I am usually connected as a guide while I’m eating lunch, taking a break from chores or watching TV in the evening.
If there is anything else about ChaCha that I can help you with please let me know. I appreciate you spreading the word about us! More people searching equals job security
…Although I wasn’t too sure about the wording of your first sentence until I read on, lol.
Take care,
Sue
LOL – now that I read it from that angle, it is a funny sentence!
Sorry about the scare that might have created. You are an excellent searcher! Thanks for the additional info.