I sense we’ve seen this movie before, at least a variant of it. But then again, plenty of last decade’s ideas are flowering again. From SFGate:
The value of a service like ChaCha lies in its ability to connect users immediately to a knowledgeable guide, who has experience or background a particular field. Think of it as calling 411 directory assistance on the Web.
“When people try us, they’re blown away,” said Jones, the founder and chief executive officer of ChaCha. “The results are significantly better because we’re incorporating human intelligence into the mix.”
Users will connect to a live guide via instant messenger from the ChaCha home page.
ChaCha’s CEO has been around the entrepreneurial bend a few times, with Gracenote and early voicemail technology. Worth watching.