Idea Is Queen!

Recently, TechCrunch reported CHACHA, a manpower-ed search engine that offer human guides with interactive session. Comments are extreme. Most users got negative experience of the service, while a few others found it interesting to have human help behind a search engine.

It reminds me of an idea that several months before, I was day-dreaming about a world in which cyberspace connects everyone, and anyone who sends out (or broadcasts) a request can get help from others immediately.

How can this be done? First, we need some weapons everyone carries every day. Um, that should be cellphones. Imagine this: ubiquitous version of Yahoo! Answers, one sends out a question, and the question goes into other registers’ cellphone; Those who can/want to help sends back the answer/suggestion in forms of links/texts/voices. One big problem of CHACHA is that not all guides are experts in your target field, but in this model, your query may be received by some experts (since it’s broadcasted to all) and if this/those expert(s) just got a short break from work, they can do you a favor. What’s more, it would be nice if he/she can just call back the symbolic number and “tell you in person” how to solve your problem right away!

1. The best scenario is that all human being on earth are connected in this network.

2.There is a super platform/huge community in the meddle operating or (re)directing all the queries and feedbacks.

3 .You can choose whether a.) receive all queries from the world, b.) receive certain kind of queries only, c.) don’t bother me anything. Most importantly, you can set up max amount of queries per day.

4. You can join certain groups/communities that share the same interests or expertise as yours to filter out more accurate queries.

5.You can also choose/schedule when to receive queries, in case not being free in certain period.

6. Monetization is viable: the queries-sender decides which returns of solution is the best, and pays the provider, with part of the payment going to the platform company. (or the platform is a non-profit organization.)

7. Others also offering solutions which not being adopted gain points of reputation. This reputation ranking helps promote yourself and your solutions to be adopted in priority next time.

8.Background description of everyone is a must.

The concept is not necessarily limited to ask-answer format only. It can further extend to “I get what I want”, always. You are good at something, and you spend few seconds helping others otherwise they will spend 10 times of your effort getting what they want, not to mention accuracy not being guaranteed. If you are not confident of your help, but you do know someone else are experts in this field, you can relay the query to them; If they are not sure again, they can relay it to still others once again. All the actions above gain you points of reputation, since you are doing somethin good. Or at least you will go to Heaven after passing away.

For example, I want to buy the new 2006 Star Wars X-wing Star Fighter toy, but I’m not in the U.S. and can’t get reasonable price. I broadcast this wanting to the world with some premises such as the price range I want to pay. At the same time, one SW fanboy in the U.S. receives my request, but he doesn’t have this toy; he can relay my query to his friend that is tired of playing it. Finally, if I’m lucky enough, this guy will tell me he’s willing to sell me it for a lower price. He can either send me photos of this toy with text info, or just call me and we talk about the details. Regarding shipment? I can broadcast again: Anyone there can help me transport this toy to my country?! If there is a family in the U.S. just panning to have a vacation in my home town… and I can…

Such network-of-inter-help is beyond anyone’s imagination.

After all, this model goes back to “powered by human” perspective; Internet is merely a medium. I’m looking forward to going back to the stone age of Internet.

So, let’s forget AI today!

Share This