Got Questions? ChaCha Has Answers

The next time you're without your trusty GPS and need directions to a location just send a text message to 242242 or if you're in state where texting while driving is illegal then call 1-800-2CHACHA. Feel free to ask for directions to wherever you're going (just be sure to say where you're at or coming from). A few minutes later you'll receive a text with directions, and it won't cost you a dime!

ChaCha calls itself a human powered mobile search service. It can answer questions on any topic, not just directions. Whether you want to know what movies are playing in town or the phone number you're trying to find or what the meaning of life is all about. Just send your text to 242242 or call 1-800-2CHACHA and a few minutes later you'll get an answer.

ChaCha is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. It was started in 2007 by Scott A. Jones and Brad Bostic, and the company is privately owned. The mobile search service was launched in January of 2008. The company only has about 75 actual employees working at the corporate headquarters.

The real back-bone of the company is the independent contractors called "guides." The ChaCha guides are the people behind those quick and accurate answers to all the questions being sent to ChaCha. Currently ChaCha has over 55,000 active guides. This assures there will be someone available to answer your question 24 hours per day 7 days per week. The other great thing about ChaCha is they never close. They operate every day of the year, day and night, even during all major holidays.

ChaCha receives thousands of questions per day. As of September 2007 ChaCha announced that they have over 1 million users, and that they had answered over 27 million questions since launching their mobile search service in January of 2008. According to Nielsen Mobile ChaCha outpaced Google in growth for their mobile search service. They grew from a 7% market share to 28% in only 90 days.

ChaCha offers a service called "ThmbSvrs." This is a way for people to ask questions using abbreviations for all kinds of topics like jokes, sport scores, weather and more. The "joke" category has always been a favorite and popular category amongst ChaCha users, so if you text the word "JOKEMENU" to ChaCha (242242) you'll receive a list of jokes available from ChaCha. Some of the most popular joke categories are: Chuck Norris jokes, Redneck jokes, Yo' Mamma jokes, Insult jokes, Kid-Friendly jokes, and more.

ChaCha gives users a lot of latitude on what kind of questions can be submitted. The big "no-no's" are questions involving hate speech, how to commit illegal acts, and if you out and out say something "nasty" or rude to guide. For example it would be okay to say is sex something good? However the question "Can I have sex with you" would be unacceptable question because it's directed to the ChaCha guide. Again overall ChaCha allow questioners quite a bit of latitude when it comes to asking questions.

Many teens and college students turn to ChaCha for homework help, too. While I don't endorse using ChaCha as a means to do homework for you, I do think ChaCha is a great resource for helping you to find information or suggestions to other helpful sources.

I think once you've tried ChaCha you'll see for yourself what a great resource this service is for people. Never again pay $1.00, $1.25 or more to get a phone number from directory assistance while on your cell phone. Better yet, you'll never again be lost because directions are only a text or phone call away. Basically, ChaCha is like having your own personal library of information right in your pocket.

Source:

http://www.chacha.com/