Review: Web site offers online advice for a price

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by Paul Heltzel

(IDG) -- Expert sites are a great way to get advice on fixing a sink, a transmission, or a relationship. As many Web sites search for profits, online advisor InfoRocket.com has created a store where you can buy and sell expert advice.

The pitch is an unusual one. Answers are stored in a browsable database called the Answer Shop. Visitors choose their area of interest from a directory, then scroll through lists of questions. If you don't see the question you want, you can ask a new one -- and purchase the answer from the most convincing bidder. Each answer is rated by the people who have purchased it.

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For instance, the following question received a three-star rating (out of a possible four stars): "I purchased a used car on a Saturday and returned it the following Monday. Me and my cosigner's name is on the contract, but she hasn't signed. Can the dealer hold me to my contract even though she hasn't signed anything?"

Want to know the answer? It'll cost you ten bucks.

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The expert who answers a question can earn recurring revenue, since the answer can be resold. According to InfoRocket, a $25 answer pays the writer $17.50 the first time, then $12.50 each time after that.

I tried surfing for a reasonably priced four-star answer. I found one that was near to my heart: "Where can I find a home job working with my computer?" The cost was $5. I put the question in my shopping cart, and paid via a secure site, with my credit card.

No surprise, the answer offered a few good tips but primarily heralded a $20 service that teaches buyers to create Web sites and market them.

Another source of answers to burning questions is newsgroups, such as Deja.com. InfoRocket may appeal at the other end, as well. You might want to try bidding on a question. Who knows? You could make a lot of money working at home on your computer.

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