IU's Choice of Search Engine ChaCha "Explained"

theodp sends a follow-up to the discussion here a couple of months back about Indiana University librarians and students being forced to use the 'human-powered' ChaCha search engine because IU's President and one of its Trustees were business buddies of ChaCha CEO (and IU alum) Scott Jones. Don't be ridiculous, insisted indignant IU officials. It was ChaCha's ability to fill in gaps in a speech he was writing in 2007 that convinced IU's CIO that the University had to do a deal with ChaCha. What a coincidence, notes Valleywag. The need to fill in gaps in a speech he was writing back in 2005 is what convinced ChaCha CEO Jones that he had to create ChaCha in the first place. Way to anticipate what your customers need before they do.

Comments

What!?

[KEnderK]

I thought ChaCha's only reason to exist was so you could abuse the people who help you search!

Ah-ha!

[mooreti1]

I was wondering where Jeeve's went after leaving Ask. Apparently he changed his freakin' name to ChaCha.

Re:All the silly names made me laugh

[3vi1]

I don't see what's so silly about it. My friend Joanie loves Cha Cha.

Thank god for Google - I had no idea how to spell Joanie.

-J

Re:"Way to anticipate what your customers need"

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"Way to add distracting snark. Face it, you're not John Stewart."

Well, to be fair, Jon Stewart's not even John Stewart!

Re:"Way to anticipate what your customers need"

[UbuntuDupe]

Joke's on you -- you probably only caught that mistake because of the amazing power of ChaCha.