Cell phone features help users find fast info

A new mobile answer service brings information to students’ fingertips, but as similar services make research easier, experts stressed the importance of source credibility.

ChaCha might sound like a Latin dance routine, but the mobile answer service is quickly making information more accessible via text message.

Launched in January, the service seeks to provide fast answers for people on the go and can be accessed by text messaging a question on virtually any subject to 242242, which spells “ChaCha,” company spokeswoman Lisa Kennedy said.

“The company was founded on the concept that people need information right away,” Kennedy said. “You don’t need to go to a link, and you get to interact with other people.”

Responses are usually sent within minutes as one of 35,000 guides will receive the question based on an area of specialization and will send a text back, Kennedy said.

About 27 million questions have been sent to ChaCha since it first began operating.

Questions ranging from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s shoe size to his stance on gay marriage were a few of the items sent during the first presidential debate, Kennedy said.

Since 2004, Google has offered a similar service that answers questions through an automated system using a structured query, Google spokesman Michael Kirkland said.

Technology such as the iPhone and the upcoming phone by Google make it easy for students to access the Internet on their cell phones.

Although mobile answer services such as ChaCha provide easy access to information, experts said students should make certain the source of their material is trustworthy before accepting the facts.

“We have to train people at making sure they know the source is credible, but we’ve been doing that for years,” said Dean Rehberger, associate professor of professional writing and associate director for MATRIX — the Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences.

MATRIX studies the applications of new technologies for teaching, research and outreach.

Rehberger said because technological innovations have allowed for easy access to information in developing countries has put them in society’s best interest.

“In Africa, not a lot of people have computers, but most have cell phones,” Rehberger said. “Some classes are being run via cell phones.”

The likelihood of a disaster like Internet failure that cuts people off from information sources is very slim, Rehberger said.

“It used to be that the important thing was for people to access the information, now it’s important for people to work with this information,” Rehberger said. “I don’t really see anything negative about it.”

Gina Guzzardo, a social relations and policy sophomore, said she enjoys having her contacts all in one place on her phone but only knows some of her family members’ and closest friends’ phone numbers.

“If I didn’t have my phone I probably wouldn’t be able to contact anyone because I don’t know anyone’s phone number,” Guzzardo said.

Published on Monday, October 6, 2008