Since I first wrote this post in 2008, a lot has happened in the online world. From the many, many comments this post has received, it is quite clear to me that I can stand by my original conclusion that ChaCha is not worth it for most people. Those who do claim it’s worth it, tend to also include their referral link

With that said, ChaCha just might be a fun activity you can do while earning a few bucks at the same time.

But, if you’re looking to earn an income from home, I 100% do not recommend ChaCha. There are far, far better ways to make more money with your time.

Whether you’re a writer, have the ability to be a virtual assistant, like to do graphics design, etc.

The bottom line is that ChaCha won’t pay the bills, but there are plenty of things you can do to start earning.

Heck, head on over to Fiverr.com and post a few offers for things you can do for $5. It’s better than the .005 you might earn at ChaCha.

That’s my bottom-line opinion

————————————————————————————————————————

(Original Post Below)

Okay, part of my job is to help the readers of this blog know what a good opportunity is and what a bad opportunity is. I know of many people who are interested in the Cha Cha Guide opportunity. Is it worth your time?

Well, I actively set out to find out. The only problem is that I wasn’t accepted as a guide. This was very strange to me as I have very good research skills, am a fast typist, and am generally good at all things online. I DID take the entrance test while my toddler was running around like a banchee, but I was very surprised to learn that I had not passed. I also didn’t read the guide I was supposed to read, so it’s totally my fault. Okay, I was a little bit bummed as I really did want to see what all the fuss was about.

A few days later I got an invitation for a new Cha Cha role called an “expediter.” This sounded interesting too!  Apparently I don’t suck that much The basic gist is that you help speed up the process of connecting guides to people asking questions. I tried to log in to try this role out, but the login would not work. Several e-mails to the “guide care” e-mail and no response. I’m starting to feel like they don’t treasure their guides all that much.

That last paragraph made me realize that I should back up and explain what Cha Cha is. It’s actually kind of interesting. You can dial in on your mobile phone and ask a question. Human guides (Cha Cha guides) search for the answer and send it to the person “mobiley”.  (It’s free for the person asking the question.)

Now, this is not big money even if you are offered a role. As a guide you have the opportunity to make a whopping .10 per search. I think the average pay is around $4 an hour. Holy moly is that low!

While I was waiting to go “undercover” to investigate this opportunity for you I did some research on this company and how they treat their guides. What I found wasn’t pretty (suddenly, I was glad that their guide care people didn’t get back to me). In fact, it was downright scary sometimes.

The WAHM.com forum posters defintely didn’t have good things to say. There were a few people here and there who were having fun as guides, but many others had been terminated for seemingly silly reasons. Many people weren’t accepted in the first place, and those who were often felt like they were not paid anything near what they are worth. Debates about the program are rampant.

It seems like a dark world as a Cha Cha guide. In fact, they are heavily regulated to the point of craziness. People who had websites couldn’t post their true feelings for fear of getting banned. Those who did…got banned

So, do I recommend you become a Cha Cha guide? Definitely not. While I wasn’t able to “get in” I did hours of research that told me to stay far away from this “opportunity.”

Working for pennies just isn’t the best way to work online.

Remember, if you want to start earning an income online, sign up for my free books. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions. Sometimes you just want to earn more, and being a Cha Cha guide isn’t going to pay the bills.