[WEB4LIB] Re: Google Answers questions

[Kate A. Pohjola]

Patricia F Anderson wrote:
> Completely aside from "best bang for the buck" issues, what about ethics
> and accountability? Google has unidentified folk asking questions which
> are answered by unidentified "experts" in topics which carry potentially
> serious results. I am thinking specifically of health, but the same issues
> apply with making legal or financial decisions, for example.

We encounter the same situations in the public library.  I'm very much a
generalist, as is the rest of my staff.  I have my stronger areas, but
by far, I am no expert in any one area.  That doesn't prohibit me from
answering legal/medical/financial reference queries, though.  Granted,
as a librarian, my reference skills should hopefully be far superior to
those of the generic JoeBob off the street, but I really don't think the
accountability and ethics are any different.  We give patrons the same
disclaimers that are posted on almost all of the pages at Google Answers
- see your doctor, talk to an accountant or a CPA, we're not lawyers,
etc.  It's up to the end user/patron to heed those warnings.  Hopefully
the folks at Google that are doing the hiring of the researchers are
being picky about who they will and won't hire, and will choose
researchers that can provide prompt and correct answers.

> In addition, in browsing the archives of questions, I have seen some 
> questions that just shrieked "Answer my homework question for me." 
> :-) Not *quite* plagiarism, eh?

Most of the reference questions I get here in my small public library
are of that sort:  help me with my homework, help me with a
trivia/contest question, help me win a bet, etc.  We try to find
creative ways to encourage the patron to do their own work, but let's
face it, they just want an answer.  Half the time they don't care if
it's the *right* answer... but that's a whole 'nother ball of wax.

I admit it.  I applied to work for Google Answers.  My essay was
approved last week, and I'm currently waiting to hear on the test
questions.  There's gotta be other web savvy librarians out there that
have applied.  Anyone?



kate
-- 
Kate A. Pohjola
Branch Librarian Supervisor
Maybelle Burnette Branch - Warren Public Library
http://www.libcoop.net/warren