Information Auction: New Business Model

Watch out Ebay. InfoRocket.com just opened the doors to their beta website. Here's a radically new auction concept. Instead of auctioning goods, information and advice is bought and sold on an open market.

Here's how it works. You've got a question. How much would you willing to pay for a good answer? Start by posting your question, along with the amount you'd be willing to pay for a prompt quality answer.

Bidders offer to answer your question with a pitch, as to why they are best suited or qualified to provide you with the answer you need. On or before the auction date you select which bidder you wish to work with. They provide you with the information you asked for -- the answer to your question, and then you rate them on the quality and value of their answer. From a high of "4- Above and Beyond" to a low of "1- Crash and Burn." You do not have to pay for "Crash and Burn" answers.

But what intrigues me even more is the fact that you can answer questions and get paid real money. I've already answered a $10 question and a $20 question, and my InfoRocket bank account now stands at $24. Ouch! Yeah. They take a hefty 20% commission. Maybe that will change when they receive more traffic. But hey! It's fun and about the easiest way to earn some real cash on the Internet.

Neil Albala, neil@voters.com