On 'Who wants to be a millionaire' when the contestant chooses a 'Phone a friend' the friends are supposedly>

Question

> sitting at home. In 30 seconds, they would have time to type the question in to an internet search engine and possibly get the right answer. Has this occurred to the programme makers? Why am I asking you instead of the programme makers?

Answer 1

The majority are using an internet search. That is why you hear such a long pause as the time is running out. They are waiting for a response. By the time the question is asked and the person decides what to search for he is probably down to 15 seconds. The producers know that.

The phone-a-friends are at home. This is from the rules.
Phone-A-Friend - Contestants may call one (1) of up to five (5) pre-arranged friends. Phone-a-friends may not use cellular phones. Individuals participating as phone-a-friends may do so only two (2) times within each broadcast season (to be determined in Game Sponsor's sole discretion) of the Syndicated Program. The Contestant must provide the five (5) friends' names and phone numbers in advance. The Contestant has thirty (30) seconds to read the question, provide the answer choices and attempt to get an answer choice selection from their phone-a-friend. Following completion of the call, the Contestant then has the choice of selecting an answer, quitting the Game or using another lifeline, if available.

BTW: A bit of trivia from the rules. The most money you get is $250,000. The rest is a 10 or 20 year annuity.

Answer 2

Don't really know but as a good guess ( i think) They would have to be somewhere that access to the program can be temporarily denied If it was broadcast live. But it's not, so the friend on the phone doesn't know when the call will come (taping for a show can actually take several hours) and though I think they do try to access answers on the internet (occassional background conversation) and after the contestant burns 10- 15 seconds asking and usually repeating the questions they only have maybe 10 - 12 seconds to do their research and come up with an answer. It might 1 in a 1000 give an edge to answer a question but you would have to be a typing and internet expert but also be able to read and comprehend at about 500 to a 1000 words a minute.

By the time the search engine comes up with a choice (2 seconds) and you have scanned the first 10 choices (3 seconds)
( if you can read 2000 words a minute) and clicked to a site, logged in, or chosen a menu item, or scrolled down ( 5 seconds) you are left with 1 -2 seconds to read the text and comprehend it, You could have 10 different people and computers working on this question and you would probably blow the last 2-3 seconds trying to decide who's right or even hear them over all the shouting. You Lose!

Don't worry about the producers. You can bet they spent a great deal of money and time studying this and that they concluded that it is not a significant risk. As a matter of fact I think it works for them because at the lower levels of competition phone a friend works quite often. At higher dollar level when, (supposedly, a computer might come in handy) the contestant quite often expires the time or the friend has even more confused them and they give the wrong answer.

I'm assuming you're referring to the questions as they become more difficult and arn't common knowledge

I know many very bright and intelligent people whom I would call and have the patience to shut up and wait for their thinking to produce an answer that i could also rationalize in my own mind.

I know many people think that computers are smarter, faster, and that they can answer all our questions rationally and with logic. And solve all our problems at some point in the future.

Rational and logical thinking works in a non-changing environment but does not work in a living and dynamic one.

You are likely a much younger person than me and so i hope i didn't get to far off track on your question by getting a little philisophical. I just know that the power that is within yourself and your mind is a thousand years from a computer getting there.

Think about it. It would take a computer worth many millions of dollars to catch a flyball in a peewee game.

Could you do it?

Answer 3

My uncle was 'phoned as a friend for the show, on a Sunday for the show that aired on the Thursday - back in the day when it was on many times a week before ITV ran out of money! He was at home, not in a studio. He did answer the 'phone himself because the producers had notified him of the date and time frame he would be called (that's why people's kids never pick up the 'phone on the show!).

Think about it, by the time your "friend" has read out the question to you you are left with about ten seconds to search the world-wide-spam-universe and typing makes clackety clack sounds! The producers would make the contestant ring another "friend" and re-record that bit of the show!

THE SHOW IS NOT LIVE!!!!!

Answer 4

Who Wants to Be A Millionaire is filmed in advance of it going out on broadcast. It is not a live show. The "friends" are asked to sit by the phone in case they get a call. They would not have prior knowledge to any questions, so I don't think they would really have time to enter a question into the internet. Besides, wouldn't you hear the clack of the keyboard!

Answer 5

Bearing in mind that when the program started, Dial up was what was used so 30 seconds wouldn't have been long enough to research the answer.

Answer 6

Yes they are supposed to be at home, but they'renot they are in a room on their own in the studio!

Answer 7

Because you don't know where to contact the program makers though. But maybe they know from knowledge and don't have enough time to look online.

Answer 8

maybe I am the programme maker, hence you will have asked the right person, maybe I had thought of that and don't give a s**t, it's only money, we're actually thinking of re-naming it "who wants to win £32,000" 'cause that's statistically nearer the truth.

Answer 9

When someone is appearing on the show the people that are the phone-a-friends are notified ahead of time and are supposed to be at the phone number they give during the taping.

Answer 10

telephone a pal Robert C. Reisig the sales insurance agent who i admire very lots and he's very a somewhat heat, appropriate, good-looking and sexy guy who has an incredible and remarkable physique. He additionally seems somewhat heat and sexy in the suits, shirts and ties that he wears. My buddy Ida My buddy Michelle who works with the insurance agent