Chen Liang has never been comfortable around people. For years, he refused to talk to strangers and rarely interacted with his parents. He even moved to Slovakia for seven years so he could be alone.
Yet, in the end, it was a total stranger who changed his life.
"She listens to me patiently and talks to me in her gentle voice about inspiring stories and about her experiences," said the 31-year-old restaurant worker, who is a native of Wenzhou, in East China's Zhejiang province.
"You can feel that she really wants to help you. It pushed me to confront my phobia and get professional treatment."
Chen, who is now seeing a psychologist in Beijing, was talking about Gao Ye, one of China's many "online angels" who offer their spare time for a price to help Web users with problems, emotional or technical.
Virtual troubleshooters on Chinese online marketplace Taobao now offer more than 3,000 services, ranging from friendly chats to technical assistance, such as modifying pictures and Web design. Prices vary from 1 yuan to 600 yuan (16 US cents to $95).
Gao, 27, who has no qualifications in psychology, has been running her advice service since July. At first she would chat with clients on the Internet or over the phone in her spare time. At the beginning of this year, however, she quit her job as a team leader for a marketing company to devote more time to being an online angel.
"Although my marketing job earned me much more money, I'm happy and satisfied with my work now," she said. "I can help people out of their worries and give them courage. It's a wonderful life for me.
"Being an online angel is a simple job. More important is the effect it can bring to people. It's not a job I live on, but a chance to bring my dream alive."
Li Hanfei, a senior at Zhuhai College of Jilin University, Guangdong province, said Gao helped her get through the anxiety she felt from the pressure of preparing for the national postgraduate exam.
"I'd like to do the same work as her to help others in my free time," she said. "It's perfect for students to do to make money - easy and simple."
Services like Gao's, however, skirt Taobao rules, introduced on Feb 20, that bar users from offering legal or psychological advice.
"It's not easy for the regulatory body to supervise the content of these consulting services," said Chen Luo'an, who handles complaints at Taobao. "In some cases, it may involve illegal topics, such as pornography.
"To guarantee the trade conducted is legal and fair, such consulting service is forbidden."
In the event of a dispute, online angels will find it hard to collect evidence against their clients, Chen Luo'an said, adding that, despite the surge in popularity, Taobao is advising against more people offering troubleshooting services and is considering taking measures to deter the practice.
"We have received few complaints so far, meaning the trading volume is small. But when it happens, the buyers will probably see drawbacks," he said.
Some people have already had their fingers burned.
Chen Yao, 31, who offers technical advice, said a client who asked him last year to design a simple database refused to pay for it, claiming it did not work. Their dispute was handled by Taobao and finally Chen Yao got 200 yuan for a week of programming and was forced to close up shop.
He opened another shop on Taobao several months later offering similar technical services.
"It brings me about 2,000 yuan a month, a good way to make money in my spare time and put my knowledge to good use," he said, adding that he majored in computer technology at the university and that his job leaves him plenty time at home, especially at night.
Like Chen, many shop owners - most of them were born in the 1980s - prefer to earn a living this way because they have easy access to the Internet and the services they offer, like chatting, are things they would be doing anyway.
Chen Liang, who said he had stayed at home without work for three months because of a social phobia, said before he found Gao Ye, he had chatted with two other women who claimed they could help him with his anxiety.
"But they were only students too young to give advice on life experience. Besides, they didn't pay attention to what you said, and they weren't interested in how they could help you. They just typed words on the screen to kill time. Totally irresponsible," he said.
Some buyers have complained that prices are unreasonable. For example, changing the page format for a piece of thesis could cost as much as 120 yuan.
"Buyers and sellers alike have some risk that deals will not be satisfactorily completed in such online services," said Liu Honghui, a Beijing lawyer from the Yingke Law Firm who specializes in online disputes.
"If possible, they should conclude a contract that stipulates the details and terms of the service."
Still, many people choose this service online, such as Chen Liang. He said he doesn't have any friends in the real world, and he is afraid of making friends, but that he feels comfortable online. So it is his only means of chatting with others.
"I know the help she gave is not professional, but I can feel the care from a human being," he said.
http://english.eastday.com/e/120522/u1a6571952.html
