MTurk + Google News API = press

Post by gnaritas » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 5:30 PM UTC

robrenaud wrote: post #23

tomgruner wrote: post #21

Mechanical turk is abusive. It bypasses the laws that were designed to protect the most vulnerable, and it will take some time for new laws to catch up that can regulate operations like mechanical turk. Just because new services and start ups have out maneuvered the law making system does not make those services ethical. "Workers relying on such low wages and unstable employment are not likely to be able to educate t…

It's not as though Amazon is going and pointing a gun at people's heads and telling them to Turk or die. If it's a bad trade for people to exchange their time for the low wage, they shouldn't take it.

Post by tomgruner » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 5:32 PM UTC

tomgruner wrote: post #27

robrenaud wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not as though Amazon is going and pointing a gun at people's heads and telling them to Turk or die. If it's a bad trade for people to exchange their time for the low wage, they shouldn't take it.

Rob, as a software engineer at google, I would not expect you to to be able to relate to those without opportunities. In fact, there is some evidence that utilizing your brain to solve technical problems can restrict its ability to empathize. Of course amazon has no gun, but that does not mean that poverty in itself is not violent. As you like science and data, here is a read for you: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rele…

Post by pessimizer » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 5:32 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #26

robrenaud wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not as though Amazon is going and pointing a gun at people's heads and telling them to Turk or die. If it's a bad trade for people to exchange their time for the low wage, they shouldn't take it.

This argument sounds good on paper, but it has centuries of evidence against it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_union#History

Post by tomgruner » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 5:38 PM UTC

jmduke wrote: post #29

tomgruner wrote: post #21

Mechanical turk is abusive. It bypasses the laws that were designed to protect the most vulnerable, and it will take some time for new laws to catch up that can regulate operations like mechanical turk. Just because new services and start ups have out maneuvered the law making system does not make those services ethical. "Workers relying on such low wages and unstable employment are not likely to be able to educate t…

(Disclaimer: I work for Amazon, but not on anything related to mTurk) Is there reason to believe that people are using mTurk full-time as a significant source of income? I've Turked a bunch -- and know people who do it for a couple hours a day -- and my understanding is that its overwhelmingly used as a way to pick up a few extra bucks while catching up on TV, a slightly more civilized replacement for clipping coupon…

Post by vincvinc » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 5:49 PM UTC

tomgruner wrote: post #21

Mechanical turk is abusive. It bypasses the laws that were designed to protect the most vulnerable, and it will take some time for new laws to catch up that can regulate operations like mechanical turk. Just because new services and start ups have out maneuvered the law making system does not make those services ethical. "Workers relying on such low wages and unstable employment are not likely to be able to educate t…