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MTurk + Google News API = press

customerdevlabs.com

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Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#81

Post by aantix »

espadagroup wrote: post #79
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…

As one data point, I spent a while during college and took Turking seriously as a source of income and averaged about $7-$8 an hour over that time period. Not awesome, but not bad either for an always available, willing, form of employment.

"Always available" and and incredibly flexible form of employment. There aren't many jobs where you can sit down, make some money, when you need to take a break (kids screaming, etc), you can stop, resume again when you're ready. The flexibility is worth something.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#82

Post by aantix »

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…

Certainly they performed jobs for 25 cents an hour, but that rate just isn't sustainable if you actually want to get fast, reliant results.

Just as the requesters on MTurk are smart, so are the workers (aka Turkers). If you hang around the market place long enough you will quickly discover that your time is worth much more than 25 cents an hour.

The Turkers are smart; high throughput is the only way they are going to make any money.

As a requester, someone posting work, if you don't respect that in terms of 1) streaming-lining your instructions to simplify the work for the Turkers, and 2) giving a descent wage relative to the work needed

The Turkers will go elsewhere and your results are just going to trickle in.

MTurk is actually a perfect marketplace, as a worker you can see ALL of the jobs that you are qualified, all of the competing bids for a piece of your time in one consolidated place, and you can choose how and when to work instantly or whether you want to work at all.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#83

Post by umsm »

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…

Why not pay the workers on mturk a reasonable rate of $12 - $15 an hour?

Isn't the wage set by YOU, the employer?

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#84

Post by DanBC »

prostoalex wrote: post #55
tomgruner wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the same 2010 study I mentioned in another comment, about 7% use it 30 hours per week plus. That's not a huge number but I imagine that those of the 7% would consider it full time work. http://sites.uci.edu/andrewzaldivar/files/2012/05/SocialCode...

How do they check the workers' location? Some of that income could be considered decent lower-middle-class in certain parts of the world.

I was doubtful at first, because of the need for both a computer (and Internet connection) in a part of the world where 25 cents an hour would be a decent lower-middle-class income.

The World Bank has some information about countries with people living on $2 per day. (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.2DAY)

Maybe there's a use for a "Fair Trade Mechanical Turk" - someone sets up an Internet work space for people in developing nations and FTMT sets minimum wages?

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#85

Post by Stratoscope »

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…

Here's where I get confused by this economic justice:

I have a little personal project and there's a piece of it that could be hired out on mechanical turk.

The project isn't worth much much money to me, it really is just a point of personal interest. And the little task is interesting enough that a few people might actually do it for free.

So I could ask for volunteers. Worse things have happened: how many times do people fill out surveys completely for free?

Surely no one would say I'm exploiting anyone by allowing them to volunteer their time? After all, it's their free choice if they want to waste a few minutes on my silly project.

But apparently I would be exploiting them if I offered a modest sum as a small "thank you".

Why?

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#86

Post by burntsushi »

gnaritas wrote: post #75
icebraining wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what you're saying is that they actually have a better option, but they're unable to realize that, so we should decide for them because we know best? Or is the safety net not available to them because MTurk exists? Because if it's the latter, I don't see why wouldn't you just make it available, MTurk or not.

I'm not talking about MTurk specifically, but about all below minimum wage jobs. > but they're unable to realize that, so we should decide for them because we know best They are we, we are they, we're one society and if we democratically set a wage floor, then yes, we know best. That's rather the point of democracy, to remove choice about some things from the individual and make them together because it's better for…

> because it's better for us all

Or so authoritarians would have us believe.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#87

Post by mindcrime »

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…

So, all of the people making $0.25 / hour doing MT tasks, would be making exactly how much per hour without MT?

I don't agree with any systems that perpetuate poverty.

I, OTOH, agree with any system that doesn't involve initiation of force or fraud, and involves voluntary transactions on a free market basis.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#88

Post by mindcrime »

gnaritas wrote: post #75
icebraining wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what you're saying is that they actually have a better option, but they're unable to realize that, so we should decide for them because we know best? Or is the safety net not available to them because MTurk exists? Because if it's the latter, I don't see why wouldn't you just make it available, MTurk or not.

I'm not talking about MTurk specifically, but about all below minimum wage jobs. > but they're unable to realize that, so we should decide for them because we know best They are we, we are they, we're one society and if we democratically set a wage floor, then yes, we know best. That's rather the point of democracy, to remove choice about some things from the individual and make them together because it's better for…

That's rather the point of democracy, to remove choice about some things from the individual and make them together because it's better for us all despite what any one individual might choose.

Which is exactly why the phrase "tyranny of the majority" exists, and why "democracy" is just a euphemism for "mob rule" at the end of the day.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#89

Post by [deleted] »

DanBC wrote: post #84
prostoalex wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do they check the workers' location? Some of that income could be considered decent lower-middle-class in certain parts of the world.

I was doubtful at first, because of the need for both a computer (and Internet connection) in a part of the world where 25 cents an hour would be a decent lower-middle-class income. The World Bank has some information about countries with people living on $2 per day. ( http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.2DAY ) Maybe there's a use for a "Fair Trade Mechanical Turk" - someone sets up an Internet work space for…

[deleted]

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#90

Post by Chupachupski »

seeingfurther wrote: post #80
justinwi wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't use masters for mine because it was easy enough for me to look at the email addresses that were coming in and see if they were junk. Would be curious to find out if masters will work for $.05. Please keep me posted! :)

In 2 hours I had 2 HITs completed by masters. Probably going to need to switch to regular workers and closely monitor like you did.

One approach is to get each hit done by two (or three) regular MTurkers and crosscheck the results. I've seen this done with "human OCR" type tasks.
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