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MTurk + Google News API = press

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Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#101

Post by anandkulkarni »

vincvinc wrote: post #39
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…

> Does anyone know if there any systems like mechanical turk that guarantee at least minimum wage is being paid to the workers? I think that was the whole point behind Mobileworks, don't know how well they are doing though. https://www.mobileworks.com/company/fair-trade-work

We're doing quite well, as it so happens.

Paying fair wages means better work output, which means you can get higher quality results, and actually means lower total cost. It's better business than trying to scrape usable results out of bottom-dollar markets like Turk, and far easier, to boot.

We're growing fast and hiring: https://www.mobileworks.com/careers/

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#102

Post by icebraining »

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…

You'd be presuming the rules behind social programs are logical, they are not, they are designed by committee and as such can be haphazard and often illogical.

The same can be said about labour laws, including minimum wage; by that argument, any discussion on policy change is irrelevant.

And some social programs do paint a better picture, such as the EITC[1].

Besides, my argument is more general than whatever US social programs happen to be in place, since I'm not even from the US or living there.

So until the safety net is more logical and lets you work without putting you in a worse position, then it's rational to simply not allow jobs that don't pay a living wage.

And maybe I would agree with you if I was a labour legislator but had no power on safety net policies. But since my (and, I assume, your) power to change any of them is the same, I don't see how is that relevant.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#103

Post by mahranch »

seeingfurther wrote: post #66

Already have an MTurk batch running with 2,250 articles. This is amazing... Thanks! I set my price at $.05 but only using masters. Did you use masters? Did you set multiple assignments per hit or 1 was enough per article?

The masters qualification is handed out to the top tier workers. It's for people who basically use mturk for a full time job and 'usually' output extremely high quality work.

The masters qualification is supposed to open up the higher paying tasks. They will calculate the cost and if they aren't earning, at minimum, .10c per min or better, they will abandon or return your hits. Keep in mind that probably less than 1% of all turkers have that qualification. It's extremely tough to get.

I mean no offense, but requiring a masters qualification for your (being blunt) junk hits is like requiring a PhD to flip burgers at McDonald's.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#106

Post by simula67 »

gnaritas wrote: post #92
mindcrime wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And as Churchill said, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Yes, so it is relevant to note that democracy does not prove rightness or wrongness of an idea. As many others have pointed out, democracy is the best form of government because of two reasons :

1. It ensures that absolute idiots cannot come to power

2. It reduces conflict ( 'You don't like what the government is doing? Too bad, you voted for it!' ).

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#107

Post by Dylan16807 »

Stratoscope wrote: post #85
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…

It wouldn't be exploitative if the money was merely a thank you.

But the money wouldn't be merely a thank you. Not for everyone.

If you were making a standard offering on mechanical turk it's likely* that you would find workers that are in poverty, needing it as income, finding themselves working obscene numbers of hours. As example, a system that tries to get someone to work 90 hour weeks can easily be worse than no income at all.

*based on the GP, no personal research done

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#108

Post by Dylan16807 »

blablabla123 wrote: post #58
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…

25 cents per hour is roughly 45 $ a month. (8 h/day, 22 working days/month) I guess someone who would work for that wage lives in a rough country. As we all know from the news and documentaries, those countries often have horrible working conditions, like 60 hours or more a week and physically hard work. Isn't a mTurk job better than that? Also don't forget the lower prices in such regions. The thing is this: NGOs an…

The comment you're replying to very clearly focused on such a wage as being bad in the US. Sure, if the worker is somewhere that 25 cents an hour is livable, then everything works out okay.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#109

Post by Dylan16807 »

bcoates wrote: post #69
tomgruner wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Perhaps he's empathic enough to realize what it's like to have few choices, then have a well-meaning but paternalistic social reformer swoop in and take some of those choices away, pat you on the head, and drive off back to his nice neighborhood.

There's another way of thinking about it, that involves no paternalistic behavior. The government forces you to put an accurate price on transactions. For example, say you have a year-old good-condition car. As I understand it, you can sell it for around what it's worth, considering circumstances, or you can give it away, but you can't sell it for $50.

Re: MTurk + Google News API = press

#110

Post by pjbrunet »

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…

Check out what Peter Schiff says about the minimum wage. He has some good, reasonable arguments IMO. The minimum wage ultimately hurts everyone. Minimum wage = fewer jobs (quantity and types of jobs) and higher prices.
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