Amazon Mechanical Turk - Earn money for your Amazon account

**irwin** · 11-26-2005, 07:48 PM

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/04/1336240

rscoggin writes "Amazon.com has a new program that wants you to 'Complete simple tasks that people do better than computers. And, get paid for it.' (example: 'Is there a pizza parlour in this photograph?'). For each task you complete you get a small payment, usually ranging from a few cents to a little under a dollar. It's named the Amazon Mechanical Turk after a famous hoax from the 19th century. Kill time and get paid in tiny increments to boot!" Similar to Google Answers, there seems to be a reliability ratings system and some incentives.

http://mturk.amazon.com

edit: i'm rich.

**BigJon** · 11-26-2005, 08:43 PM

This is wicked weird.

The amazon ones are just determining the artist/band name on an album. These other ones...it's like some guy went around with a red jeep and a rotating camera and a phone book. You just pick through 5-6 pictures to determine which one (if any) is the storefront for a certain location.

Strange. Guess I'll find out tomorrow if I get "paid".

**ShawnLee** · 11-26-2005, 09:45 PM

Odd. I tried a couple, and I guess I'll see if I get my nine cents.

**wung** · 11-26-2005, 09:52 PM

one of my 5 submissions has been approved ... and i have $0.03 so far ..

**ialsohaveadream** · 11-26-2005, 10:45 PM

Very weird. Interesting, though. I can see what they have in mind for this.

**Thesifer** · 11-27-2005, 01:50 AM

a friend of mine did this, haven't asked him if he got paid or not. He has a job that requires nothing of him but to be there, so he has a lot of free internet time.

**hapoo** · 11-27-2005, 03:23 AM

the computer uses more electricity for gods sake. its cheaper just to shut the computer off.

**jstreet** · 11-27-2005, 01:29 PM

How bizarre... yet I keep doing it instead of starting this 40 page paper due tomorrow...

**ialsohaveadream** · 11-27-2005, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by passwird

edit: i'm rich.

Oh yeah? Well I earned 23 cents!

**jstreet** · 11-27-2005, 06:09 PM

Can't... stop... must identify records... can someone write a page or ten about the model-view-controller software pattern so I can keep going on this? Guys? Anyone?

**ShawnLee** · 11-27-2005, 06:26 PM

Woohoo! Nine whole cents! Dagnabbit... I could make more money walking around a parking lot looking for dropped coins.

**nickel** · 11-27-2005, 07:38 PM

i'm doing well with this

**ArkiStan** · 11-27-2005, 08:16 PM

Wow Nickel! it's almost like you have a real job!

**ialsohaveadream** · 11-27-2005, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by nickel

i'm doing well with this

SHENANIGANS!

...right?

**gear02** · 11-27-2005, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by nickel

i'm doing well with this

dear lord...how do you do that?

**Cheesypuff** · 11-27-2005, 09:18 PM

holy crap nickel....ummm...so besides mechturks and gotapex...when do you find time to cook for yourself?

**jstreet** · 11-27-2005, 10:42 PM

Damn nickel. That's real???

PS, I'm still lost on how this works. Who is checking our work? Are we checking one another's work?

**ialsohaveadream** · 11-28-2005, 05:47 AM

Assuming that it takes, on average, about 6 seconds to do each one, and you get 3 cents for each, that's only $18 an hour. I'd rather work. Of course, if I could do this WHILE I was at work...

**jstreet** · 11-28-2005, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by ialsohaveadream

Assuming that it takes, on average, about 6 seconds to do each one, and you get 3 cents for each, that's only $18 an hour. I'd rather work. Of course, if I could do this WHILE I was at work...

I miss AllAdvantage

**jstreet** · 11-28-2005, 06:28 AM

OK, the identifying the pictures that best show a business is creeping me out a bit. I've had to ID like 12 places I go to regularly in DC.

It looks like they just drove up and down streets snapping a picture every second....... weird.........

**nickel** · 11-28-2005, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Cheesypuff

holy crap nickel....ummm...so besides mechturks and gotapex...when do you find time to cook for yourself?

i've hired a chef. what did you think?

actually, that's not mine, but you had to know that.

**Paymaster** · 11-28-2005, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ben_Williams

It looks like they just drove up and down streets snapping a picture every second....... weird.........

It's not that wierd... it's part of their A9 search engine. When you search for a location, it can give you not only the address, but also a picture of the building. You can then "walk" up and down the street to see what else is around it.

They have only done it for a few major cities.

**baggio248** · 11-28-2005, 02:03 PM

Doing this at work is a great time killer. Ive done 100 and made a whopping $1.30. I will be able to retire at this point.

**PrObLy** · 11-30-2005, 01:43 AM

I'm up to about $3.50, but I have nearly 300 HITs pending :-(

**baggio248** · 11-30-2005, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by PrObLy

I'm up to about $3.50, but I have nearly 300 HITs pending :-(

I'm still at $1.30 with 200+ HITs pending. Comeon...I want my 3 dollars!!!!

**jstreet** · 11-30-2005, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Paymaster

It's not that wierd... it's part of their A9 search engine. When you search for a location, it can give you not only the address, but also a picture of the building. You can then "walk" up and down the street to see what else is around it.

They have only done it for a few major cities.

I guess

I keep seeing all these places I've been and have to wonder if I'm in any photos. Then again I live in DC and they do have a surveillance camera network, but "it's only on during emergencies". I'm sure they have video of my every day for the last 5 years.

**dougadam** · 11-30-2005, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by nickel

actually, that's not mine, but you had to know that.

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