Yes, I'm a Mechanical Turk addict...
Category Everything Else
It used to be when I wanted a break on the home computer, I'd pull up Hearts or Freecell. Now I tend to call up Mechanical Turk, Amazon's experiment in having humans do things that computers don't do well (in return for micropayments). It's not a matter of making three cents every time I pick out a picture that matches the address and business they specify. It's more the diversion and the interest in seeing small slices of other places.
For instance, I love doing MK tasks for New York. The small storefront businesses, gratings pulled down, graffiti all over the place... Seeing these 10 foot storefronts that have probably been in the family for years, and have had generations be born, raised, and buried with the store as the focal point in their lives. Chicago seems to have some of that same element. Berkeley in California was more "pseudo-old"... Storefronts made to look old and quaint, but they probably turn over ever few years. Other places, like Santa Monica are more like strip malls and mega-malls where you can't see specific businesses...
I find it much easier to make the match for older cities, as the businesses are right on the street and it's easy to identify them. Newer cities are more "faceless" in nature, and the businesses are further away.
When it first started, Portland (my current location) was one of the cities being covered. I even ended up with the entry for the consulting company I used to work for (under their former name and former location). When I forwarded the page (I saved it) to them, they laughed and then asked if I had so much time on my hands could I do some work for them... :)
I know I won't get rich doing this, and I don't expect to. But it *does* pay far better than Solitaire, and it's more educational. :)
It used to be when I wanted a break on the home computer, I'd pull up Hearts or Freecell. Now I tend to call up Mechanical Turk, Amazon's experiment in having humans do things that computers don't do well (in return for micropayments). It's not a matter of making three cents every time I pick out a picture that matches the address and business they specify. It's more the diversion and the interest in seeing small slices of other places.
For instance, I love doing MK tasks for New York. The small storefront businesses, gratings pulled down, graffiti all over the place... Seeing these 10 foot storefronts that have probably been in the family for years, and have had generations be born, raised, and buried with the store as the focal point in their lives. Chicago seems to have some of that same element. Berkeley in California was more "pseudo-old"... Storefronts made to look old and quaint, but they probably turn over ever few years. Other places, like Santa Monica are more like strip malls and mega-malls where you can't see specific businesses...
I find it much easier to make the match for older cities, as the businesses are right on the street and it's easy to identify them. Newer cities are more "faceless" in nature, and the businesses are further away.
When it first started, Portland (my current location) was one of the cities being covered. I even ended up with the entry for the consulting company I used to work for (under their former name and former location). When I forwarded the page (I saved it) to them, they laughed and then asked if I had so much time on my hands could I do some work for them... :)
I know I won't get rich doing this, and I don't expect to. But it *does* pay far better than Solitaire, and it's more educational. :)
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Comments
Posted by Richard Schwartz At 19:21:03 On 24/11/2005 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 19:34:01 On 24/11/2005 | - Website - |