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Amazon's Mechanical Turk

Posted by Zonk on from the no-one-in-the-box dept.

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.

11 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. Great... by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great... Another way for /.'ers to waste time at work.
    GOOD JOB AMAZON

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    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
    1. Re:Great... by phase_9 · · Score: 5, Funny

      News just in, people getting paid to look at webpages they're not meant to at work! In unrelated news, slashdot hits drop off...

  2. i can see it already... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    - can you see boobs in the picture ?
    - Is there a donkey in the picture ?
    - Can you see the can of whipped cream ?
    - is there chocolate paint involved..

    Advanced indexing of Pr0n, humanity is moving forward, no doubt.

  3. 3 cents for 1 hours work? by mustafap · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, I can give up my day job!

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    Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
  4. How long until some sick slashdotter posts the ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    following HIT: "Is there a goat in that picture?"

  5. Re:This could be brilliant. by Breakfast+Pants · · Score: 3, Funny

    Even better would be if there were pictures of people enjoying pepsi with the same question and answer as you gave and then they also had ugly people drinking coke and cringing, etc. with the same question, but new answer, "coke."

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    WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?
  6. Japanese manuals? by Crouty · · Score: 3, Funny
    Wow, I can't wait to unleash my grammar nazi skills on the automated translations of japanese manuals of electronic devices!

    Keep them coming, Amazon!

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    On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
  7. Agent Smith, is that you? by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 5, Funny
    I hope you all can see where this is going:

    • 2005: Amazon introduces Mechanical Turk program. Thousands of underpaid geeks sign up and start clicking mindlessly.
    • 2010: Home catheterization and feeding tube kit eliminates need to leave workstation. Productivity skyrockets.
    • 2015: Direct neural interface improves response times one million-fold.
    • 2020: The Matrix

    Don't say I didn't warn you.

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    Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  8. Re:Doesn't pay enough by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not about the money; it's about fucking with Amazon, by giving hilariously incorrect answers.

  9. Slahdot should use this.. by objekt · · Score: 3, Funny

    ..they could ask us questions like "Is this a dupe?"

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    -- Boycott Shell
  10. A new kid-powered architecture! by Resseguie · · Score: 3, Funny
    Would that qualify as a beowolf cluster of children?

    Or maybe this would require a new "Grid Kid" architecture with an advanced resource broker to farm out the questions based on difficulty and school grade level.