Tag: mechanicalturk

Digital WPA

Instead of paying people to dig and then fill ditches we could pay people to help train machine-learning apps, enter data, subtitle videos. take surveys, maybe even fold proteins to disrupt viruses. Another high-potential area is document digitization

Google Image Labeler

Until now, for each match you got 100 points. But many people realized that they could easily win points if they typed generic tags like “man”, “people”, “photo”. To make the game more exciting and to improve the quality of tags, Google decided to change the way you get points. Now you can get anywhere from 50 to 150 depending on how specific your tag is.

refinements for harnessing slacker energy. maybe this is the long-sought zero-point energy?

Human Computation

For example, you might ask Mozes Mob (as I recently did) where the best car washes are in San Diego. Local subscribers will ping back almost instantly, via IM or SMS, with answers to your question.

Why do people do it? Call it an example of human computation. People are better searchers than computers are, especially for local services, and they want to share that knowledge. It works, and it’s an insanely interesting app.

using human computation and SMS to improve local search
2007-03-24:

I do this primarily for the money, but I also view it as a form of therapy to get me used to working again> The experience has gotten me thinking about pursuing a library science degree.

2007-09-22:

No one but a utopian would have predicted how readily people will work for free.

in their treatment of human computation. i also like the snarky coining of eHarmony spouse.