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Sharing Economy / Gig Economy Make Money With Mechanical Turk
In our digital world, we rely on computers and technology to do just about everything. But what about the tasks that a computer can’t do? We use Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for that.
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is an online, crowd-sourced marketplace that connects businesses with an on-demand, scalable workforce willing to complete human-focused tasks – things that a computer can’t do. Mechanical Turk gives businesses access to a global workforce of over 500,000 people from 190 countries. Businesses use Mechanical Turk to get results, but for you it’s a place to earn a bit of extra cash.
Mechanical Turk, sometimes shortened to MTurk, is an Amazon company. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994. Based in Seattle, Washington, Amazon is now one of the world’s largest e-retailers. Peter Cohen invented Mechanical Turk for Amazon’s internal use to help locate duplicate product listings on the website. Then in 2005, Amazon launched Mechanical Turk to the world. Now Mechanical Turk features thousands of tasks that are completed in a timely manner by a flexible workforce.
The name Mechanical Turk comes from a chess-playing automaton from the 18th century created by Wolfgang von Kempelen called “The Turk.” The Turk played a great game of chess, but hiding inside this “machine” was a human who was secretly making all of the right moves. Amazon’s Mechanical Turk capitalizes on the idea of humans helping machines solve problems.
Mechanical Turk specializes in HITs or Human Intelligence Tasks. HITs are generally tasks that a computer cannot complete, but humans can. These HITs may include locating a UPC code, transcribing text, reviewing text, verifying image keywords, selecting categories for products, choosing the best photo, determining website rankings, or writing an article. If you can complete these simple tasks, you’ll get paid.
Here’s a quick look at how Amazon’s Mechanical Turk works:
A business, referred to as a requester, starts with a project. That project is broken down into small tasks called HITs that are listed on Mechanical Turk – sometimes there are hundreds of the exact same HIT. A member of Mechanical Turk’s global workforce will find your HIT and accept it. Once completed, it is submitted to the requester for approval. If it gets the thumbs up, the HIT is finished and the worker gets paid.
If you want to complete HITs on Mechanical Turk, apply online. Amazon will qualify you and then you’re free to start working. Browse through the thousands of HITs available online and choose the tasks that you want to complete.
You can work as much or as little as you’d like. The more HITs you complete, the more money you will make. Mechanical Turk allows anyone to work from anywhere they want. As long as you complete high quality work, you’ll get paid for completing as many HITs as you want. In theory, the earning potential is limitless.
The requester values each HIT with a reward. The reward is how much the worker will be paid if they successfully complete the HIT. For outstanding work, the requester can also pay a bonus amount. Mechanical Turk takes a 20% fee on the reward and the bonus paid to the worker.
No one should quit their day job to complete HITs on Mechanical Turk. Rewards for HITs range from a few pennies to $100+. A $1 HIT is considered really good. It may not seem like much, but these small amounts add up quickly. Most tasks only take a few minutes to complete.
Mechanical Turk is a great way to fill gaps during your busy day or when you have some time to kill. While you might not become rich on Mechanical Turk, it is realistic to make a few hundred bucks a month. Plus, the work-life balance is superb. Payments are made into your Amazon Payments account.
If you want to make money in your free time, sign up for Mechanical Turk. It’s a fun way to earn a bit of extra cash with no obligations. If you’re ready to get paid to do things that computers can’t do, sign up for Mechanical Turk today.
Quick Facts About Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Year Amazon Founded: 1994
Year Mechanical Turk Launched: 2005
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Description: Connects individuals with businesses via an online marketplace to complete Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs)
Requirements: Minimal
Pay: $10 to $100+ per month