Mechanical Turk is Awesome. It Creates Wealth in Poor Countries that Need It

by Francis
(July 13, 2012)

It is true that many jobs posted to Mechanical Turk allow workers from all around the world and from poorer countries like for example Bangladesh.

To do additional work and have the opportunity to earn some money that they wouldn’t have been able to earn otherwise.

Is the tedious work that you able to do on Mechanical Turk for little amount of money a blessing in disguised?

What seems to us as ridiculous payments could be acceptable money in other countries, there are many people from for example India doing tasks on Mechanical Turk with enthusiasm.

Does this really mean that they liked the job or does it only mean that they are forced to do the job and do not see any alternative?

Seasonal off and on opportunities to work without commitment are a very positive aspect from outsourcing to Mechanical Turk

by Francis
(July 16, 2012)

Let’s assume that you have a period without work which is fairly short, perhaps a week. You don’t have the time or don’t want to find an extra job for that short. Then perhaps working from home on Mechanical Turk is just the thing you need.

Of course it will be very hard work to do. For example if you do transcription. But if you work focused and hard for one week, you might make a good amount of money. Perhaps even a few hundred dollars.

And if your business picks up again, you will just quit working on Mechanical Turk and go back to your own job. The flexibility that lies in Mechanical Turk is probably one of the reasons why people who do this sort of work online don’t switch over to more regular freelancing jobs.

There is not so much of a commitment. So perhaps this freedom of doing work or not doing work is one of the positive aspects of this service.

Outsourcing changes the way we think about work

by Francis
(July 13, 2012)

The concept of outsourcing – which was invented not much more than twenty years ago – is a huge game changer to the way we think about work.

As compared to the traditional work with all sorts of social benefits, freelancing and doing mini jobs or micro tasks online might seem dangerously different. But perhaps this is the way of the future.

Perhaps work will get more and more flexible, short term and changing.

Where will you be when the future comes?

Will you be a child of the past and try to stay within the same working model that has worked in the past?
Or will you adapt the changes of the future?

I think that outsourcing, doing micro tasks and online freelancing will actually increase the more we go into the future.

What do you think?

Comments for Outsourcing changes the way we think about work

Comments

comments