The Pros and Cons of Amazon's Mechanical Turk

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is an online marketplace for people to find and complete small tasks known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs). It has become increasingly popular as a way for people to make a little extra money. However, while it can be a great opportunity, there are some potential drawbacks to using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of using Mechanical Turk so you can decide if it’s right for you.

You can make your own schedule

One of the great advantages of working on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is that you can set your own hours. You don't need to report to an employer, so you can work when and how much you want. As long as you meet the deadlines for the tasks you accept, you are free to manage your own schedule. This makes MTurk an attractive choice for those who want to supplement their income without committing to a full-time job.

The flexibility that comes with working on MTurk can be very beneficial if you have other commitments, such as school or childcare. You can easily plan around your existing schedule and use MTurk when it's most convenient for you. Plus, since most of the tasks on MTurk are online-based, you can do them from anywhere, as long as you have a computer and an internet connection. 

Whether you’re looking to make some extra money in your spare time or work full-time on MTurk, it’s a great way to work around your own schedule.

You can make good money

Using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is an excellent way to make some extra money. The amount of money you can make will depend on the tasks you do and how much effort you put into them. The average pay per task is about $2-5 USD. The more complex and time consuming tasks tend to pay better, with some paying up to $20 or even more. It's important to remember that you won't be able to make a living wage from Mechanical Turk, but you can definitely supplement your income with it. 

If you’re diligent and complete tasks quickly, you can easily make an extra $100 or more each week. There are also some tips and tricks to earning more money on Mechanical Turk. For example, look for requesters who offer bonuses for completing tasks quickly, and use a program such as AutoHotkey to complete repetitive tasks faster. It’s also important to read the instructions carefully and make sure you don’t get disqualified for making mistakes. 

Overall, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk can be a great way to make some extra money, especially if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.

Some tasks are tedious

When it comes to picking up tasks on Amazon's Mechanical Turk, some of the tasks you can do may be tedious or time consuming. For example, many of the tasks involve transcription, categorizing data, verifying information, and more. Although these tasks can be lucrative, they can take up a lot of time and can be quite tedious.

Also, when completing tasks, you have to make sure you follow the instructions correctly in order to get paid for the task. If you don't, you might not get paid for your work. This means that you'll have to be very attentive and follow the instructions carefully in order to get paid. 

If you're looking for something a bit more interesting and engaging than transcribing or categorizing data, you can also find tasks like survey taking, writing reviews, and much more. However, it's important to note that these types of tasks may not pay as much as the more tedious tasks.

You can get banned for no reason

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is an online marketplace that connects businesses and organizations with independent workers who can complete tasks in exchange for money. It can be a great way to make some extra money on your own schedule, but there is one big downside: you can get banned for no reason.

It’s not uncommon for MTurk users to wake up one morning to find that their account has been suspended, with no explanation from Amazon. This means that you could lose access to all of the money you’ve earned and the ability to work on tasks. 

There is no way to know exactly why Amazon has chosen to suspend your account. Some people claim that it was due to flagging too many tasks or working too quickly. Others suggest that Amazon simply doesn’t like certain types of requesters or that its automated system flags accounts without any human oversight.

No matter the cause, it can be extremely frustrating and disheartening to have your account banned. The best way to protect yourself is to always read the terms and conditions of the service and never take on more work than you can handle. Additionally, you should be aware that MTurk can suspend accounts at any time without any warning or explanation.