Controversial HITs

[hyway]

AMEN. Every 5th day when this comes up one person specifically goes on a moral crusade. It's tired and done. Give it up.

I think people should know that what he is saying has a good chance of being the truth before they choose to do them.

 

[sundaysetsashes]

I think people should know that what he is saying has a good chance of being the truth before they choose to do them.

The same could be said for any HIT ever posted. No one posts the derivations of the funds used to finance the amount of money needed for the mTurk HIT.

 

[hyway]

The same could be said for any HIT ever posted. No one posts the derivations of the funds used to finance the amount of money needed for the mTurk HIT.

bullshit, most requesters don't post under multiple names that change every day. If you want to ignore the red flags on these hits, thats fine. I do them but I don't hide behind some fantasy story I create for myself to trick myself into doing them. The plain fact is that they have a high likelihood of being sketchy and since the fact that they get mentioned so often on here lends them a sense of legitimacy it isn't a bad thing that it get pointed out from time to time that they might not be. Not every person on this site has the same ethical fluidity of you and I.

 

[sundaysetsashes]

bullshit, most requesters don't post under multiple names that change every day. If you want to ignore the red flags on these hits, thats fine. I do them but I don't hide behind some fantasy story I create for myself to trick myself into doing them. The plain fact is that they have a high likelihood of being sketchy and since the fact that they get mentioned so often on here lends them a sense of legitimacy it isn't a bad thing that it get pointed out from time to time that they might not be. Not every person on this site has the same ethical fluidity of you and I.

Man...it's like 25 cents. Eat a snickers, you put too much stock into HIT originations when you're hungry

 

[essjay]

bullshit, most requesters don't post under multiple names that change every day. If you want to ignore the red flags on these hits, thats fine. I do them but I don't hide behind some fantasy story I create for myself to trick myself into doing them. The plain fact is that they have a high likelihood of being sketchy and since the fact that they get mentioned so often on here lends them a sense of legitimacy it isn't a bad thing that it get pointed out from time to time that they might not be. Not every person on this site has the same ethical fluidity of you and I.

This is something I actually don't understand. MTC's Guidelines say

Maintain integrity when working on HITs. Follow Requester instructions and abide by the MTurk Terms of Service.

but everyone acknowledges that these HITs are scams (even going so far as to regularly refer to them as "scammies"), so I guess I don't get why they're allowed to be posted since the HITs definitely violate mTurk's ToS.

(I think it mostly bothers me because we know that requesters frequently read these threads, and it makes me feel icky that they're seeing people revel in doing these.)

[eta] Sorry for this originally being in the Daily HITs thread, I was typing while we were being told to take it elsewhere and didn't even see the warning til my post was moved.

 

[YAHU]

 

[hyway]

Man...it's like 25 cents. Eat a snickers, you put too much stock into HIT originations when you're hungry

why do you get so bent when people mention the emails of the requesters lead to people who have no idea what Mturk is? I do the hits, but my soul is a gnarly, twisted wind beaten scrap of a tree. People should know that possibility exists before they do them. These hits are not anything like most hits with the way the name changes every day.

 

[kryss]

Debating and discussing is fine, please remember to be respectful.

 

[j0e]

The way I see it, people are going to complete the hits no matter what. I think they should just be more discreet about it. Papa Sergey would be disappointed if he were browsing this forum. That's all. :thumbup:

 

[hyway]

This is something I actually don't understand. MTC's Guidelines say

but everyone acknowledges that these HITs are scams (even going to far as to regularly refer to them as "scammies"), so I guess I don't get why they're allowed to be posted since the HITs definitely violate mTurk's ToS.

(I think it mostly bothers me because we know that requesters frequently read these threads, and it makes me feel icky that they're seeing people revel in doing these.)

[eta] Sorry for this originally being in the Daily HITs thread, I was typing while we were being told to take it elsewhere and didn't even see the warning til my post was moved.

there is no proof that they are scams. common sense isn't proof so there is nothing in them that violates the TOS

 

[kryss]

but everyone acknowledges that these HITs are scams (even going to far as to regularly refer to them as "scammies"), so I guess I don't get why they're allowed to be posted since the HITs definitely violate mTurk's ToS.

We don't know that they're scams.

To me they look like SEO HITs. Yes, it's odd they post under different requester names, but it doesn't mean they're coming from stolen credit cards. These started posting after a "supposed" incident of that happening and people thought this was the same thing. Those hits were different and only lasted a day or so and were gone.

 

[j0e]

there is no proof that they are scams. common sense isn't proof so there is nothing in them that violates the TOS

TOS or not
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_fraud

 

[essjay]

there is no proof that they are scams. common sense isn't proof so there is nothing in them that violates the TOS

 

[KittyRaces]

This is something I actually don't understand. MTC's Guidelines say

but everyone acknowledges that these HITs are scams (even going to far as to regularly refer to them as "scammies"), so I guess I don't get why they're allowed to be posted since the HITs definitely violate mTurk's ToS.

(I think it mostly bothers me because we know that requesters frequently read these threads, and it makes me feel icky that they're seeing people revel in doing these.)

[eta] Sorry for this originally being in the Daily HITs thread, I was typing while we were being told to take it elsewhere and didn't even see the warning til my post was moved.

We don't know that they're scams.

I'm sorry, @kryssyy, but what? Any time ANYONE has directly contacted the requester account, the reply has always been one of confusion. And they directly violate the MTurk TOS. In my mind, that means they are scams. And add to this that they literally change their requester account multiple times a day.

Please stop being blind about this. In my opinion, having these kinds of HITs posted and even referred to as "scammies" jeopardizes the integrity of this forum.

 

[kryss]

I'm sorry, kryssyy, but what? Any time ANYONE has directly contacted the requester account, the reply has always been one of confusion. And they directly violate the MTurk TOS. In my mind, that means they are scams. And add to this that they literally change their requester account multiple times a day.

Please stop being blind about this. In my opinion, having this kinds of HITs posted and even referred to as "scammies" jeopardizes the integrity of this forum.

As soon as someone posts an actual email or evidence, we're happy to have a conversation about it in staff chat. We're not blind to it, but we're not in charge of policing mturk either.

 

[hyway]

they are just getting us to check to see if their links are working correctly. then of course, we have to prove we actually went to that site so they ask us to provide the address of an ad on that page since the page address is static and can be scammed but the ads change. see, its all legit. just like Hit me ups.

 

[Jason2384]

There is a Forum almost identical to this one (the original forum) that does not allow them to be posted, I am just saying if anyone is unhappy with whats happening here there is a place where you can be happy. Not being rude...just making a suggestion.

 

[aveline]

This is something I actually don't understand. MTC's Guidelines say

Maintain integrity when working on HITs. Follow Requester instructions and abide by the MTurk Terms of Service.

but everyone acknowledges that these HITs are scams (even going to far as to regularly refer to them as "scammies"), so I guess I don't get why they're allowed to be posted since the HITs definitely violate mTurk's ToS.

(I think it mostly bothers me because we know that requesters frequently read these threads, and it makes me feel icky that they're seeing people revel in doing these.)

[eta] Sorry for this originally being in the Daily HITs thread, I was typing while we were being told to take it elsewhere and didn't even see the warning til my post was moved.

Okay, bear with me here. I just woke up and can't English yet, so I apologize if I stop making sense at any point....

That line in the guidelines is about members here following the TOS for workers. If the TOS is being broken, it's by the requesters, not the workers, so it's between them and Amazon.

We've always allowed posting TOS-breaking HITs in the past (stuff like SEO HITs, HITs that ask for contact information, HITs that ask for votes on websites, etc), and we just don't really see this as being any different.

But whether or not they're legit accounts, with legit sign up info, we'll never know. All we can do is speculate. They do violate the TOS in one way, for sure, by asking for ad clicks. That would be enough for Amazon to shut down their accounts and may explain the constant name-changing. But, again, it's just speculation.

I do agree, though, that the talk about them has been really shitty at times. IMO, it makes us all look really unprofessional with the way these HITs have been discussed. I've tried to get people to tone it down a bit, like with asking that people don't use the word 'scammy' to describe them, but I can't say that that has so far worked out all that well.

 

[hyway]

There is a Forum almost identical to this one (the original forum) that does not allow them to be posted, I am just saying if anyone is unhappy with whats happening here there is a place where you can be happy. Not being rude...just making a suggestion.

here's the thing. when people are gushing over them no one has a problem. But let someone give a differing opinion and all of a sudden people start getting bent out of shape about those differing opinions. So maybe you should follow your own advice and not worry about people having a different opinion.

As long as they are allowed to be posted, then people should be allowed to discuss them from both sides.

 

[essjay]

There is a Forum almost identical to this one (the original forum) that does not allow them to be posted, I am just saying if anyone is unhappy with whats happening here there is a place where you can be happy. Not being rude...just making a suggestion.

So...don't let the door hit me on my way out cos I think maybe we shouldn't be salivating over these scam HITs in public places? Thanks.

IMO, it makes us all look really unprofessional with the way these HITs have been discussed.

This is my main problem with it.

Thanks for the clarification on that part of the Guidelines, btw. <3