Minds for Sale

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MINDS FOR SALE

Jonathan Zittrain | [email protected] Law School | Berkman Center for Internet & Society14 November 2009

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Kinzer (2009)

Kinzer (2009)

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$/TASK(~ SKILL)

PARTICIPATION

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“The mission of the X PRIZE Foundation is to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. We do this by creating and managing prizes that drive innovators to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the world today.”

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PLAYER 1PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2PLAYER 2

THETHE ESP GAMEESP GAME

GUESSING: GUESSING: CARCAR GUESSING: GUESSING: BOYBOY

GUESSING: GUESSING: CARCARGUESSING: GUESSING: HATHAT

SUCCESS!SUCCESS!YOU AGREE ON CARYOU AGREE ON CAR

SUCCESS!SUCCESS!YOU AGREE ON CARYOU AGREE ON CAR

GUESSING: GUESSING: KIDKID

(von (von AhnAhn, 2006), 2006)

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© 2004 Carnegie Mellon University, all rights reserved. Patent Pending.© 2004 Carnegie Mellon University, all rights reserved. Patent Pending.

(von (von AhnAhn, 2006), 2006)

THE ESP GAME THE ESP GAME IS FUNIS FUN

4.1 MILLION LABELS4.1 MILLION LABELS WITH 23,000 PLAYERSWITH 23,000 PLAYERS

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT PLAY THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT PLAY OVER 20 OVER 20 HOURS A WEEKHOURS A WEEK

(von (von AhnAhn, 2006), 2006)

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LABELING THELABELING THE ENTIRE WEBENTIRE WEB5000 PEOPLE5000 PEOPLE PLAYING SIMULTANEOUSLY CAN LABEL PLAYING SIMULTANEOUSLY CAN LABEL

INDIVIDUAL GAMES IN YAHOO! AND MSN AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL GAMES IN YAHOO! AND MSN AVERAGE OVER 5,000 PLAYERS AT A TIMEOVER 5,000 PLAYERS AT A TIME

5000 O5000 O G S U OUS CG S U OUS CALL IMAGES ON GOOGLE IN ALL IMAGES ON GOOGLE IN 30 DAYS30 DAYS!!

(von (von AhnAhn, 2006), 2006)

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concernsconcerns

•• participant’s point of viewparticipant’s point of view–– surveillancesurveillance–– alienationalienation–– moral valencemoral valence–– misappropriationmisappropriation

s stemics stemic•• systemicsystemic–– race to the bottomrace to the bottom–– $ $ reputation, social pressurereputation, social pressure–– crowding outcrowding out

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Gov’tGov’t assumes fixed cost of coding each photo as a assumes fixed cost of coding each photo as a man, woman, or child under 15.man, woman, or child under 15. $14.4K baseline; $16K if $14.4K baseline; $16K if

ll d l d llll d l d ll90% accuracy.90% accuracy. 28 million adult women and 28 million 28 million adult women and 28 million adult men left to look through.adult men left to look through. On average, the target On average, the target will be found halfway through the set.will be found halfway through the set. At 20 photos At 20 photos and 2 cents per HIT, with an assumed 80% error rate: and 2 cents per HIT, with an assumed 80% error rate: $17,906.$17,906.

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CAPTCHACAPTCHA SWEAT SHOPSSWEAT SHOPSSPAM COMPANIES HIRE HUMANS TOSPAM COMPANIES HIRE HUMANS TOSPAM COMPANIES HIRE HUMANS TO SPAM COMPANIES HIRE HUMANS TO SOLVE CAPTCHAS SOLVE CAPTCHAS ALL DAY LONGALL DAY LONG

$2.50 PER HOUR FOR EACH HUMAN$2.50 PER HOUR FOR EACH HUMAN

720 CAPTCHAS PER HOUR PER HUMAN720 CAPTCHAS PER HOUR PER HUMAN

1/3 CENT PER ACCOUNT1/3 CENT PER ACCOUNT1/3 CENT PER ACCOUNT1/3 CENT PER ACCOUNT

Source: Luis von Ahn,Source: Luis von Ahn,Captchas and CyclesCaptchas and Cycles

Free Nude PhotosFree Nude Photos

Type the word in the box if you want Type the word in the box if you want to see the next pictureto see the next picture

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7067http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7067962.stm962.stm

Source: Luis von Ahn,Source: Luis von Ahn,Captchas and CyclesCaptchas and Cycles

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solutionssolutions

•• copycopy--adaptadapt--paste labor standardspaste labor standards–– differences among 0¢, 1¢ … and differences among 0¢, 1¢ … and --1¢?1¢?g ,g ,

•• ESP game = Ender’s game?ESP game = Ender’s game?•• But: flu map … But: flu map … ReCaptchaReCaptcha??

–– do we care about addiction?do we care about addiction?–– worker reputation portabilityworker reputation portability

•• clickworkersclickworkers of the world unite!of the world unite!•• clickworkersclickworkers of the world, unite!of the world, unite!•• disclosuredisclosure•• optopt--outout

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MINDS FOR SALE

Jonathan Zittrain | [email protected] Law School | Berkman Center for Internet & Society14 November 2009