#mturk

[mostlysignssomeportents]

I assure you, an AI didn’t write a terrible “George Carlin” routine

There are only TWO MORE DAYS left in the Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

On Hallowe'en 1974, Ronald Clark O'Bryan murdered his son with poisoned candy. He needed the insurance money, and he knew that Halloween poisonings were rampant, so he figured he'd get away with it. He was wrong:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Clark_O%27Bryan

The stories of Hallowe'en poisonings were just that – stories. No one was poisoning kids on Hallowe'en – except this monstrous murderer, who mistook rampant scare stories for truth and assumed (incorrectly) that his murder would blend in with the crowd.

Last week, the dudes behind the "comedy" podcast Dudesy released a "George Carlin" comedy special that they claimed had been created, holus bolus, by an AI trained on the comedian's routines. This was a lie. After the Carlin estate sued, the dudes admitted that they had written the (remarkably unfunny) "comedy" special:

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/01/george-carlins-heirs-sue-comedy-podcast-over-ai-generated-impression/

As I've written, we're nowhere near the point where an AI can do your job, but we're well past the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week

AI systems can do some remarkable party tricks, but there's a huge difference between producing a plausible sentence and a good one. After the initial rush of astonishment, the stench of botshit becomes unmistakable:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/03/botshit-generative-ai-imminent-threat-democracy

Some of this botshit comes from people who are sold a bill of goods: they're convinced that they can make a George Carlin special without any human intervention and when the bot fails, they manufacture their own botshit, assuming they must be bad at prompting the AI.

This is an old technology story: I had a friend who was contracted to livestream a Canadian awards show in the earliest days of the web. They booked in multiple ISDN lines from Bell Canada and set up an impressive Mbone encoding station on the wings of the stage. Only one problem: the ISDNs flaked (this was a common problem with ISDNs!). There was no way to livecast the show.

Nevertheless, my friend's boss's ordered him to go on pretending to livestream the show. They made a big deal of it, with all kinds of cool visualizers showing the progress of this futuristic marvel, which the cameras frequently lingered on, accompanied by overheated narration from the show's hosts.

The weirdest part? The next day, my friend – and many others – heard from satisfied viewers who boasted about how amazing it had been to watch this show on their computers, rather than their TVs. Remember: there had been no stream. These people had just assumed that the problem was on their end – that they had failed to correctly install and configure the multiple browser plugins required. Not wanting to admit their technical incompetence, they instead boasted about how great the show had been. It was the Emperor's New Livestream.

Perhaps that's what happened to the Dudesy bros. But there's another possibility: maybe they were captured by their own imaginations. In "Genesis," an essay in the 2007 collection The Creationists, EL Doctorow (no relation) describes how the ancient Babylonians were so poleaxed by the strange wonder of the story they made up about the origin of the universe that they assumed that it must be true. They themselves weren't nearly imaginative enough to have come up with this super-cool tale, so God must have put it in their minds:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/29/gedankenexperimentwahn/#high-on-your-own-supply

That seems to have been what happened to the Air Force colonel who falsely claimed that a "rogue AI-powered drone" had spontaneously evolved the strategy of killing its operator as a way of clearing the obstacle to its main objective, which was killing the enemy:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/04/ayyyyyy-eyeeeee/

This never happened. It was – in the chagrined colonel's words – a "thought experiment." In other words, this guy – who is the USAF's Chief of AI Test and Operations – was so excited about his own made up story that he forgot it wasn't true and told a whole conference-room full of people that it had actually happened.

Maybe that's what happened with the George Carlinbot 3000: the Dudesy dudes fell in love with their own vision for a fully automated luxury Carlinbot and forgot that they had made it up, so they just cheated, assuming they would eventually be able to make a fully operational Battle Carlinbot.

That's basically the Theranos story: a teenaged "entrepreneur" was convinced that she was just about to produce a seemingly impossible, revolutionary diagnostic machine, so she faked its results, abetted by investors, customers and others who wanted to believe:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theranos

The thing about stories of AI miracles is that they are peddled by both AI's boosters and its critics. For boosters, the value of these tall tales is obvious: if normies can be convinced that AI is capable of performing miracles, they'll invest in it. They'll even integrate it into their product offerings and then quietly hire legions of humans to pick up the botshit it leaves behind. These abettors can be relied upon to keep the defects in these products a secret, because they'll assume that they've committed an operator error. After all, everyone knows that AI can do anything, so if it's not performing for them, the problem must exist between the keyboard and the chair.

But this would only take AI so far. It's one thing to hear implausible stories of AI's triumph from the people invested in it – but what about when AI's critics repeat those stories? If your boss thinks an AI can do your job, and AI critics are all running around with their hair on fire, shouting about the coming AI jobpocalypse, then maybe the AI really can do your job?

https://locusmag.com/2020/07/cory-doctorow-full-employment/

There's a name for this kind of criticism: "criti-hype," coined by Lee Vinsel, who points to many reasons for its persistence, including the fact that it constitutes an "academic business-model":

https://sts-news.medium.com/youre-doing-it-wrong-notes-on-criticism-and-technology-hype-18b08b4307e5

That's four reasons for AI hype:

to win investors and customers;

to cover customers' and users' embarrassment when the AI doesn't perform;

AI dreamers so high on their own supply that they can't tell truth from fantasy;

A business-model for doomsayers who form an unholy alliance with AI companies by parroting their silliest hype in warning form.

But there's a fifth motivation for criti-hype: to simplify otherwise tedious and complex situations. As Jamie Zawinski writes, this is the motivation behind the obvious lie that the "autonomous cars" on the streets of San Francisco have no driver:

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2024/01/driverless-cars-always-have-a-driver/

GM's Cruise division was forced to shutter its SF operations after one of its "self-driving" cars dragged an injured pedestrian for 20 feet:

https://www.wired.com/story/cruise-robotaxi-self-driving-permit-revoked-california/

One of the widely discussed revelations in the wake of the incident was that Cruise employed 1.5 skilled technical remote overseers for every one of its "self-driving" cars. In other words, they had replaced a single low-waged cab driver with 1.5 higher-paid remote operators.

As Zawinski writes, SFPD is well aware that there's a human being (or more than one human being) responsible for every one of these cars – someone who is formally at fault when the cars injure people or damage property. Nevertheless, SFPD and SFMTA maintain that these cars can't be cited for moving violations because "no one is driving them."

But figuring out who which person is responsible for a moving violation is "complicated and annoying to deal with," so the fiction persists.

(Zawinski notes that even when these people are held responsible, they're a "moral crumple zone" for the company that decided to enroll whole cities in nonconsensual murderbot experiments.)

Automation hype has always involved hidden humans. The most famous of these was the "mechanical Turk" hoax: a supposed chess-playing robot that was just a puppet operated by a concealed human operator wedged awkwardly into its carapace.

This pattern repeats itself through the ages. Thomas Jefferson "replaced his slaves" with dumbwaiters – but of course, dumbwaiters don't replace slaves, they hide slaves:

https://www.stuartmcmillen.com/blog/behind-the-dumbwaiter/

The modern Mechanical Turk – a division of Amazon that employs low-waged "clickworkers," many of them overseas – modernizes the dumbwaiter by hiding low-waged workforces behind a veneer of automation. The MTurk is an abstract "cloud" of human intelligence (the tasks MTurks perform are called "HITs," which stands for "Human Intelligence Tasks").

This is such a truism that techies in India joke that "AI" stands for "absent Indians." Or, to use Jathan Sadowski's wonderful term: "Potemkin AI":

https://reallifemag.com/potemkin-ai/

This Potemkin AI is everywhere you look. When Tesla unveiled its humanoid robot Optimus, they made a big flashy show of it, promising a $20,000 automaton was just on the horizon. They failed to mention that Optimus was just a person in a robot suit:

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/machines/elon-musk-tesla-robot-optimus-ai

Likewise with the famous demo of a "full self-driving" Tesla, which turned out to be a canned fake:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-video-promoting-self-driving-was-staged-engineer-testifies-2023-01-17/

The most shocking and terrifying and enraging AI demos keep turning out to be "Just A Guy" (in Molly White's excellent parlance):

https://twitter.com/molly0xFFF/status/1751670561606971895

And yet, we keep falling for it. It's no wonder, really: criti-hype rewards so many different people in so many different ways that it truly offers something for everyone.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/29/pay-no-attention/#to-the-little-man-behind-the-curtain

Back the Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle here!

Image:

Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

--

Ross Breadmore (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rossbreadmore/5169298162/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

#pluralistic #ai #absent indians #mechanical turks #scams #george carlin #comedy #body-snatchers #fraud #theranos #guys in robot suits #criti-hype #machine learning #fake it til you make it #too good to fact-check #mturk #deepfakes

[eelbergine]

Purchased this leather repair kit from Amazon, nice.

#eelhoe #holy shit #amazon #mturk #big data #eelhoe black #you can fix it yourself #rimzhe #me

[bzturk]

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[mymoneychronicles]

12 Best MTurk Alternatives To Earn Money From Home

#mturk #money

[amber-freya]

Been doing surveys to earn some extra income.  Referral link if you want.  It is a legitimate site, I also use Prolific and Mturk.

#paidviewpoint #survey #money #earn income #prolific #mturk #cash

[vincentblackbearmediallc]

Making money online is easier than ever in our day and age. Mturk, also known as Amazon Mechanical Turk or Amazon Mturk, is a great and flexible way to make money from home or anywhere with an internet connection. Unfortunately, it can feel challenging to get high-paying HITs on Mturk which can feel defeating.The good news is that there are plenty of alternatives to Mturk alternatives for you to try if you want to make extra money online from home. While many of these you can’t earn a full-time income, they’re a great way to earn supplemental and passive income.

#Alternatives #Mturk #Best Sites #passive income #great #money online

[littlemisswriter85]

I’m Looking For Legit MTurk Alternatives

Hello, everyone. I'm going to share a short story followed by a question.

Around 10 years ago, I started doing various tasks on Amazon MTurk. It was a nice way to make a little extra money, even if it was just spare change. There were even times when I could find short writing-related tasks. Basically, I enjoyed my time there because it was nice to change things up every now and then. Then one day, I was told they couldn't verify me, so I couldn't use MTurk anymore. I even contacted them a few years later to try again, which they allowed, and they still couldn't verify me. I honestly have no idea why because I sent everything they required, but unfortunately, I figured I should just throw in the towel. So here is my question, does anyone know of any legit MTurk alternatives? I'd prefer websites over apps (but I'm open to apps) that pay via PayPal. I'm not looking for anything that I need a paid membership to use (I don't know if that's a thing with MTurk alternatives, but I just wanted to clarify that one). Please, I'm looking for serious, legit answers only. I'm not going to respond to any spam. If anyone knows of any alternatives, thank you in advance. I'll also search for alternatives on my own, but I thought I'd see if anyone has any experience on any of the websites or apps. Thank you so much, and I hope you all have a great weekend! :)

#Work From Home #Work At Home #Self-Employed #Amazon MTurk #MTurk #MTurk Alternatives #Writing #Writer #Freelance Writing #Freelance Writer #Freelancing #Question

[thingsiwishihadknownsooner]

Combined my two tiny side-hustles into one, by setting up my tiny Mechanical Turk account to wire transfer directly into my tiny E*Trade account.

I love that the process for setting that up was actually quick and simple to do, just using the Mechanical Turk website and the E*Trade app.

#side hustle #mturk #e*trade #$90.14

[besnouted]

i know this is like not a new observation by any means but i am never not amazed when i hear the average conservative, not including grifters who are of course knowingly lying, complain about “conservative censorship” in algorithms. girl have you ever turned your personalized recommendations off on youtube in your life

#i have an account where my watch history is totally off bcus of mturk things and #my front page is like. military propaganda. joe rogan. liberal nonsense AT THE VERY MOST LEFT #you will never see a leftist IN YOUR LIFE be recced to you unprompted #unless idk maybe. MAYBE you count youtube funny guys who probably are but they just dont talk politics for their networking lmao #and even then a lot of the lefty ones arent THAT big that theyre like unprompted homepage rec #even hasan? who is huge? never seen a hasan vid recced to me on vanilla youtube

[olessan]

I love the fact that I can work as hard as I can manage with a broken tooth and a dying tooth (one on each side, I've been chewing on the cavity for a year) and I still cannot save even $10 towards getting dental treatment (2 impacted wisdom teeth, + tooth broken off under the gum, + bad cavity) because I barely make enough to cover my food and board and the insane energy bill

#I'm just ranting don't mind me it's fine I am continuing to exist as usual I may delete this later bc it's a bit of a bummer to read #I prefer to keep my blogging to fun or otherwise nonserious content because it's supposed to be for decompression no real world drama here #I got into a 3 hour body language study and earned $50 so I spent that as fun money on a couple games during the Steam sale just to #take a break from the constant cycle of getting paid and then immediately saying goodbye to all but about 15 cents #(well it was 1 game Slime Rancher 2 and then 2 expansion packs one for Planet Zoo and another for Cities Skylines long play hours mileage) #I've tried to budget to buy small things like a fan or a toothbrush maybe (mine is 8yrs old and doesn't charge sometimes) but NOPE #let alone stashing away over $2000 for the amount of treatment I need given tooth extractions are $200-$500 each #I use about $50 of groceries a week ($30 USD) sometimes up to $80 if I need to buy some extra toiletries or bonuses like ham/falafel/bread #our last quarterly power bill was $1900 FOR NO REASON even for a winter one #olessan oration #the work I have is HIT/mturk type work which pays amazingly well and I am so grateful because I can't work in a traditional environment due #my inability to sleep/wake on anyone else's schedule and need for engaging work but it also means each worker is basically a contract worke #picking their own hours which is VERY HARD to stick to for me since I may also have ADHD-i but that diagnosis also costs like $2000 in Aus #so I'm doing my best fucking lmao #I have a set minimum hours I want to keep up to and move to full time but I am so exhausted by the constant background noise of #the tooth problems that I burn out very quickly #like the tooth ache isn't that bad #the tooth is actively dying but the pain isn't unbearable it just shits me off at all times #it's bearable most of the time and doesn't affect my sleep unless the temp is cold or something #it's been bad this week tho so I've gone through almost all my ibuprofen managing it #the tooth that broke off broke off earlier in the year and the gum has mostly healed over and the dead root is concealed inside my gums now #that stopped being painful in mid 2021 but when it died it was pretty bad it did stop me sleeping for a couple weeks #Christmas 2021 involved me contemplating ripping the tooth out myself lmao #the nerve eventually died seemingly without an abscess #unless I DID have an abscess but that seems extremely unlikely because abscesses are SEVERE AND HORRIBLE AND LIFE THREATENING #sometimes I can feel the tooth ligament wiggling on its own or I like flex it by accident it's so weird bc the tooth is gone so #the ligament is still holding onto the root but with way less weight #anyway I am eating my mac n cheese n veg with the side that has the missing tooth because the cavity tooth has a big bruise along the gumli #gumline which may be from overzealous brushing (I fill the tooth will temporarily filling putty and it needs to be cleaned well when the #putty falls out)

[idonthaveacleverquip]

ALRIGHT! SO! I finally got a job a few weeks ago, but it is far too little money after far too long of none.

I currently have negative monies! And have a large swath of bills due within the next two weeks! So y'all know where this is going...

I've got Ko-Fi commissions!

For $3 a pop you can get a small doodle like these! Art Examples:

I've got Colored Commissions!

For $15 (or 5 Kofi donations) you can get a more detailed, flat colored drawing with a funky background! Art Examples:

And I've got SNAZZY Commissions!

On sale for a limited time! For $45 (or 15 Kofis) you can get a detailed traditional art piece! Art Examples:

Please help me spread the word!

Random donations are also accepted and appreciated (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

#pkmnart #Pokemon #Guzma #Ampharos #xiaolin showdown #dojo kanojo cho #art post #Art Card #art commissions open #life updates #I'm working two jobs AND spamming Mturk but it is not enough #please halp! #patreon #ko fi support

[bzturk]

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#MTurk #WorkFromHome #OnlineJobs #SideHustle #MakeMoneyOnline #Freelancer #HITCatcher #HITGrapper #MTurkFinder #BZTurk #Automation #Meachine learning #Version2.O.2 #artificial intelligence #earnonline

[amazonmturk]

How to Earn $50 Per Day on Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing marketplace that enables individuals and businesses to outsource tasks to a distributed workforce, known as "Workers," to perform tasks that computers cannot easily do. Tasks, known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), can include data processing, image labeling, transcription, and more. Workers can browse available HITs, complete them, and receive compensation for their work. MTurk is often used for tasks that require human judgment or intelligence and is widely used for research, data validation, and content moderation, among other purposes. Types of Work Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) offers a wide variety of tasks, known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), that workers can complete for compensation. Here is a list of common types of HITs found on MTurk:

1. Surveys: Completing surveys for academic research, market analysis, or customer feedback.

2. Data Entry: Entering data from one source into another, such as transcribing receipts or copying text from images.

3. Transcription: Listening to audio recordings and typing out the spoken content, such as transcribing interviews or podcasts.

4. Content Moderation: Reviewing user-generated content, such as images or comments, to ensure it meets a platform's guidelines.

5. Image Tagging: Adding descriptive tags to images to improve searchability and categorization.

6. Categorization: Sorting data or content into predefined categories.

7. Writing: Writing short articles, product descriptions, or reviews.

8. Research Tasks: Finding information online, such as identifying company contact details or researching product specifications.

9. Data Analysis: Analyzing data sets and providing summaries or insights.

10. Content Creation: Creating graphics, videos, or other digital content.

These are just a few examples, and the types of tasks available on MTurk can vary widely depending on the needs of Requesters (those who post tasks) and current market demands.

1. Focus on High-Paying Tasks: While it's tempting to complete as many HITs as possible, focusing on high-paying tasks can significantly increase your earnings on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Tasks like surveys, transcription, and data analysis often pay better than simpler tasks. Look for HITs that offer a higher pay rate per task and prioritize these to maximize your earning potential.

2. Use Scripts and Tools: Utilizing browser extensions and scripts can help you work more efficiently on MTurk. The Bzturk Chrome extension, for example, can assist you in finding and completing HITs more efficiently. Additionally, tools like Turkopticon can help you identify Requesters with a good reputation, ensuring that you are working for reliable and fair employers.

3. Work During Peak Hours: Working during peak hours, such as during the day on weekdays, can increase your chances of finding lucrative tasks. Requesters often post more HITs during these times, giving you more opportunities to earn money. Keep an eye on the availability of HITs and try to schedule your work hours accordingly to maximize your earnings potential,By using the "bzturk" extension to identify peak hours, you can optimize your work schedule and maximize your earnings on Amazon Mechanical Turk.

4. Diversify Your Tasks: While focusing on high-paying tasks is important, it's also beneficial to diversify your tasks to find what works best for you. Trying different types of HITs can help you identify tasks that are more profitable or enjoyable for you to complete. Experimenting with different tasks can also help you discover new opportunities to earn money on MTurk.

5. Set Realistic Goals: Setting a daily earnings goal of $50 per day is a great way to stay motivated and focused on MTurk. Break down your goal into smaller, achievable targets to track your progress and celebrate your achievements. Setting realistic goals can help you stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude towards your work on MTurk.

6. Stay Active and Consistent: Consistency is key to success on MTurk. Regularly checking for new HITs and working consistently can help you maintain a steady income stream. The more active and consistent you are, the more opportunities you'll have to earn money on MTurk.

7. Build Relationships with Requesters: Building relationships with Requesters can lead to more work opportunities and potentially higher earnings. Some Requesters offer bonuses or prefer to assign tasks to Workers they trust. By providing high-quality work and communicating effectively, you can build a good reputation and increase your chances of securing more work from these Requesters.

8. Utilize Qualifications: Some HITs on MTurk require specific qualifications. Working on obtaining these qualifications can open up higher-paying tasks and increase your earning potential. Keep an eye out for qualification opportunities and complete any necessary tests to improve your qualifications and access more lucrative HITs.

9. Keep Track of Your Earnings: Tracking your earnings is essential to monitor your progress and identify areas where you can improve. Use a spreadsheet or other tracking method to record your earnings, the tasks you've completed, and any feedback you've received. Analyzing this data can help you identify patterns, optimize your workflow, and increase your overall earnings on MTurk.

By following these tips and strategies, you can maximize your earnings on How to Earn $50 per day on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)or more.

Here is a sample FAQ for Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk):

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

1. What is Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)?

   - MTurk is a crowdsourcing platform by Amazon that enables businesses to outsource tasks to a distributed workforce (known as Workers) to perform tasks that computers cannot easily do.

2. How does MTurk work for Workers?

   - Workers browse available tasks (HITs) posted by Requesters, complete them, and receive compensation. Tasks can include surveys, data entry, content moderation, and more.

3. How do I get started as a Worker on MTurk?

   - Visit the MTurk website and sign up as a Worker. You will need an Amazon account to get started.

4. How much can I earn on MTurk?

   - Earnings on MTurk vary depending on factors such as the types of tasks completed and the time invested. Some Workers earn a few dollars per day, while others earn more substantial amounts by completing higher-paying tasks.

5. How do I withdraw earnings from MTurk?

   To withdraw earnings from MTurk, workers can transfer funds to an Amazon Payments account or opt for an Amazon.com gift card balance. Bank account withdrawals are available in select regions. Here's a guide to easily earning $50 per day on Amazon MTurk:

Updated for 2024.

#success #economy #startup #amazon #the amazing digital Mturk #technology

[bzturk2024]

#Mturk Worker Extension

[horce-divorce]

i know sites like penny hoarder are just trying to help but my family have sent me these articles for years and im tired of reading the same 5 "money saving tips" over and over again. like this is literally horseradish.... "5 companies that send people money when they're asked nicely." that is SO misleading. #1 and several others on the list are just lenders, specifically lenders to help you pay off existing debt. hey are you broke from having too much debt? take out another loan! hey you stupid fucking idiot peasant! did you know that LENDERS will GIVE YOU FREE* MONEY if you JUST ASK NICELY?!??! (and if you have a credit score of over 620 and also provided you agree to pay back more later!!! dont forget that part!!!!! ITS SO EASY!!!!)

these other ones too... "cancel" your car insurance (and find a cheaper replacement bc you can't just cancel your car insurance like it's a netflix sub); use Honey extension when online shopping (shopping??? bitch, where?? with what money, asshole?); and, as always, the alternative to lending-- just use websites like InboxDollars! Waste away precious moments of your life and watch your brain melt in real time- whoops sorry, I meant "monetize your downtime" by watching and responding to ads for (UP TO!) $225 a month!!! IT'S FREE* MONEY WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING!!!

*sorry but if you're asking me to waste my literal life energy and time i will never get back DOING A TASK or otherwise PROVIDING INFORMATION WHICH YOUR COMPANY NEEDS, motherfucker, THAT IS A JOB. there ought to be a guarantee of compensation, not just a "chance" that you "could" be compensated (or compensating you literal pennies, or fractions of pennies, so they can claim you're compensated at all-- even if you can never get more than like $20). yet that's precisely what all of those watch ads/take surveys for money companies are. this is something that could be an actual honest-to-god Job that they hire someone for but no, if they convince YOU that you are ""making EXTRA POCKET CASH"" by ""monetizing your downtime"" they can just avoid that "expense" of an employee, pocket the extra, and manipulate you into thinking you just did something

something something gig economy hell. im tired

#me #i bet penny hoarder is actually like #sponsored or maybe even owned by some of these companies #its made to look like a down to earth normal human blog but it just isnt #the only thing i ever found on pennyhoarder that actually got me SOME money was Mturk #which like #if you know anything about Mturk really speaks to this whole issue lol #Mturk is not good dont ever fucking do it

[dannyfandomphd]

Moral purity and imaginative resistance as influencing factors in fandom 'anti' attitudes

Jessica Black et al.'s 2019 experiment on the correlation between enjoying dark/villainous characters, personal morality and purity beliefs, and imaginative resistance is so interesting when applying it to anti culture and fandom.

They created a Dark Character Scale where participants self-selected how strongly in agreement or disagreement they were with a series of statements about dark or villainous fictional characters. Some of these questions were the following:

"I enjoy films and books that feature main characters that choose morally questionable actions."

"I can often understand where the bad guys in fiction are coming from."

"My favourite fictional characters are morally ambiguous and often do horrible things."

They then utilised the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (Graham et al. 2011) to see what participants considered important when deciding on whether something is morally right or wrong, for example:

Whether or not someone suffers emotionally

Whether or not someone did something disgusting*

Whether or not someone was cruel

Whether or not someone was denied [their] rights

Whether or not someone acted in a way God would approve of*

as well as how strongly participants agreed or disagreed with statements such as:

Compassion for those who are suffering is the most crucial virtue

People should not do things that are disgusting, even if no one is harmed*

It can never be right to kill a human being

I would call some acts wrong on the grounds that they are unnatural*

Respect for authority is something all children need to learn.

One of the final scales participants used was the Black & Barnes (2017) Imaginative Resistance Scale. This is basically used to gauge how resistant the reader is to enjoying or consuming fictional content that contains characters, situations, or worldbuilding that they personally find morally disagreeable. They had to select how strongly they agreed/disagreed with questions like:

Reading books where bad things are depicted as morally acceptable makes me feel dirty

I just can't go along with a story when it violates my beliefs about morality

At times it feels like the author of a book is asking me to endorse actions that I know are wrong

Some things just shouldn't be done, even within a book

I sometimes cannot go along with a story when the "good" characters do morally reprehensible things

Sympathising with immoral characters makes me feel immoral myself.

Unsurprisingly, analysis of the data revealed that there was a strong correlation between disliking or not enjoying dark fictional characters or villains and having a higher purity morality score and more imaginative resistance.

They performed this test in three studies done on three completely different demographics - the first being mostly liberal women from social media sites, the second being mostly younger conservative college undergrads, and the third being adults split 50/50 in gender recruited from MTurk. All three studies showed that having stronger imaginative resistance and higher purity morality scores is directly linked to a lower score on the DCS - meaning that they would like or enjoy dark fictional characters and their actions less.

This tracks pretty well with what can be seen in the emerging anti culture within fandom:

Self-identified 'antis' are likely to agree strongly with the statements from the Imaginative Resistance Scale, and are more likely to score highly on the questions in Moral Foundations Questionnaire that are specifically demarcated as being concerned with purity (marked above with an asterisk *). This means that they are also, according to these studies, much more likely to disagree with dark fictional characters and their actions.

There is also a very interesting point in one of the discussions areas where Black et al. state "It is worth reiterating that the participants in Study 2 tended to be more conservative, and therefore potentially more likely to have greater concerns about moral purity" which tracks with what people in fandom have been saying about antis parroting conservative/puritan talking points and arguments.

What I find the most interesting is the following statement:

"However, moral purity and imaginative resistance are consistently positively correlated, both in the current studies and in prior research ... and are both likely to reflect a fear of moral contagion that would discourage people from identifying with and liking [dark fictional characters]."

This, when applied to antis, suggests that antis may harbor the subconscious belief that enjoying dark fictional content, and therefore being a 'proshipper', is literally psychically contagious. They may view this as some kind of moral disease which is spreading and infecting fandom, which could explain why they are so vehemently against it - fear. This is the puritan Moral Panic all over again.

Black et al. also discuss theories of fictional engagement and parasocial relationships/identification, and whether these studies is relevant to "when and for whom fictional engagement could have the potential to negatively affect real world attitudes or behaviour".

Jessica Black and Jennifer Barnes often publish articles together and have some incredibly interesting reading of morality and fiction that I'd be interested to see applied to fandom and anti culture in an academic setting. Perhaps some people in the field like Samantha Aburime (@rainystudios) are already looking into it - and I'm hoping I can do the same in my studies.

#fan studies #fandom studies #proship #proshipping #profic #fandom history