NYT @ SXSW: Getting a decent data connection at SXSW can be a challenge, given...
Crowdsourcing goes off the rails. This is such a staggering example of exploitation and poor taste I hardly know where to begin.
Getting a decent data connection at SXSW can be a challenge, given that it attracts what may be the most data-hungry crowd in the world. With a project called Homeless Hotspots, a marketing company is helping out with this, while helping the homeless and promoting itself. Homeless people have…
Preamble to a new journalism manifesto
I managed to cram Jay Rosen’s treatise on the “view from nowhere,” the fantasy of newsroom meritocracy and the the dangerous, false premise of “digital first” into one interview on the future of journalism. Thoughts?
Million Dollar Crowdturfing Industry Dupes Social Networks
This is a new one on me: “crowdturfing” as in fake crowdsourcing.
h/t bowlinearl
“Three weeks ago Slashdot featured a story on the Chinese Water Army. A new study from researchers at UCSB delves even deeper into the problem of crowdturfing (full disclosure: I am one of the authors of the study). The study reveals that evil crowdsourcing services in China are a multi-million dollar industry, and that the number of jobs and the amount of money are growing exponentially. Hundreds of thousands of workers are involved, including a small contingent of career crowdturfers who each manage hundreds of accounts on social networks. The researchers observed the behavior of workers and the unwitting users who click on the generated spam by infiltrating the two largest crowdsourcing sites in China. However, crowdturfing isn’t confined to China: the researchers discovered crowdsourcing sites in the U.S. that are 95% astroturf, as opposed to Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, which actively polices itself, and is only 12% astroturf.”
Crowdsourcing crime
If true, this is mighty disturbing.
Apparently, online crime bosses are using crowdsourcing techniques to trick unsuspecting microtask workers into cracking email passwords and serving as virtual mules to launder money.
Charlielie Jourdan notes in the post’s comments that a crowdsourcing “fair trade” seal of approval would be a worthwhile discussion at the upcoming CrowdConf in San Francisco to help thwart malicious efforts.
Effective open innovation in social games
Fred Skoler’s points on overcoming hurdles in social game development have important analogs to crowdsourced journalism:
- know your audience/meet them where they live online
- have clear goals/timelines
- be flexible in your implementation
- justify the need for building own technology vs modifying existing tools
- keep the experience fresh and new for users
- identify the long-term ROI/benefits for the project
Crowdsourcing satellite imagery in conflict zones
An astounding project described by the inestimable Patrick Meier. The applications for using high resolution satellite imagery as the foundation for contextualized eyewitness investigative reporting are huge.
A brief history of crowdsourcing (1714-2011)
A fascinating look back at the nearly 400 year history of crowdsourcing. The web and social media offer great opportunities for rapidly scaling the crowd but it still and always will boil down to solving a defined problem.
The next time you read a map or enjoy a can of chicken noodle soup, thank the crowd.
How Andy Carvin uses Twitter to report on the Middle East
If you’re not following @acarvin you’re completely missing out on a true revolution in journalism — crowdsourced-verified social media newsgathering.
Congratulations to Andy on winning the 2011 Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism.
Library's "Living Books" program will loan human experts
An interesting fork of the “expertise crowdsourcing” concept.
The power of social media on the Egyptian uprising
Tanja and Hanna are now on the ground in Cairo investigating the effects of crowdsourcing and social media technologies on the Egyptian pro-democracy movement. Their Spot.us pitch is closing in on 50 percent funded and still in need of financial support. Can you help?
