social turkers:

crowdsourced dating

MTurk options:

Avg MTurk interaction rating: 2.8

(more…)

MTurk options:

Avg MTurk interaction rating: 3.2

Best response of the evening:

‘man seems to pity her and find her exquisite at the same time. WOMAN SEEMS TO HAVE STUMBLED UPON THE WAY TO LIVE!’

(more…)

MTurk options:

Avg MTurk interaction rating: 2.8

I set up the interface tonight to allow the workers to suggest and vote on lines for me to say, rather than having them all come through causing me to have to spew constant nonsense. I’m interested in the possibility for the workers to work together and influence each other. Previously, I could recite the lines as they came in at rapid random pace, feeling like I was just some character detached from the reality of the situation. As the lines came less frequently, I am able to work them more naturally into the conversation and use them as a guide, pushing us in unexpected directions. I no longer feel like just a character or an avatar; the distinction before between performance and reality gets blurrier for me. One of the main goals of this project is to try to create some sort of freedom from myself. As directions come to say things I wouldn’t normally, I’m suddenly made aware of how many limitations I normally have. I realize that I hold onto this self concept and consider certain actions outside the set of things I do. As I submit to the directions, it feels at first completely uncomfortable. Somewhere halfway through the date though, I realize I really can break out of myself a bit. The realization is overwhelmingly powerful.

(more…)

MTurk options:

I describe the project to him and explain that he can use the workers as sort of wingmen, asking them questions and getting responses without my knowing the content of their communication. Is this a cover story, he asks. The FBI might concoct a story as strange as mine to misdirect attention, he tells me. I assure him it’s not and wonder why that is his first instinct. With this issue apparently settled, he’s interested and into the idea, but as soon as I turn on the camera he tenses up and gets nervous to think of everyone watching. This is something I’ve never felt, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been working with and thinking about these technologies for so long, or because I feel some more control as the creator of the system. For me, the gaze of the workers seems to provide company and comfort. He asks one questions, but due to a technical issue the system isn’t working tonight. This on the fly coding I’ve been doing is catching up with me. Disappointing, as it seemed to be going somewhere interesting…

(more…)

MTurk options:

More to come…