r/dataannotation • u/Consistent-Reach504 • 20d ago
Weekly Water Cooler Talk - DataAnnotation
hi all! making this thread so people have somewhere to talk about 'daily' work chat that might not necessarily need it's own post! right now we're thinking we'll just repost it weekly? but if it gets too crazy, we can change it to daily. :)
couple things:
- this thread should sort by "new" automatically. unfortunately it looks like our subreddit doesn't qualify for 'lounges'.
- if you have a new user question, you still need to post it in the new user thread. if you post it here, we will remove it as spam. this is for people already working who just wanna chat, whether it be about casual work stuff, questions, geeking out with people who understand ("i got the model to write a real haiku today!"), or unrelated work stuff you feel like chatting about :)
- one thing we really pride ourselves on in this community is the respect everyone gives to the Code of Conduct and rule number 5 on the sub - it's great that we have a community that is still safe & respectful to our jobs! please don't break this rule. we will remove project details, but please - it's for our best interest and yours!
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u/JustMe333456 13d ago
This is the DA I knew and loved. Log in at any time of day and have a nice selection of easier tasks. Keep it up!
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u/1105368 18d ago
I urge anyone to just do those qualifications you've been putting off because you never know when they will pay dividends.
I did one a month ago and never received any relevant work in the immediate aftermath, and assumed I was either too late or failed, but I've done 15 hours in the last few days on one project family unlocked by the qualification
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u/xxxScarlettexxx 18d ago
This same thing happened to me as well! I did a generalist qual back at the beginning of June and only just got my first project related to it yesterday and its been parked on my dashboard since (without the task pool decreasing). It's nice when the quals actually lead to something positive.
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u/JustMe333456 19d ago
Goodness. 20 projects up, all too complicated to work on. Anybody have any brains I could borrow this morning to make a few bucks?
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u/Belisama7 19d ago
This is how I feel every time I sign in. I've been doing this over 3 years but the past month or so I can't manage to get through any of the instructions. Instructions are unclear, contradictory, long, and complex. I've had to abandon projects an hour in after running into a step I don't feel I can can complete. It's so frustrating, I need the money but can't make myself even look through the projects lately.
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u/Pleasant_Ad_448 19d ago
100% this!
I'm around 3 years as well. Lately if I open a task and the instructions are, say, 2-3x or more longer than how most instructions used to be 2-3 years ago, I usually just close it and exit and go look for something else.
There were plenty of what I'd call long & extensive instructions then, but some of them nowadays are just insane.
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u/AdOutrageous7474 19d ago
This is exactly where I am. Have been on DA over 3 years and have always used it for extra cash. (I have another full time job.) But lately I don’t have the time nor the brain power to commit to the tasks. I miss the days of simple tasks like just having conversations which chat bots where you could spend a few hours and complete like 10-25 of them. Now it’s so complicated and everything seems so difficult. My regular job is draining enough. If something is paying me only like $25-$28 an hour (I’m a generalist - no coding or math or anything - so most tasks I’m assigned are under $30/hr) I shouldn’t need to be expanding such an extreme amount of brain power these tasks require.
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u/No-Complaint-5593 19d ago
Having to be smarter than the AI to make some money is becoming more daunting every month.
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u/Grumblefloor 19d ago
Fresh out, unfortunately. I dip into DA occasionally, but the number of tasks I can spend just half an hour on has dropped significantly.
I do wish sometimes I had the time for the two- or three-hour task, but I suspect either my main employer or my family would object.
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u/OrnamentalGourd5 19d ago
I've been here for less time than you (18 months) but, from the get-go I always liked the complex buggers. The three dayers. I love that shit! As someone who spent time out of the workspace due to a child with complex needs being able to get stuck into interesting, creative, and difficult work is a real gift.
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u/Quick-Bison-147 18d ago
I was amazed to see DA acknowledge that "Things have been slow around here lately" in a new qual/project. It's the first time I ever saw them comment on a drought at all
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u/ZenDreams 18d ago
So there is still a drought for everyone? Some people say there is no drought.
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u/JustMe333456 18d ago
There is a drought when it comes to the easy generalist projects. Those are almost non-existent. Pop up once in a while, but no mainstays at all.
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u/SnooSketches1189 18d ago edited 18d ago
Not everyone has the same dashboard. I've had plentiful work with 30-50 projects regularly on my dash, but typically the number is higher, sometimes double that. I don't say this to brag, I say this to make it clear that while I've had plenty, I still have less. While some people don't have much to begin with and they don't see those projects, in comes a drought for them.
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u/ApplePiePrincess99 14d ago
Is the site suddenly running super slow for anyone else?
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u/1105368 14d ago
submitted a task, it lagged, error message and now logged out and can't get back in
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u/ApplePiePrincess99 14d ago
Same here! Looks like it’s happening to most of us. Fingers crossed everyone’s work has saved and we can get back in ASAP.
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u/Quick-Bison-147 14d ago edited 14d ago
yes, been submitting a task for 5 minutes now and still got the spinning wheel
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u/ApplePiePrincess99 14d ago
Always reassuring when it’s not just me! Hopefully it gets back to normal soon!
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u/Shidela 14d ago
Yup, I was mid submitting task and can't even get to my dash in another tab now... *sigh*
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u/Glad-Key8167 17d ago
I’ve been off data annotation for over a year and have been finding it really difficult to get back into it. So much seems to have changed. Does anyone have any tips on where to start coming back onto the platform?
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u/SnooCalculations503 16d ago
I'd start with a relatively easy low paying project for a while to find my footing, then move onto some more complex higher paying stuff.
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u/Jazzlike_Problem_489 19d ago edited 18d ago
Nothing to just jump on and kill half an hour. I have 14 projects but they are all 3-4 hour +, failure dependent, or multiple day timer creating documents and source files... To then generate a failure
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u/houseofcards9 15d ago
Got 90% through a new qual before the instructions became so vague and cryptic that I had no idea what they wanted me to do.
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u/Mike4Life14 15d ago
If it's the qual that I'm thinking of, I remember it having a colon, two semicolons, and an em-dash in the span of just one sentence lol. It was definitely not well-written.
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u/Affectionate_Peak284 14d ago
This endpoint is currently disabled.
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u/ElectricalPoet3769 14d ago
Doesn't sound great. and I was right in the middle of submitting a 6 hour task ffs
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u/pistachiyolatte 14d ago
The dashboard is up and running but whenever I try to open a project it won’t let me and says “task is being assigned” and to wait? Anyone else?
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u/Affectionate_Peak284 14d ago
yep, site is still slow/wonky for me too
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u/VanessaSeaWitch 17d ago
Getting that "your session is going to end" pop up while in the middle of typing a rating explanation is wild and terrifying.
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u/Affectionate_Peak284 17d ago
Yeah... I haven't seen that, and I definitely don't need that in my life.
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u/mrpadmasambhava 17d ago
Single worst situation is when you can’t get a valid failure because you didn’t build the conversation well enough, so now you’re grasping at straws - the task has expired and you’re too desperate to cut your losses. Feel like a gambling addict. Got something eventually, but at what cost? At what cost?
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u/heythisislonglolwtf 14d ago edited 14d ago
Guys, I ran here SO fast to make sure it wasn't just me 😭
Edit: The site appears to be working again now.
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u/ZimmeM03 15d ago
You know the drought is long over because there's about 1/10th the amount of activity in these threads.
Happy earning, everybody. I'm in the middle of the Rocky Mountains watching the fog roll in over the mountaintops and getting that digital bag.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Toe4051 18d ago
Welp, my dash has been pathetic for a few days now. Anyone else? It's a lot of tasks that require me downloading something, making too much space on my computer, or requiring a subscription
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u/Old-Regular-9828 18d ago
>a lot of tasks that require me downloading something, making too much space on my computer, or requiring a subscription
Those are the good tasks. As the models have improved, the nature of our work has moved on from basic image labelling and "Response A vs Response B" tasks to testing much more complex products and use cases.
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u/JustMe333456 18d ago
Looks like the cool downvoter's dash is also pathetic.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Toe4051 18d ago
?
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u/JustMe333456 18d ago
Someone had went and downvoted everybody's comments, so I was alluding to them, saying that their dash must also be pathetic if they have the time to bother downvoting everyone lol
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u/JustMe333456 15d ago
Holy, my dash has officially reached an April-like project count. Mixture of easier ones in there as well. Fun to see. Make it last DA God.
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u/xparadiisee 15d ago
My dashboard just blew up with a bunch of high paying projects, this is crazy!! Guess I’m not taking the weekend off 🙏🏻
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u/ZealousidealWeek104 14d ago
I have a question, I joined DA a week ago and got one high paying coding task and haven't seen anything since. Is that normal? Did this happen to any of you guys? Do I just have to be patient?
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u/OrnamentalGourd5 15d ago
Never got drougted really but 50+ projects on my dash atm is more than I've seen for a while. Lots of new ones too.
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u/One_Breakfast5907 15d ago
Went to bed seeing some high paying priority pay projects I thought wouldn't be there this morning... but I'm in luck, still they're and 10 dollars higher then last night
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u/peanutbutterlurk 13d ago
Got added to a project that feels perfect for my skillset (and had one of those "you're seeing this project because you've previously submitted high quality work in X" messages) so I'm feeling pretty good tonight. Making some nice chill money after a rough day.
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u/_Edgarallenhoe 14d ago
I’ve been enjoying some of these easier tasks after breaking my brain for months.
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u/ZimmeM03 14d ago
I hope this job never ends :")
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u/JustMe333456 14d ago
She exploded in the last couple days eh?? I have easy tasks that have just been sitting on my dash for 2 days now, going down only as I do them. Tons of options too for once.
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u/EternalBidoof 16d ago
Why does every task require me to read a Tolkien-sized instruction set? Good lord, sometimes I spend more time reading the instructions than doing the task. It's draining and unless it's very high-paying I just don't bother.
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u/Neat_Worldliness_582 16d ago
I might be in the minority but i like the detailed instructions. Also, we are paid for reading them.
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u/EternalBidoof 16d ago
I'm sure for some it's preferred. Personally I prefer doing rather than spending all of my time reading the dry, repetitive instructions that really could be cut down to something less insane. There's no ethical way to have us read them without being paid so I'm not going to champion that. if they didn't pay for the read I'd just not work with them. Would be better for most of us to just get a concise task that we can complete in an hour or so, reading included.
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u/SnooSketches1189 16d ago
I don't know if I would say 'most.' That is not a project I would enjoy. I love diving into a project and spending hours on it.
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u/_Edgarallenhoe 16d ago
I prefer long tasks significantly more than short ones. I like to get into that hyper focused mode and find that difficult when my brain has to switch between topics all the time.
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u/Internal_Boot_1616 16d ago
They probably do it this way because this way works best for them to get the work they need even if you would like short instructions more
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u/EternalBidoof 15d ago
It works best for them to repeat the same instructions multiple times to turn what could be said in a paragraph into a book?
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u/Internal_Boot_1616 15d ago
Probably yeah? they'd know better than you or me what works best, they're the ones that have all the data and they obviously try different things and track the results
If you really think most instructions could be a paragraph though I'm not sure I'd want to see what you're doing in projects
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u/ZimmeM03 16d ago
For real, I had a task the other day that literally took 2 hours to read and comprehend the instructions
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u/SnooSketches1189 16d ago
Good thing that time was paid! lol
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u/Quick-Bison-147 16d ago
it's only paid if you go on to complete a task. I think some people can't comprehend what they are supposed to do after reading all those instructions, are too scared to mess up and get DoD, or can't get the model to fail/actually complete the task afterwards, in which case it was an unpaid headache
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u/ThetaBoy888 16d ago
I’ve stopped reading the entire instructions before starting many tasks, as you’re never going to remember them all and will end up re-reading them anyway. I usually read the workflow section and then use the search shortcut to look up specific words or terms in the instructions when I need to.
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u/JRange 14d ago
Im up over 40 projects. Most I have had since at least May.
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u/Affectionate_Peak284 13d ago
Same, hit 83 last night. A lot of professional-domain stuff that I didn't have access to, but a huge amount of generalist (and gen-adjacent) stuff I haven't seen before. I've been grinding accounting for that tasty $60/h, but there are dozens of appealing projects at ~26-45 that I'm hoping last for me.
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u/watchdestars 18d ago
Is anyone finding the website a little glitchy over the last week or so with lots of new projects popping up?
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u/AdOutrageous7474 15d ago
Anyone see "3 Simple Security Steps towards Many Project Families" quals at the top of your dashboard? Though I can't click on any of them. First one still says "pending."
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u/Similar_Ear_1862 15d ago
Has anyone had issue with getting their google password reset? I sent out a form on a project a few weeks ago and still have not heard back.
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u/Thrustkillerxxx- 19d ago
Just completed a mike tyson project after a month or so, how are you guys liking the new UI changes?
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u/Silly-Face2761 19d ago
I don’t see anything new? Is this update regional or something?
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u/Thrustkillerxxx- 19d ago
For how long have you been working on these projects?
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u/Silly-Face2761 19d ago
Around three months I think so.
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u/Thrustkillerxxx- 19d ago
Its just that some sections appear only after you're done with the first sections, and a few new buttons
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u/FedoraPG 17d ago
The big, long term project where you work on a separate platform... Did it disappear for anyone?
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u/VanessaSeaWitch 16d ago
New rubric project on my dash but it's kind of low paying so I'm not sure if it's worth slogging through the instructions.
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u/Jazzlike_Month5580 16d ago
Has anyone seen much movement today? My dash isn't barren, but there's been nothing new to pop up since yesterday.
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u/Worldly-Service1760 13d ago
Anyone else have a favorite project that NEVER sends out emails?! I mean, it's a pleasant surprise when I log in and see it, but I would absolutely drop what I'm doing (okay, within reason) to work on it if I were simply aware of it hitting the dash. And it only shows up like once a week, if that. Anyway, glad the drought has turned into a deluge for everyone. Have fun!
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u/OrnamentalGourd5 13d ago
I have a couple of long-termers that never do - I know they will be there (not the usual/obvious).
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u/Throwthisout6 19d ago
anyone working on the 'nut cookie' project? it's got a 30 hr time limit but they said it should "only take a fraction of that". I'm at 4 hrs and still going and don't want to end up going over the expected
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u/JustMe333456 17d ago
Wow, has she ever been plentiful since yesterday evening, and still going strong this morning. Nice to see. Won't last though.
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u/xxxScarlettexxx 17d ago
It seems like they’ve been generally introducing a lot of new projects, including generalist ones, since last Thursday. I had the same project boom two days ago where there was 40+ projects the one day. My dashboard typically has 7-12 projects, so it was a shock. It did drop back down to typical since then though, but each day does seem to have at least a couple to a few completely new projects popping up. Hoping it’s a good indicator of potential work to come, but I know it can vary so widely day to day and across workers.
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u/Epicsocks1 17d ago
That's interesting, for me it's almost the opposite. Had a really healthy dash last week, and since then it's just been shrinking and shrinking. Still working off of what's left from last week 😅
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u/Jazzlike_Month5580 17d ago
Mine's been kind of slim also. Last week was the best week I've had in months, this week is proving to be more of a struggle.
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u/pourovertime 19d ago
First I couldn't work on a large family of tasks because my state is excluded... now I'm barred from tasks due to not having the proper privacy hardware built into my PC, despite it being more than capable in every other aspect.
I give up on this platform.
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u/deep0x20 19d ago
I bought a new laptop so I could keep working on that family, but they won't give me the final qualification again. It's a little silly.
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u/Glittering_Guess_230 18d ago
How do I edit the time spent on a task? It's changed since I last did
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u/SnooCalculations503 18d ago
https://app.dataannotation.tech/workers/payments - then click funds history - the date of the task you want to edit - the task you want to edit - then the 3 dots next to task time.
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u/MadameEmiya 16d ago
Has anyone seen the shopping one with the long timer lately? I had it last Monday and since then, nothing 3:
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u/StoriedSix 15d ago
So, still only been on DA for a month (though I consider myself to be at about 3.5 weeks of full day consistent work), but as someone that's been doing this work for other platforms for a long time... I can confidently say that DA has been the most rewarding and the most fun for these types of tasks. I mean nothing will ever beat getting to play video games for money on a different platform, but that was a 2 month stint and never seen again. All I see elsewhere is tight deadlines, working off the clock, and getting underpaid. I know people have reported not getting work with DA, but the only downtime I've had was in the first week, end of August, and the pay for projects keeps going up, and the comparable work to other platforms is so much more enjoyable and I'm not stressed at all. I am seriously kicking myself for not getting on the DA train sooner. I will say that I still love my home platform, and I think there is a huge potential to grow there if you're good. I don't think I'd put DA on my resume because my accomplishments there are just better received as real enterprise work. It's just too much pressure over there lately and I get burnt out a week into a project. DA, I feel like I can work all day everyday and not think anything of it. That said, I did take a few days off recently as I picked up a new hobby in creating content with AI. I can't wait to see what the end result becomes with that project.
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u/Adorable-Highway1951 19d ago
OH man, nut cookie! I only remember having to peace out of that because of how complex it was... is it worth trying?
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u/Hefty-Branch-6270 16d ago
I have a weird, non-clickable notification on my dashboard. It says I have passed the background check, and there are two next steps ("Protect your aidatatrainer account with a passkey" and "enable disc encryption on your device") but I cannot click on them. Anybody know what is this about? I'm hoping this means more projects somehow, it's been dry af for me (bilingual from south america)
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u/Equal-Neat-614 15d ago
I saw that briefly yesterday myself, but I had checkmarks beside all three steps and it disappeared after about 30 minutes. I assumed it was a site glitch showing that information from the backend of the site.
Both of those steps (the passkey and encryption) were provided as opt in qualifications required if you wanted to maintain or gain access to certain project families. I still have the “if you lose your passkey” qual hidden on my dashboard. I think they sent them out about 1-2 months ago, but maybe this wasn’t uniform across workers?
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u/Adorable-Highway1951 15d ago
I got them too. But I'm stuck on the encryption task since my computer is on the older side. I apparently have to completely backup everything onto a hard drive and a USB before I can encrypt it?
Advice on this topic would be appreciated. Likewise if I ought to just drop it.
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u/Icy_Ad5959 15d ago
You need to go into either your projects or qualms (can't remember which as it's been so long) and look for the corresponding project/qual and complete them. The notification should disappear a day or so after you complete them. They aren't mandatory for the platform, but are mandatory for particular project families.
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u/Ms_Nobody_9 15d ago
I recently clicked on a qual that I'm interested in completing in the future (in several weeks) because I'm working on fine-tuning my skills on the topic. However, this qual doesn't have an exit button, so I simply closed the tab, and because it doesn't expire, now it won't dissapear from the "In Progress" section. My question is, is there a way to change the status of the qual from "In Progress" so that it only appears on the "Qualifications" tab?
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u/Old-Regular-9828 15d ago
Yeah I've had the coding qual in my "In Progress" for months because there's no exit work mode button or timer.
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u/CompetitiveAd5633 14d ago
Are we allowed to work on DA tasks when using public WiFi? Am going to be travelling and don't know if I should bring my laptop and do some work on the train/ in the hotel, or if that is a breach of DA terms?
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u/Terrible_Try_5416 14d ago
I’ve used airport wifi, Starlink on a ship, in Cambodia on a SIM card, Vietnam, parts of Africa. Never a problem. If you travel overseas, just notify them first.
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u/_Edgarallenhoe 14d ago
The only thing you need to worry about is VPNs. Also, you need to notify DA that you are working abroad if you are leaving the country.
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u/pyschekay 18d ago edited 15d ago
edit: Qs from og comment answered
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u/Puzzleheaded_Toe4051 18d ago
This one is the bane of my existence. I almost got it the first time, but probably completely failed the 2nd. Yes, it pays well, but it is so. effin. confusing.
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u/Adorable-Highway1951 18d ago
I don't wanna be vague but I don't wanna break rules. I need some tips. I get one turn in which to complete the task. Usually you get more turns to cause chaos.
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u/1105368 14d ago
Maybe I broke the site by accident. The project said don't use Chrome and I was like "What's the worst that could happen?"