Tools to help you maximize your cash flow at Mturk and other money making sites

This page was initially created to share my success at adapting DCI New Hit Monitor to eliminate "You have exceeded the maximum allowed page request rate for this website" error but has turned into a collection of all the tools I am using in my quest to earn and collect pennies from the internet.

Mturk discussion

    Most of my online money is made at Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) where requesters offer varying amounts of money for workers to perform small HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks). There are far too many details to discuss them on this page but many find it prudent to begin by only working for reputable requesters by screening them with tools such as Turkopticon.

    You can find a lot of help online and a lot of support on the forums. Most people find it well within reason to expect $10 a day and many routinely hit $20 or more. The most dedicated full-timers sometimes manage to position themselves to expect to exceed $100/day (do not expect it).

  • Mills Family Friendly Mturk Forum is less active than others while in the growing stage and has a smaller user base but the people there are as helpful and friendly as you will find anywhere.
  • Mturk WIKI has a lot of useful information. It also hosts a small forum which I have not been involved with but based on the character of the main page I am sure answers to any questions presented will be thoughtful and friendly.
  • Mturk Forum has a very active user base with a higher than usual turnover due in part by site problems and forum drama exacerbated by exclusionary management decisions and certain individualized selective moderation. Many awesome and helpful members remain to support the core, though. Most of the action and help can be found in their daily Great HITS thread by simply asking.
  • Mturk Grind was formed by and is the home for many fleeing former Mturk Forum members. I personally find the interface unsettling on the eyes but many love it and there are a great many awesome and helpful people there also, some of which you will see at other forums. Their Great Hits thread can be a great support tool until you learn to search on your own as with Mturk Forum. You may see some who harbor resentment toward their former hangout which can manifest itself toward members who may accidentally say something nice about the other place.
  • Reddit/r/mturk or the associated FAQ page is where a lot of people are comfortable starting if they are already associated with Reddit. They maintain a page of current recommended links but the time spent to verify each link often leads you to an expired task.
  • Other forums such as Turker Nation and Cloud Me Baby had elements that did not appeal to me at the time I was searching for a forum so I have no experience with them to share.
  • There are many other resources which I have not explored and many things to learn that I have yet to discover.

Mturk Handy Bookmarklets

    Bookmarklets (aka scriptlets) do not actually go to any page. They are little strings of javascript that are stored in your browser like micro-webpages that do nothing until you click on them. You can click on the link to see if you like what it does. If so, you can drag it into your bookmark bar or favorites folder to have it ready to use any time you desire just by clicking on it. These consume minimal system resources and sometimes can replace a user script or extension. The first one I made for myself, the others I found around the web and neglected to note the source.
  • User ID bookmarklet is very handy on your bookmark toolbar to quickly access your User ID (or any other note you want on hand). From your bookmark toolbar you can right click to edit it with your personal info or you can go to this User ID bookmarklet page to customize it before saving.
  • Page Refresh: To set a page or tab up to refresh automatically you do not need to install an extension or program. This tiny scriptlet will do it for you.WARNING: This may cause problems trying to use it on Mturk. I had not looked at the code but the author used frames which might trap the Mturk page and give unstable results. I am working on a reliable solution and will update when successful.
  • Chrome Dual View: This tool is not quite as nice as an extra monitor but it sure can come in handy.
  • View Source: For javascript generated pages that do not reveal the source; this scriptlet will show you what your browser is seeing.

Browser Additions for Mturk

    Extensions
  • MTurk HIT DataBase for Chrome || MTurk HIT DataBase for Firefox
    Mturk HIT Database is highly recommended. It keeps a record of all HITS you have done and color codes them while you are searching. This comes in very handy when requesters expect you to remember whether you have done their HITs to avoid rejection.
  • Page Monitor for Chrome
    Page Monitor runs in the background searching for your favorite requesters. Too many requesters added can lead to the problems that led to installing DCI HIT Monitor but I still use it for a backup for those HITS you never want to take a chance of missing such as Acme, Endor, or your own user ID to catch that HIT some requester finally got around to making up for the HIT you complained about two months ago.
  • Check4Change for Firefox
    This program refrshes a tab and plays music when anything changes. It is the closest you can get to Page Monitor if you use Firefox, plus it is a superior tool when you start working with auto accept links.
  • Auto Refresh Plus for Chrome
    This is similar to Check4Change but it runs on Chrome. It bogged down a previous version of Chrome for me so I had to disable it but I am now trying it again on an updated version (so far so good) because it is a superior tool for working with auto accept links.
  • AMT Tools for Chrome
    This extension for Chrome is not from the Chrome Webstore so it is more trouble to install but worth it because it gives you 12 option boxes that do a lot of the stuff recommended as separate scripts. I could not get it working on Firefox but I left it installed because it did alert me when I hit a captcha. show <== AMT option box
  • Context Menu Search for Chrome
    Highlight any text then right click to do specific searches in another window or scroll down to go to your options page. This tool is most useful as a forum tool to quickly search for hits that do not provide a decent link, but it is handy for some HITs also. You can set up custom searches on this tool that give you many time saving options when looking for and performing Mturk tasks. After installing it go to your options page and click on "Other options" to customize it. The following link is some searches I have used on Mturk that you can over-write the contents of that box to get started: Context Menu Search option string After replacing the default code and saving your changes you will have several more options; then you can easily go to "Manage Current Options" and remove or disable the ones you are not using yet.
  • Open Frame for Chrome
    I believe this ability is native in Firefox but I needed an extension in Chrome. Popping a frame open in another tab is an option I sometimes need to enable allowing permissions for some scripts to work.
  • imgur Extension for Chrome || imgur Extension for Firefox
    This makes it easy to upload images to share with others or for your own reference. I often use it to document errors encountered in HITs or if things are acting funny (as they often do).
  • Screen Capture for Windows
    There are a great number of options to capture images, this just happens to be the one I use. If you send your image to the clipboard you can then click anywhere in the imgur tab then control-v to quickly upload.
  • Adblock Plus for Chrome or Firefox
    This should actually be disabled for Mturk and related HITs. I am including it because I like it so much for general surfing.
    User Scripts
  • Tampermonkey for Chrome | Greasemonky for FireFox
    Tampermonkey and Greasemonky are the containers on the browser to enable you to run personal scripts such as those written by other users and shared.
  • Turkopticon for Chrome or Firefox
    This is a must-have for Mturk to allow you to see reviews of requesters to determine the level of risk you are willing to extend for the pennies they offer.
  • DCI Hit Monitor for Chrome or Firefox
    My perferred method to search my favorite HITs or requesters.
  • HIT Scraper for Chrome or Firefox
    This is a wonderful tool to have in your arsenal to help you quickly find unknown tasks.
  • mmmturkeybacon Color Coded Search for Chrome of Firefox
    When performing searches this tool color codes the requester results based on user reviews.
  • mmmturkeybacon AutoApprove Time and Ghost HIT Buster for Chrome or Firefox
    I use this tool to let me know when preview links are dead so I do not waste time chasing them.
  • Mturk List does not require installation until you decide to contribute but it should be mentioned in the context of search tools. It is an interesting resource to help search the more desirable tasks and may become even more significant with enough community support.
  • CrowdSource Workstation Monitor for Chrome or Firefox
    I felt the need to modify a version of the DCI Hit Monitor to monitor the CrowdSource workstation. This version is set up to use the Alert by default because lately their keyword resets have been small, sporadic, and disappear quickly. Click here to install the CrowdSource Workstation Monitor. This is only if you have specific tasks you want to watch for from CrowdSource.
  • Don't track me Google for Chrome of Firefox
    This tool removes the google wrapper to give you the correct URL when right-clicking a google link.
  • mmmturkeybacon Scroll To Workspace for Chrome of Firefox
    This script puts the proper focus on HITs to accept and work them without excess scrolling around.
  • mmmturkeybacon Survey Row Highlight for Chrome or Firefox
    This a very handy script to make sure you are clicking on the correct row when caught in a nightmare of bubbles.
  • Clear Radio Button for Chrome or Firefox
    Very handy to have when you click on something right before you read the instruction that says, "If you click here your work will be rejected". Instructions like that acre called "Attention Checks" or "AC" on the forums.
  • Other related scripts Tjololo profile
    There are some very popular scripts that I did not mention because some are specific to specific forums or some involve helping you automate the steps of some tasks. The latter are dis-allowed per Amazon TOS so they will not be discussed here. If you wish to see an example you can visit the link above and scroll down to the scripts in the signature.

 

 


The comment box is a third party insert because I was too lazy to build my own. I have not had success testing the reply notification email ability. If you enter your email address it will be visible to me when I am logged in and gets sent to htmlcommentbox.com but is not otherwise visible.
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DCI New HIT monitor (with links)

- modified by mralaska

    Are you tired of seeing this error?
    Pro Tip below can help you eliminate "You have exceeded the maximum allowed page request rate for this website." from Mturk searches

    Update 04/19/2014 -

    Changes made:
    • No major changes to functionality except now able to run simultaneously in both link and alert mode.
    • Changed code to proactively prevent automatic updates (updates will wipe out your personalized requester list)
    • Minor changes to make modifications less confusing and easier editing.

  • The latest (my version) is uploaded here: Install DCI New HIT monitor (with links)

    It should install itself by clicking on the link. You might also wish to tweak the code to customize the settings for your preferences and searches. (instructions and examples included in the source code)

    Update 03/27/2014

    The original DCI version may be enough for some people (notes below). On the DCI page he links to a forum tutorial with installation tips.

    My version adds a little complexity. Most notably the option to generate a page of links instead of or in addition to an alert which can be more distracting.

    Any question or problem feel free to track me down on one of the forums (I am slow at noticing PM) or click here to shoot me a message

    DESCRIPTION: This script monitors the recently created HITs on Mturk and compares it to a list of search terms that you can customize. It will then either open a page of links for you to follow or you can set it to issue an alert and freeze the search page for your review. Customization is accomplished using the source code but notes are provided in the code as directions. The approach of this script differs from applications such as Page Monitor because those applications make a separate query for each search string. This application makes a single query and compares it to a list that can be as long as you want it (I currently refresh once per second checking against a list of 500+ requesters). The disadvantage, compared to Page Monitor type programs, is that a HIT can sneak past you if you are stalled or using too slow a refresh rate. The default is 5 seconds which should be fast enough in normal circumstances.

    My favorite advantage with this script is that I can search for an unlimited number of requesters without tripping the error:
    "You have exceeded the maximum allowed page request rate for this website."
    See pro tip below for more details to eliminate this error essentially completely (some comfort and understanding with scripts required for that part).

    /*********************************
    * This script is based on the DCI script version 9000 from http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/399555
    * The major difference is that this version selects an option by default to create a link page instead of freezing the tab using an alert
    * Query lists can be copied and pasted to and from the DCI script
    * LINK mode (default) opens a new page and adds links and makes a noise every new match
      * best when multitasking or if you have a lot of search queries and wish to ignore some alerts
      * the script will continue adding links to the capture page but will not force immediate action
      * you can increase SLEEP_DELAY to give you time to investigate from the search page but default is to slow it down only briefly
      * Chrome users especially will find more use for the LINK mode (FireFox alert is less intrusive)
    * ALERT mode will make a noise and then freeze the tab until you clear the alert.
      * best when working this script solely, or have it running in another browser.
      * when an alert pops you stop what you are doing and visit the link from the frozen page
      * it is best to freeze the page using SLEEP_DELAY for a long enough time to investigate the link
    * 
    * To activate this script visit or bookmark one of the links below. 
    https://www.mturk.com/mturk/searchbar?selectedSearchType=hitgroups&qualifiedFor=on&sortType=LastUpdatedTime%3A1
    https://www.mturk.com/mturk/findhits?match=true&qualifiedFor=on&sortType=LastUpdatedTime%3A1&queryflag=HITMONITOR
    * You can change the search parameters on Mturk as long as HITMONITOR is added as a query -> &queryflag=HITMONITOR (see link above)
    *** How to eliminate YOU HAVE EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED PAGE REQUEST RATE FOR THIS WEBSITE.
        * PRO TIP: By using this script with the second link or any page using the method: &queryflag=HITMONITOR
        * AND ALSO modifying all other mturk scripts to EXCLUDE the HITMONITOR search page 
            example: insert this line into each script header after the includes: // @exclude  *mturk.com/*HITMONITOR*
        * AND ALSO (if applicable) disabling or using Page Monitor type programs on a VERY limited basis 
        * will allow you to operate very fast without activating this error 
        * (tested <0.01 second refresh with 500 queries nearly continuous for a week with no errors)
        * DISCLAIMER: If you continue to search even by hand on pages with scripts enabled it may still trigger the error 
            (some scripts are more likely than others depending on how often they hit Amazon for data)
            Some offending scripts may need contained on other pages ex: // @exclude  *mturk.com/*previewandaccept*
    *********************************/
    

 

 


Now for some totally unrelated alternative penny making opportunities:

Swagbucks

I am probably the last person on the internet to join SwagBucks but if you have not joined yet please follow this link to sign up: Swagbucks

Swagbucks has succeeded in incorporating a bit of fun for motivation, and you can easily make over 1.00 per day with little or no effort:

  • Get your daily swagbucks at sites like Swag Codes either via email or using browser tools such as Page Monitor
  • Click on the button on the left side panel on the Swagbucks page to start "Daily Goal" to get extra points for getting points
  • Whip through the "To Do" list (just click "next" or "skip" for each NOSO offer) to pick up a few more points. I personally skip the "Toolbar" because I do not do toolbars.
  • Catch the quick points from Jun videos.
  • If searching is your thing you can pick up more points by using the toolbar or searching via the Swagbucks website. I personally do not use that feature.
  • Install SBTV Mobile on your smart phone. If you have not signed up for Swagbucks yet then use mralaska2014 for the referral code and sign up on your phone. Watching TV from your phone has its own daily maximum separate from Swagbucks TV and will loop continuously on its own with minor babysitting. I leave mine running on WIFI while it is charging.
  • Install EntertaiNOW available from the app store for your smart phone (run in spare time on WIFI for additional Swagbucks, points accrue more slowly)
  • Get your news, comedy, etc via Swagbucks TV UPDATE: After the first week it appears the honeymoon is over. I started getting a 30 second ad at the beginning of each video. Not only that but it is the SAME AD EVERY TIME! I still do them on another screen to gather points but my enthusiasm has been reduced.
  • There are also many other opportunities to gather points (each of which is worth a penny or more when cashed out for rewards) but I have only listed the ones that I indulge in. Filling out surveys and such is more profitable at sites such as Mturk. There is great information to be found at this user built Swagbucks forum, especially in the How to earn more Swagbucks thread.

Perk TV

I am making about 1.50/day on a $10 Hydro phone (sale price) from Target using Perk TV It is not a lot of money, but it is passive income and the phone has paid for itself a long time ago! By rebooting the phone every day and checking on it once in a while I can keep it running pretty much continuously. The company encourages multiple devices and people have reported running three or four with no problem on fast enough WIFI but I have not bought another phone yet. You get instant bonus points to start for following my affiliate link above, but if you are opposed to them then you can sign up directly at perk.com.
 

 


 

  Slice the Pie (affiliate link) is an interesting site that does not allow you to go HAM but if you find it fun to listen to new musicians and offer constructing critiquing then you may enjoy it.
(Update - I used the site a couple times and never went back but YMMV) Slice the Pie (non-affiliate link)

The link below for Qmee is a program I (no longer) have installed on my computer. Every once in a while when I do a google search it will pop up beside it and give me a chance to get paid to follow some sponsored links. Not a lot of money to be made but the nickels add up and it gets out of the way when it is done.

The link below is an affiliate link. I think you can also go directly to Qmee.com without an affiliate link and register.

UPDATE: I have disabled this extension because it was slowing down my browser. I have left the link up because some people are able to use it.
Qmee

Come and join Qmee!

Your good friend here is using Qmee and earning cash rewards for using the internet. Yes, really! And they want to share with you.

Qmee results appear alongside your normal search - you don't do anything different. Each Qmee result has a cash reward attached so if you are interested in the result, simply click on it and collect your reward. You can use it in Amazon, eBay, Google, Bing or Yahoo.

Qmee is invite only, so click the button below to get exclusive access to sign up and get the app. It's as simple as that.

Sign Up

Don't change what you do, change what you get.

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