Operating an employer reputation system: Lessons from Turkopticon, 2008-2015

This paper describes AMT and Turkopticon, and attempts to draw lessons from our experiences with Turkopticon for broader efforts to develop broad-based worker power in the "on-demand economy." The paper proceeds as follows. Part I describes AMT in detail. It describes the kinds of tasks available, the kinds of requesters who post them, the process by which work is completed, common problems that arise in the course of work, and so on. It also describes the broader "ecosystems" of tools, practices, and discourses "around" it developed by both workers and requesters. Part II describes Turkopticon in detail. It describes its design and operation; outcomes and current problems; and ongoing discussions about possible future developments. Finally, Part III steps back from the technical and social details of AMT and Turkopticon to draw lessons from our experiences.