How-To Scripts for Recently Joined Turkers

Discussion in 'General' started by Monica, Jun 6, 2014.

  1. Monica

    Monica User

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    Best Scripts for Newbies:


    The following tools are all userscripts, codes written by users and shared with us to help make our browsing experience customized.

    In order to use these following scripts you need to first download an extension onto your browser in order to have them run properly. For chrome users, use tampermonkey, and for firefox users, use greasemonkey. There will be a post with information on add-ons that can be installed via the Chrome Web Store or the Firefox Market Place

    1. MTurk HIT DataBase
      For this script, you can turn on auto update *toggle is on HITS* or you can manually update on your dashboard by selecting "Update Database". This will record the hits you do, the requesters who posted them, the individual HIT ID, and your total earned by each individual requester. It also shows these nifty little boxes beneath the requester name in the HIT description: Requester, Title, Note, Block
      • example image 1 showing match requester ID, no title: top, no match on ID or title: bottom.
        [*]example image 2
        showing match for both requester ID and title.
    2. Color Coded Search
      I'll admit, it took me a little bit to warm up to this script. But I absolutely love it now. It incorporates the TO rating into the HIT box itself with an easy to understand color coding. You can also tick the boxes at the top of the HIT search to remove low rated HITs.
    3. mmmturkeybacon Queue Order Fix
      After completing a HIT anywhere within your queue (i.e. HITs Assigned To You), this script will automatically continue the HIT at the top* of your queue. If you sort your queue by Time Left (least first), you can use this script to work around mturk's default** behavior of ignoring what your queue is sorted by. You should only need to set the sort order once.
      *The HIT at the top of the queue is determined when the HIT currently being worked on is loaded. This means if a new HIT gets put on the top of the queue after the current HIT has already been loaded it will not be the very next HIT, but the one just after that instead.
      **To restore the default behavior sort by Assigned On (earliest first).

      ELI5: When working out of your queue, say you've collected several hits from a batch, but you have one hit in there with a longer timer that you've decided to save, mTurk's default is to continue on to the hit that you've accepted first. So even if you have 24 hits with 15 minute timers, and one hit with a 4 hour timer, but you accepted the 4 hour timer hit before any of the 15 minute ones, mTurk will automatically redirect you to the 4 hour timer hit. This script fixes this problem. Remember, if you don't need this script running, disable it until you do. It takes a few extra milliseconds to load the next hit, because this script is having to do an extra step. If you don't need it, don't use it while working out of your queue! Every second counts working on a batch.
    4. Auto-Approval time and Save Auto-approval time
      Both of these scripts show you how long until a HIT goes to automatic approval. Pretty nifty when you're looking for a good batch, but feel uncomfortable about rejections (since you're much less likely to be rejected if the requester only has 8 or whatever hours to approve your work by).
    5. Worst Case Scenario Calculator
      This will show you how many HITs you can do before reaching your "worst case scenario", which you will be able to view on your dashboard along with your other stats. I think they're automatically set at 99% and 95% but you can change those by clicking the worst case projected percentage.
    6. mmmturkeybacon Today's Projected Earnings
      Records the number of hits you did that day and gives you a pretty little display on your dashboard of your projected earnings, lest you get rejections.
    7. ID Copy/Paste
      Displays your worker ID on mturk, qualtrics, and surveymonkey.
    8. MTurk Export
      Provides you with an easy to copy, pretty standard here, way to share hits that you find with the forum. Just press the little button that has a vb to the right of the HIT title, ctrl-c, paste to forum.
    9. Discover Fake Availabilities
      Script checks the HIT to see if there are any available, or if it's just leading you on.
    10. Mturk Title Fixer
      Change the titles on Mturk pages to be more descriptive. I really like this one, so far. It changes the name of the tab to include what page you're currently looking at. For example, when you're looking at all hits, the tab will say "All Hits - AMT", looking at hit pages, it includes the name of the hit. Very simple but really useful when you have multiple tabs open.
    11. CrowdSource Find Keywords
      Quick and dirty; this only works on firefox. You click the search button beside the keyword, select the best example, and the page will automatically close and put that example into the appropriate section in the hit.

    Newer scripts

    These are a few scripts that I've been tinkering with, so I don't have much/any description for them yet, and I may not be the best person to answer questions for them, but I feel like a lot of these deserve some recognition and absolutely need more people using them and trying them out!

    1. Turkmaster
      What I know about this so far, is that it's a multi-level and streamlined page monitoring script that's been designed to make turking more efficient. There's instructions on the greasyfork page on how to use it, but again if you have questions feel free to ask and I, or someone else, will absolutely try to help.
    2. ZSMTurker's Auto Reload
      Automatically starts reloading page when you've missed a HIT.
    3. Return All
      Adds a Return All link to the Mturk Queue page. Would be useful when entire queue is about to expire, or when you fill up your queue with a not so great batch.
    4. Custom Mturk Tab Titles
      Adds new settings to the very bottom of your Dashboard page that allow you to set tab titles for urls.
    5. HIT Return & Accept
      This userscript returns your current mTurk then accepts a new one. It also checks the "accept next hit" box.
    6. Dark mTurk Pages
      Inverts mturk page color

    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT HERE OR PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS :eek:

    PASTEBIN INSTRUCTIONS:

    As of 6/11/14 all of the pastebin scripts have been removed and replaced with www.userscripts-mirror.org links.

    for links that lead to pastebin on chrome: left click on your tampermonkey icon[​IMG], select "add new script...", select all of the text and delete it from that new script so you have a blank page. Copy the text in the box on pastebin and paste it in your blank script. Save and you've got a new script.

    for links that lead to pastebin on Firefox: this is going to require a few more steps than on chrome. Copy all of the text in the pastebin, open a new text document file (you can do this by right clicking on your homescreen->new->new text document), and paste your code into that. Save as "your_script_name.user.js" make sure you save it as that rather than a .txt file. When it saves on your desktop it'll have a scroll icon. Open firefox, select menu, click the monkey, and drag/drop the script into the browser window (example picture)


    FOR BOTH OF THESE, make sure you select THE ENTIRE TEXT in the text box, starting with "// ==UserScript==" and continue until the script ends. You can select text in the "Raw Paste Data" textbox, right click select all (or ctrl-a) to select the whole script.
     
    #1 Monica, Jun 6, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: May 24, 2015
  2. Khalinov

    Khalinov User

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    It should be noted that Turkopticon is a browser plugin that does not require anything else. I use Turkopticon, but I do not have tampermonkey or greasemonkey installed in any of my browsers.
     
  3. Monica

    Monica User

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    Thank you! I'm going to flesh this out more soon, and will include browser extensions in a different section.
     
  4. Monica

    Monica User

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    Great Browser Extensions for AMT


    The following tools are web browser extensions which have proven useful on mTurk. Some may not be available on Firefox

    These extensions will be downloaded onto your web browser directly, so it's important that they're downloaded via a trusted source. All of the extensions below are installed through either the Chrome Web Store or Mozilla Market Place.

    1. AMT Tools and Tools for Amazon Mechanical Turk Chrome |
      Firefox
      These extensions are little toolboxes basically with different features make your turking experience easier. Things like captcha alert, preview and accept links, automatically checking the "accept next hit" box, to changing the size of your hit box. Both extensions offer different things, so it's worth testing them both out if you can (on chrome) or getting Tools for Amazon Mechanical Turk for firefox. I personally have both of them installed, and run different features on each depending on which I like more.

    2. Don't Track Me Google (chrome) | Remove Google Tracking (firefox)
      These extensions get rid of Google's ugly (tracking) URL. It's very useful for keyword search hits since you can right-click copy address without adding the really long google tracking url.

    3. Paste-It (chrome) | Paste Email Plus (firefox)
      These extensions allow you to paste saved texts in text boxes by adding a option in the right-click drop menu. Especially useful for things you have to copy and paste all the time, like your worker ID.

    4. Clear Cache (chrome) | Clear Cache Button (firefox)
      This will clear your cache easily and quickly with just a push of a button. Helps speed up your browsing experience, and really helps when AMT randomly slows down.

    5. Auto Refresh Plus (chrome) | Auto Refresh (firefox)
      This is super useful on two different levels.
      • You can set this up with a preview and accept link in a batch to continually accept hits while you work out of your queue
      • You can set this up on a preview and accept link for a hit that's currently dead in hopes to accept it when/if it becomes available without having to actively participate.


    6. Page Monitor (chrome) | Check4Change (firefox)
      These extensions help with your turking by offering a means to monitor requester pages with whom you want to do future work with. It's best to monitor their actual page rather than a search of their requester name in case they change their name or another hit/requester with a similar name is posted. To do this, follow this and add their ID at the very end (after "requesterId="). You can find their requester ID either in your HitDB if you use it (listed above) or you can also find it on TurkOpticon
    7. NiftySpilt (chrome) | Split Pannel (firefox)
      Really awesome extension that allows you to easily split your windows and open links in your second window. Great for search-for hits.
    8. Google Quick Scroll (chrome) | Search quick scroll BETA (firefox)
      This extension will upon opening search link from google highlight and provide a pop up which allows you to find your search terms quicker. Easy to use and really valuable.


    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT HERE OR PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS :eek:
     
    #4 Monica, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 12, 2014
  5. Monica

    Monica User

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    Hit Scraper Tutorials

    Hit scraper is a useful userscript that can be used to assist workers in finding hits.

    I'll provide links the different versions of the scripts, as well as walk you through how to perform the basic function of both versions. I suggest watching the embedded video regardless of the version you use, even if you use the original (which doesn't have some of the same features) the embedded video describes how to do batch searches as well as basic searches and what the different colors and columns mean. I'll also include a tutorial on how to scrape for hits without any hit scraper, so you can see what a difference it can make (and also how you can boost your earnings with a handful of surveys.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPMcHI0P-tw

    Ok, first I'll start off with the newest hit scraper, HIT Scraper WITH EXPORT, by Kerek and Tjololo. I apologize in advance for the awful microphone quality, I need a headset :eek:

    I know I said in the beginning it'd be short. I lied.
    __________________________________________________ __

    The second version I'll be covering is the original HIT Scraper by Kerek. Again, this is a simple tool used to compile several pages of searching into one useful page.

    Quick run down on what's going on

    How to block requesters on original version of HIT scraper

    __________________________________________________ __

    Ok, this is the last video. I'm going to show you how to manually set up a hit scraper, however, how I do this is with keywords. You may be able to find a different method to how this works.

    How to manually scrape for hits

    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT HERE OR PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS

    EDIT:

    Tjololo has created a newer tutorial for hit scraper, visible here:

    [video=youtube;yk0LqD6AzNk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk0LqD6AzNk[/video]
     
    #5 Monica, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 12, 2016
  6. Monica

    Monica User

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    How to set up a auto-accept trap coming soon.
     
    #6 Monica, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 11, 2014
  7. Monica

    Monica User

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    How to: Export, fix, and import the Hit Database for Mechanical Turk
    Video tutorial by: Tjololo

    [video=youtube;W3CXxqWgzAw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3CXxqWgzAw[/video]

    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT HERE OR PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS
     
    #7 Monica, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 28, 2014
  8. nycmike33

    nycmike33 User

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    I am trying to get block requester script, but it when i am click download, it shows error, I am using firefox
     
  9. pinkturker

    pinkturker User

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    Someone talked about a script that tells us if we looked at a requester or hit before. Can you direct me to that script? Thanks!
     
  10. FibonacciSequence

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    Once you look (open) at a Hit the "View a Hit in This Group" will change color - no script needed. The script "Hit Database" tells you whether you've done a Hit for that requestor or Hits with that name before (when you click it it will give you a list.) Click on the Scripts tab at the top of the forum page.
     
  11. Monica

    Monica User

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    I'll look into it, I'm on mobile right now so I'm not sure what's going on or why its happening.

    Hmm I'll look for it. The only script I'm aware of is the hit database which FibonacciSequence mentioned.
     
  12. Malaclypse

    Malaclypse User

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    looking to track down links for the block requester, and another one..it was a queue fixer, reorganized your queue so that least time was on top and when you were working it would take you automatically into the next from your queue..sound familiar to anyone?
     
  13. pinkturker

    pinkturker User

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    Oh, okay, They said something about the R & T on the side of the hit scraper changing colors to reflect whether or not you've done it? I can't remember who said that.... I uploaded the hit Database-- do you know if it only puts in my new info? or will it look at the HITs I've done up to this point?
     
  14. Oceanfloats

    Oceanfloats Member

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    Thank you for this thread!

    I have a question that I've not been able to get the answer to, maybe you can help. I am looking for something to automatically put the cursor in the textbox of the HIT "Describe image with a simple sentence". Using Chrome, I have to click in the box with my mouse each time the HIT reloads, wasting valuable seconds.
     
  15. chihuahuagurl

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    Hey everyone! Haven't been on in awhile..My hitdatabase on ff is not working for showing what hits i did for requesters.. I click on R nothing, T nothing avail.
     
  16. FibonacciSequence

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    Yes. When you've done a Hit for a requestor the R will turn green when using the Hit Database script. The same goes for a Title of a HIT. When you click either the R or the T a list will pop up showing you who, what, when and how! I believe the script pulls in all the work you've done. Correct me if I'm wrong. Make sure you Update Database at the bottom of your Account tab regularly.
     
  17. FibonacciSequence

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    If your FF has updated to a newer version you may have to use a different version of Hit Database. Quite awhile ago when FF updated I had to disable 1.7 and install and enable 1.5.6. Right now I'm using version 29.0.1 on FF and it seems to be working ok. You could try reinstalling the Hit Database version that you are using first though. Maybe someone else has another suggestion.
     
  18. Oceanfloats

    Oceanfloats Member

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    Just to clarify- is there, or is there not, a keyboard shortcut, script, magic, ect, that will allow the cursor to automatically go in a text box when reloading the page? I've tried tab and other stuff I looked up and tried. Anybody?
     
  19. pinkturker

    pinkturker User

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    I'm on a Mac in FF as well. Maybe that's the problem? Help!


    I have the same issue, so I just put my mouse over the cursor box and have to click. Yes, it's completely annoying. I think that may only be a firefox issue, but sometimes, the survey won't let you open in another browser once you've started in firefox... (Can someone correct me if I'm wrong?)
     
  20. pinkturker

    pinkturker User

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    Hm, this is not happening...
     

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