The promise, and peril, of micro-labor websites - Business - The Boston Globe

Excerpt from a micro-labor reality check

"I was curious about Mechanical Turk because it is just one of many websites cropping up that allow work to be farmed out globally, often to the lowest bidder. The phenomenon is sometimes called “micro-labor.’’ Looked at collectively, the sites - some with links to Boston - seem harbingers of a new wave of outsourcing that will allow companies and individuals to get things done more cheaply and efficiently than before. The flip side, however, is that they seem destined to delete some number of full-time jobs, while creating more freelancers forced to scramble for income while paying for their own health insurance and trying to save for retirement."

The promise, and peril, of micro-labor websites - Business - The Boston Globe