the aj blog

A Mechanical Turk Visualization

What? Mechanical Turkey?

No, it’s Mechanical Turk. Yet again, I’ve got too much spare time. Yet again, I keep feeling I should do something productive will all this time. Yet again, I had no idea. Then, I remembered about Turk. Amazon, yes, the same people at amazon.com, quite a while ago launched something called “Mechanical Turk” and they describe it as a “Marketplace for Work,” which it is. People, referred to as Requesters, set up HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) with a monetary reward. Upon a Worker submitting the HIT, the Requester can approve or reject their work. Once approved, the Worker receives payment.

Sweet! Monetary Value!

Yes, this may seem like the greatest thing to come to the world since sliced bread (July 7th, 1928). In some ways, it could be. Unfortunately, unlike most real jobs, the pay is horrible. Majority of the HITs are in the $0-$.20 range. The tasks that are higher paying are correspondingly harder, such as audio transcription or product guide writing. For example, you might get paid $1.30 for an average graded transcript of a 5 minute slice of audio. Say that it takes you 10 seconds for every second of audio, plus a bit more, like me, and then extrapolate the percentage of minimum wage it is. Roughly $1.30/hour. Minimum US wage is $7.15. That means that you are getting 18% of what a extra-low-end job would be. I guess it’s the sacrifice of convenience.

Um, How Do I Get My Reward?

Once in your Turk account, you can withdraw through one of two ways: to a checking account, or an Amazon gift certificate. A minimum of a $10 checking account transfer is required, and only a $1 minimum on the certificate. I guess it’s better than doing nothing, but the work can be tedious.

One of the most popular combination locks available, this little lock has 125,000 possible combinations.

Algebra!
Another day, another thought. Of randomness. I wrote it down, like all the others. This time on a folder. The formula for determining, in quantities of time, how long it would take to open a lock by trying codes. Any lock works, even key locks if you understand key codes I guess.

The Formula!

l^(d-c)*t/2/60/60/24=h

c is the number of compromised digits

l is the number of combinations of one digit

d is the number of digits

t is the amount of time to test one combination

h is the number of days to break the lock, continuous, averaged.

For Example…

Let’s take a common school locker-integrated lock. It has up to 50 on the wheel, 3 digits, and takes about 5 seconds to attempt a combination. Let’s suppose we know none of the digits, making c = 0:

50^(3-0)*5/2/60/60/24=h

50^3*5/2/60/60/24=h

125000*5/2/60/60/24=h

625000/2/60/60/24=h

312500/60/60/24=h

5208.33/60/24=h

86.055/24=h

3.585625=h

Although I made a slightly more sophisticated formula for determining how many days it would take to break it without looking suspicious, this is good enough for me. That means that, on average, you would sit at the lock trying combinations for three and a half days with (no sleep) before it opens.

Compromised Digits?

Here’s where the fun starts. Let’s suppose you actually know 1 of the digits and which position it is, making c = 1.

50^(3-1)*5/2/60/60/24=h

50^2*5/2/60/60/24=h

2500*5/2/60/60/24=h

10000/2/60/60/24=h

5000/60/60/24=h

83.33/60/24=h

1.388/24=h

0.057833=h

A tremendous difference. What this shows is that the security of a lock is extraordinarily diminished with compromised sections of the code. What would’ve taken 3 days to break, now one digit is out, will take a bit under an hour and a half. Don’t tell your combination to others, even part of it!