We can all use a little help from our friends sometimes, and when you’re Google, you’ve got no shortage of friends. Or at the very least, users. And now, the internet giant is calling upon its gargantuan user base to lend a helping hand in its new app, Crowdsource. It’s an app that asks you to “do quick, simple tasks that have a huge impact.”
Whether your expertise lies in improving the quality of Google Translate in your native tongue, or refining Google Maps on your home turf, you can play a part in aiding the Google community. And with each microtask promising to consume no more than 5 to 10 seconds of your day, being a good Samaritan has never been so easy.
When you start using the app, Crowdsource first asks you what languages you’re fluent in so that (hopefully) you’re only contributing when appropriate. From there, you’ll be presented with various microtasks like typing out what an image of a street sign says, or identifying the words in various handwriting samples. If you happen to be multilingual, you’ll also be able to create and verify text translations and Maps data. Users limited to helping Google improve its own suite of services, not those offered by third parties.
Currently, TechCrunch reports, the app is a pilot project, which may explain why the company hasn’t really come up with a method for incentivizing contributors quite yet. After all, is the thought of helping the Google community (and making money for Google, but not yourself) really reward enough for you to devote a few seconds a day to these little tasks?
And especially considering Google already has its Google Opinion Awards, which gives out free Google Play credits for those willing to answer surveys, it seems that the company might benefit from offering a little something extra for those helping with translations and such via Crowdsource.
But who knows — maybe knowing “that you’ve made the internet a better place for your community” is all the incentive you need.
