Frequently Asked Questions

JobSpooler is a platform for outsourcing different kinds of jobs. Our Spooling engine will allow employers to break down certain projects into smaller tasks (threads) and distribute them on the web so they can be completed by numerous people simultaneously. SpoolSmiths (talented folks like yourself) can choose the tasks that best fit them, perform them at a convenient time, and get paid quickly. With JobSpooler, employers and project managers will be able to reliably comple many types of projects completed faster, cheaper and more efficiently.

Posting a job is easy. Fill out the job posting form, choose the number of threads, set the rate of pay, and wait for the completed work to be submitted. View Demo

Before posting, you should think about how you will divide up your job. Each job is broken down into threads, and Spoolsmiths (JobSpooler members) will work on threads. So your first question will be, how many threads, or separate tasks, will my job entail? Try and analyze your job in terms of definable sections and repeatable tasks that can be divided into chunks (pages, paragraphs,blocks, equations, problems, etc.) that might take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to a few days to complete.

A few rules of thumb to consider: (1) Is this a job that computer would automate poorly (i.e. describing the contents of an image or summarizing a long article) and (2) Is this job something that is easy to communicate to others and has clear metrics for success. A good example might be: transcribe one minute of audio to text; a less promising example might be: compose a one minute piano sonata (though with the right testing and filtering, even this job could be accomplished with JobSpooler).

Here are a few of the categories of jobs that are suitable for JobSpooler...(more)

A thread is a small section of a larger job. It is a task that can be independently completed in a short amount of time. A JobSpooler job can be made up of a single thread but more commonly is made up of tens or hundreds of threads. The multiplicity of threads allows work to be completed asynchronously and in parallel.

First you must clarify how you want to use JobSpooler’s distributed labor pool. For some jobs such as an opinion survey you want to specify that each worker can perform only one thread from this job (limited). For other jobs such as posing solutions to an engineering problem, or identifying images there might be no limit on the number of threads a worker may be assigned.

Once you have identified an “estimated completion time” you need to select a “maximum allotted time”. We recommend multiplying the estimated completion time by four. Since the worker cannot stop the job clock, the extra time should allow for breaks and interruptions that inevitably arise. If your job deadline is rushed, you might try reducing the “maximum allotted time” so that threads that are not being turned around quickly will revert back to the distribution spool for reassignment.

Think of JobSpooler as a fluid market like stocks or currencies. The rate that the labor pool is willing to accept moves over time. Many factors go into establishing an appropriate pay rate for your job. The basic rule of thumb is: the better the bait, the more fish will bite. If maximum turnaround speed is what you desire, then you should offer a rate similar to what the traditional labor market in that field might require.

Yes. You may view a job without having an account, but you will need to sign up and log in to take an assignment thread. Your account is where we place your funds for work that is submitted and approved.

Security is built into JobSpooler methodology but not in the typical sense of file encryption or restricted access. By dividing up the text and media files associated with a job, JobSpooler not only reduces the turnaround time but insures that no single person has access to the entire file. An individual worker will only see what is essential to complete their own thread thus protecting intellectual property and other proprietary information. This level of security is adequate for many types of jobs.

Since we are currently using the MoneyBookers system for transferring funds, we want to reduce transaction fees.

No. A Job should never ask you to submit personal or financial information. If you come across a job like that, please flag it so that our staff can review it.

When you are ready to submit your work, login and go to "My Threads" and click on your active thread. Then click on the "SUBMIT WORK" button.

Currently we do not accept PayPal. We thought it would be a good idea but their customer service department rejected our application for a business account and refused our request for appeal. We still haven't figured out exactly why. If you know, please fill us in. In the meantime, Moneybookers is equally secure and far easier to deal with.

The pay rate is a flat fee per thread, not an hourly rate. The job provider sets the rate (usually based on how long it takes the average freelancer to complete the assignment).

Since we are currently using Moneybrokers to transfer funds, there is a 1 percent service fee on each transaction. We hope that the value of the service and the convenience of Moneybookers compensate for these fees. In future versions of JobSpooler we will be working to integrate our own micropayment solution to reduce or eliminate these fees.

While JobSpooler tracks your payment balance online, to withdraw your funds you will also need an account with our online payment provider, Moneybookers.com:

When a job is approved by the employer, the funds are immediately transferred to your JobSpooler account.

You can't really delete a job posting in the conventional sense. You can cancel a job by forcing its expiration at any time. This will block any users from taking any available threads. Users who have taken threads to work on before the expiration will be permitted to finish and submit the threads in progress.

Don't panic. If you click "Take it" on a thread (assignment), it is yours until the deadline. No one else will have access to it unless you abandon the thread.

Don't panic. The best course of action is to put all your questions in the body of your submission and submit the thread even if it is incomplete.

You can attach more than one file to your submission using the browse and upload buttons in the submission section.

We do our best to verify our employers. If you come across a job that seems illegal or violates our prohibited job posting guidelines, please flag it so that our staff can review it.

Sure. If you are not interested in collecting your well-earned pay, you may donate it to a charitable organization or another JobSpooler user or give it to JobSpooler and we will add it to our Social Programs Fund, supporting non-profit organizations around the globe.

Jobs that you post will not show up in some of the lists on the site, including the Browse Jobs list (because you can't accept a thread assignment from your own job).

In order to view all of your posted jobs, just click on My Jobs and they will appear. To see all the jobs you've worked on, click My Threads.

Limited Distribution means that the job is limited to one thread per user. A SpoolSmith may only take one task from this job. This is usually used for surveys and other jobs where unique feedback is important.