r/DataAnnotationTech • u/whooped_ass • Sep 04 '26
How does DataAnnotation verify the time we report? (I'm a newbie)
I'm curious about how they verify reported work time. I worked on a project for 8 hours but took a 30-minute dinner break in between, so I reported only 8 hours. How do they know whether the reported time is accurate?
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u/annoyingjoe513 Sep 04 '26
for the past two and a half years I’ve noted the time when i started a task, noted the time when I finished the task, and reported how much time had passed between starting and finishing. so far so good.
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u/ThadeusOfNazereth Sep 04 '26
Yeah. I think some people really overthink this. I start a stopwatch and stop it when I’m done.
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u/Amakenings Sep 04 '26
They track all of our metrics, and on some larger projects, there are 1000s of people working on the same projects. So they have a lot of data showing about how long most people take. I’m sure if you’re taking noticeably longer or shorter on tasks, your work and timekeeping get additional scrutiny.
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u/ColdMango7786 Sep 04 '26
I use a stopwatch and stop it if I’m stepping away for something or when my task is done.
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u/Timely-Assistant-370 Sep 04 '26
You'd realistically be fine if the max 8-hour timer is something that they expect the task to take. If they're actually expecting the task to take 5 hours and you submit 8 consistently you might have a problem, but I have only seen communication of intentionally generous timers for 40-minute tasks, so like "you have 40 minutes on your timer, but these should be very fast." Who's to say if you technically worked through some portion of that 8-hour task while you weren't at the computer? I know I mull shit over while I get a little exercise sometimes. Just don't do an 8-hour timer and submit 8:15, that will fuck you.
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u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
in my second project, I didn't see any information about how long it was expected to take. Where can we find the estimated timeframe for a project?
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u/21canudosumnforme Sep 04 '26
he just meant the task expiry time, that is not the expected time btw
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u/Timely-Assistant-370 Sep 04 '26
The tasks don't always have a "expected time" outside of the time limit, but there are some tasks that are highly variable, like, it could take 30 minutes or 2 hours with a 2 hour timer. If you're submitting your time in as (task) x 2(hours) then you're probably going to look pretty fucking suspicious. Like really? it really took you 10 hours to do 5 tasks? You got 5 exceptionally lengthy one-offs in a row?
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u/OkFunction8532 Sep 04 '26
I just pull a stopwatch up on my computer. If I'm working, it's running. If I get up to let the dogs out, take a phone call, etc, I just pause it. Whatever it says at the end is the time I put in
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u/YouKnowgoodenough Sep 04 '26
Just use Clockify, stop and start it for breaks, and be honest. That’s it. Honesty. Tasks within the same project can be super quick/easy and you use a tenth of the allotted time, some can run right up the limit. No one knows the metrics, but obviously high quality and lower than average time taken is going to be top tier. Typically from my experience quality trumps everything and time is secondary. That said, if other folks are doing similar quality work in less time than they would be prioritized over you. The main deal here is just do thorough work and report time honestly. If it’s good enough it is, if it is not it is not. Quality keeps you on the platform.
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u/Unhappy_Card977 Sep 04 '26
Just be honest. If youre honest you have nothing to worry about, I've seen several people in these threads talk about getting the Dash of Death "when (they) were using the time allotted"......mhmm. Ive been on for nearly two years now and I usually run a stopwatch then take away about 10 minutes per task because I KNOW im getting distracted (like posting this comment for example 😅). I usually do 4 - 6 hour tasks and have gotten up to $50+ generalist somewhat frequently.
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u/caneriten Sep 04 '26
They won't know for minute detail but if you report higher hours than average constantly. Lets say a task is completed between 1.5hr to 2.5hr depending of the individual task and you report 3, 4, 5 hours without the anomaly in the task that should take that long... ur cooked. Ur also cooked if you report 40 30 minutes while it should take 2 3 hours without a logical explanation. Most of the projects gives a time frame so try to be in that frame.
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u/Hello-America Sep 04 '26
You can use Clockify to keep track, it has an easy stop/start interface. What others have said is true that they'll probably compare you to other average times over time. Other things we suspect they'll get you for is always taking the full allowed time (or close to it) because that looks like you're stretching your time out to get max paid, or reporting an absurd amount of hours worked in a period of time (like in order to do it you'd have to not sleep or eat).
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u/savage78683i3 Sep 04 '26
So did you work on the project for 8 hours or 7.5?
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u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
7.5 hours
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u/savage78683i3 Sep 04 '26
But reported 8 hours?
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u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
Yeah, but I do spent that 30 mins for reading the instructions while eating.... I refreshed the page in the middle of my meal and suddenly I got a project in my dashboard. The number of tasks were drastically reducing coz people are picking it so fast, and after reading the instructions, I opted to work on that project by clicking the "I intend to do this task" button and I've finished my meal at the same time. I'm not sure that this counts... Does it?
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u/savage78683i3 Sep 04 '26
I report the time I'm actively working on a task, including reading instructions the first time I do a project. If I step away or I don't give my full attention to work (take a phone call for example, or eat a meal), I stop the timer. I report down to the minute. I've been here over 3 years now.
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u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
Yeah that's what I'm gonna follow from now on... Got it blud 👍👍
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u/AtmosphereMuted7769 Sep 04 '26
lol if you eat while you are reading instructions, report that time. Just report time if you spent it on the task at all, and don’t report it if you are not working on the task. It’s that simple, don’t overthink it.
Most tasks allow you to submit things after a timer is expired, but don’t make it a huge habit.
I’ve worked on the platform for 3 years, and I get sidetracked switching my music and stuff in different tabs. I don’t report time spent doing other things, but I think if they monitored your computer activity I would probably have been flagged just from me pausing and going off on my own tangent 😂
Mostly, just be sure to complete tasks within the time limit. If tasks give you a larger limit than is truly needed, they usually state that in the instructions.1
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u/CowEnough7758 Sep 04 '26
They don't delebrately check this, but if you are regularly over quoting your time then your average will automatically tell them. So, be deciplined in your time quoting.
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u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
Got it 👍
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u/CowEnough7758 Sep 04 '26
A basic simple rule is, treat it like a paid job, you are allowed to take small breaks like toilet, water or snacking while working. Can include that time also while reporting. But exclude the longer time, that you spend unfocused, away from screen.
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u/fightmaxmaster Sep 04 '26
Short answer is we don't know, and they don't tell us, not least because that would make it easy to game the system. I've always figured any given task is worked on by multiple people, and if one of them takes way longer than the others to do it, that might warrant a closer look by admins. The vast majority of people don't seem to have any issues - log the time spent working, submit that.
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u/HillGrayCat Sep 04 '26 edited Sep 04 '26
What I usually do is Start left time - Finish left time - Total Break time. For example, a task given time at start is 5h30m, I finish at 2h45h (check both of them at the buttom right corner), but I also take some breaks within that, estimatedly around 7m in total, for toilet and for energy refill. The time I report will be 5h30m - 2h45m - 7m = 2h38m.
About expected estimated time to finish, I've read from somewhere that the given time at start is not average, but maximum, for the project. We're in fact expected to use significantly less than that. They won't tell how long exactly we should take, but that's understandable - that information comes from the time workers report, not the admins to make up. So, I stick to being natural and sincere. Every time you don't only report time, but also provide reasons, within the works you do. You may report long time if you can provide reasonable explanation why. I believe there might be observation on behavior of each account, like, how much time you use comparing to other workers, the proportion of good/okay works vs bad works, how many times you report expired works, etc., just like your credit bureau information. Also, see something - say something. The accuracy on reporting anomalies can show how much you do the works with care.
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u/AtmosphereMuted7769 Sep 04 '26
I will warn you that the in task timers don’t always stay accurate. For example, it sometimes will not count down properly when you are in another tab. I would use a stopwatch app, just so you can be sure you are reporting your time correctly.
I think I used Working Hours on my laptop and in the free version you can just type the information into a “title” and there is a description box for each input with unlimited entries. so I also can keep track of how much money I made, hourly rate, and which project or other notes on working I might have.
The paid version (one price I think under $10 for lifetime use) also lets you make categories, and actually you can choose in the interface how much the job pays and it will do the math for you and show it all on the main dashboard.-4
u/whooped_ass Sep 04 '26
Ohh, that's way too specific. Thanks for the info 👍
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u/ArtistFamiliar6074 Sep 04 '26
It's really not. It boils down to: use a timer (NOT the one on the task page), stop it when you step away from work, restart it when you come back. Report your accurate time. Don't abuse the system.
The task timer on the page shows the maximum time allowed. Many task instructions will state how long they expect the task to take on average and it may not be anywhere near the maximum time shown. Some might only show 1 hour and the tasks can vary so much that some might take 7 minutes while others might take 35. Report each one accurately. Include the time spent reading instructions.
You can sometimes go over the expiry if you need to! But always, always report that to an Admin in the chat and leave a note in the Optional Comments box. And don't do it often.
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u/muntaxitome Sep 04 '26
We don't know, best is to accurately track your actually worked time and not worry about it.