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.

A screencast tutorial can be found here.
http://jobspooler.com/posting_a_job

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, records, paragraphs,blocks, equations, problems, etc.) that might take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to a few days to complete.

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.

A tutorial on how to take a thread and submit work can be found here
http://jobspooler.com/how_to_take_a_thread

A few rules of thumb to consider: (1) Is this a job whose results can be verified over the Internet? Can the results be posted and checked -- whether by returning a file or text, or uploading an photo of the work done (for a physical job, for example); 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).

First you must clarify how you want to use JobSpooler’s distributed labor pool.

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.

What is the basic rule on how many times you can do the same thread. or you can submit as many as times as you wish as long as the deadline is not yet over?

You can work on only one thread at a time. Once you submit your work and it is pending approval, you are free to work on another thread within that job or work on another job entirely.

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 trying to minimize fees from third-party payment systems when transferring funds, we want to reduce transaction fees. We therefore require that you have at least $10.00 in your account before transferring funds to your payment provider. If you are closing your account and have a balance below $10.00, we will remit the balance at that time.

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.

Yes. Starting March 2009 you can both add funds and receive funds via your PayPal account.

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. If you do not see this button, check and see if the maximum time allotted for this thread has been exceeded. If it has not, you can contact tech support to assist you.

When you take a thread, it is exclusively yours to perform, but, if you don't submit within the time limit (which is noted in the thread details and also with a ticking timer), the thread returns to the pool and can be taken by another Spoolsmith.

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).

If a thread is taken and the pay rate is $5.00, upon approval of the work submitted, you will receive $5 whether it takes you ten minutes or 2 hours.

While JobSpooler tracks your payment balance online, to withdraw your funds you will also need an account with one of our approved online payment providers, Moneybookers.com or Paypal.com:

Since we are currently using Moneybrokers and PayPal to transfer funds, both have a service fee on each transaction. We hope that the value of the service and the convenience of PayPal and 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.

When a job is approved by the employer, the funds are immediately transferred to your JobSpooler account. The balance can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the website when you have logged in.

When you are ready to withdraw funds, simply click the "Cash Out" button underneath your balance and specify the amount, choose the provider where you have an account (currently Moneybookers or PayPal or google checkout ) and receive your funds.

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.

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. 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. That will stop the clock and allow the employer to review your questions when they are able. If you are on the right track, they may return the thread to you with changes required and you will have extended time to complete the thread.

You can attach more than one file to your submission using the browse and upload buttons in the submission section. If you have a good number of files to upload, another option is to group the images into a compressed .zip or .sit file (http://www.jzip.com/)

If you are unable to upload them directly, you might also store them on a free media storage website such as http://www.mediafire.com and submit the sharing link for the files.

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.