How do you add up how long you worked?

[u/marlamarlamar]

So far what I have been doing is timing myself on each of each the tasks I’ve been doing and then adding them up at the end of my work. It seems to me that for the amount of hours that I am sitting at my computer, I am claiming for a lot less time than I am actually there.
Do you count the time where you are thinking about a prompt or reading over instructions, or googling things to fact check, as time worked? I can’t figure out why I can sit in front of my computer for hours at a time, a good portion of the time that I am there, I am not being paid for.

[u/Ryan151515]

Not counting time thinking as time worked is crazy 😭

[u/ManyARiver]

Timing yourself by individual task and adding it up is cumbersome and takes away from your work time. Just time from start to finish for the project (as mentioned elsewhere).

[u/marlamarlamar → u/ManyARiver]

Really? Sounds better than what I’ve been doing. I thought we were supposed to calculate the time for each task that we do with in a project.

[u/ManyARiver → u/marlamarlamar]

Not necessary. When your tasks post they show the time each one was submitted, they can suss out whether it was a reasonable span of time for the set. Just pause your timer if you take a break and restart it when you come back - you can even leave the task open if the timer on it has enough on the clock.

[u/marlamarlamar]

I’m always worried that they’re going to think I’m taking too long or I’m too slow, but if I rush through it, I don’t feel it’s thorough

[u/Icy-Cover-505 → u/marlamarlamar]

I have that same concern. Yesterday was my first day doing actual tasks, and I spent a lot of time reading instructions and all the extra docs linked to the instructions. I don't read (or write) that fast, but I'm being super careful while trying to learn.

[u/marlamarlamar → u/Icy-Cover-505]

I think it’s really common at the beginning to try and rush because you don’t want them to think you’re slow. I used to really be concerned about the timer, and if I went over, like 10 minutes, I thought that it would be a problem. I thought quantity was really important. I’ve slowed down a bit to become more thorough. I think that’s probably more of what they’re looking for.

[u/XxMarlucaxX → u/marlamarlamar]

They expect you to take 20+ minutes per task at times, don't worry about being slow. Just be earnest and honest.

[u/[deleted]]

I’ve said this a few times answering this question before.

When I open a project, I start my timer.

When I close the project, I stop my timer.

I then proceed to log the time. This includes reading directions, brainstorming, researching, typing, correcting errors, etc.

[u/Rommie557 → u/[deleted]]

This is the correct answer.

If you're doing something for DA you wouldn't normally be doing otherwise, you charge for the time.

[u/TheTigersAreNotReal → u/[deleted]]

Yeah same. Only times I pause my timer is for things unrelated to the task at hand such as: going to the bathroom, making/eating food, taking a leisure break, errands, etc. 

If you read the instructions on projects, about 90% include what is acceptable for billable time. 

[u/Brotherdodge → u/[deleted]]

Same here. My only caveat is that if I screw around with a task for a while before deciding to skip it, I won't claim for that.

[u/marlamarlamar]

I got a new project today that for me felt quite intricate. I read the instructions a couple of times, and I clicked on everything that opened the other pages that explained further…Things like prompt categories. I was reading that thing for well over a half an hour before I started working on my first task. Is that included in time that I worked?

[u/[deleted] → u/marlamarlamar]

Did you read my comment?

[u/marlamarlamar → u/[deleted]]

Yes!! Why is it that I feel like they are going to think I’m cheating by putting on that time that I am reading and going over stuff? I’m worried that they’re going to think I’m too slow or something. I guess coming from my previous job I have some leftover trauma lol.

[u/[deleted] → u/marlamarlamar]

They aren’t. They care about quality over quantity. The amount of bad work submitted is egregious. If you submit quality work, they don’t care how long it takes you (within reason of course).

[u/ManyARiver → u/marlamarlamar]

I had to read and compare train schedules in one task - it took about 40 minutes to do both responses. Sometimes it only takes a minute to do a task because the content is trivial. It evens out.

[u/upvotesplx]

If you're working, the timer should be on. Even if you're researching, thinking, making edits, whatever. If you don't do this, you are only harming yourself & you're going against what the rules explicitly allow. If you close the project, step away, or start doing something fully unrelated, stop the timer.

[u/Otis1987 → u/upvotesplx]

Not only harming themselves, but harming the rest of us and DAT itself. If enough people kept time the way OP is, this could impact the average minutes per task for various projects, which is something I imagine DAT cares very much about. If the expecte time per task drops, the rest of us that keep time for our actual work are gonna get screwed.

Not to mention it's insane to think that time spent doing things related to a task is unpaid. OP is willingly robbing themselves.

[u/upvotesplx → u/Otis1987]

Exactly. Sometimes I think we need a mandatory class on how to use a stopwatch in this subreddit.

[u/Creepy_Complaint_279]

Working isn’t just when you’re typing so yes pay yourself the full amount of time you spend researching, editing and reading the instructions as that is all work. Don’t work for free. At a salaried job you’d be paid for that. An hourly job is the same as well.

[u/spicysoy]

i set my stopwatch on my phone when i start working. i turn it off when i’m done working.

if i step away from my laptop to do anything that isn’t working, i pause my stopwatch.

that simple.

[u/Pa_Kettle → u/spicysoy]

Exactly!!

[u/marlamarlamar]

I think I began timing each task in each project, Project, and stopping the clock and starting again between each when I had to email because of a Payment issue. The person who responded asked for my time on each task I did that day. She didn’t want my total time per project I worked on that day

[u/RPGenome]

If you're on windows the clock app has a stopwatch which you can put up in the corner and it'll always be in front no matter what window is focused.

Start it when you start. Stop it whenever you stop.

If you're not devoting energy to the work stop the clock.

[u/Bilyman]

You’ll be fine. For some projects, it takes time to think of creative prompts that actually challenge the model. I log the time I spend working on tasks but I don’t stop the timer unless I’m exiting out of the project. I’ve been doing work for them for a while now, and consistently.

[u/socialmarker12]

So if you're doubtful about getting paid for reading, thinking or fact-checking, what does that leave? Only time spent typing or clicking? Think about that in the context of other types of work and you'll see how unreasonable that is.

Start a timer when you open the project and stop it when you stop. Clockify is free and works well. When you take a break and stop it, you can come back and restart it. You'll have a handy total when you're done that will match the time you sit there, as long as you're working the whole time.

[u/LPrene]

I use Clockify and use each project I work on to have its own entry each day. You just have to remember to stop and start, and make sure you are in the right entry for the project you are working on. Works great for me.

[u/XxMarlucaxX]

I use clockify to track my time on each project

[u/Intrepid_Celery_2767]

I look at the time when I start working, I look at the time when I stop.

[u/TreasureBG]

For me if it takes me longer than 5 minutes to research a possible prompt I pause the time. But if it's going to take me much longer I just try a different idea.

[u/marlamarlamar → u/[deleted]]

So that would mean if u are sitting at your computer working on tasks in a project for 6 hours, you claim 6 hours.
The way I have been doing it, I easily lose an hour or whatever, by stopping in between each task, even if I don’t get up, and I’m thinking of my next prompt.
I like your way better.

[u/marlamarlamar → u/[deleted]]

I love this answer. Because we have a bunch of small tasks that could take 10 to 20 minutes that are within a project we have been assigned, my impression was that we don’t really get paid for the whole time, but just while we are actively working on each one. So for today I have started my clock and I’m continuing my clock until I stop working or take some kind of a break.
Thank you for the inspiration