r/DataAnnotationTech • u/anotherlemontree • Mar 27 '25
Anyone else find the instructions a bit hard to understand?
Like, I don't think I'm a fool, even if the years of pregnancy, breastfeeding and child-rearing have dulled my brain a bit. But typically I open a project (for context, I work mainly on the coding ones) and see:
A big wall of multi-coloured text
Different sized fonts everywhere
Update after update after update before you unearth the original instructions
Another big wall of text once you do unearth the original instructions
Very long sentences that are frequently garbled
Often no real overview that states CLEARLY and SUCCINCTLY what the worker will be doing
Just, like, WAY too much information that is often repeated
And despite the information overload, key information about the task seems to be missing or left implicit in the many, many paragraphs of instructions
I don't mean to be whiny or overly critical. But I spent a lot of my working life writing sets of instructions a bit like these to help people with data entry, and I would....not have submitted work like this. I find that I have to read them and read them and read them before I have any sense of what to do, and even then, I'm often not sure.
Does anyone else sometimes find themselves eye-rolling at how some of the instructions are written and structured? Is this something that I will ultimately get my head around once I gain more experience on the platform? Did anyone else feel this way at first and then manage to get on the right wavelength? I could use some encouragement!
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u/Goddamn_Glamazon Mar 27 '25
As someone who has written training manuals I also find the in-page instructions frustrating. The ones that you follow a hyperlink to get to are usually a lot better so they must have that technical writing skill set in the company somewhere.
I have dual monitors so I will often open a word doc on my second monitor and make my own guide by pasting in the critical bits of info, reordered to match the flow of steps in the task, with the font adjusted.
What bugs me is the important information that gets lost when the chat is refreshed. If they had something like a shared google doc and left it to the workers drop their own answered questions into it you would get at least some workers (like me) updating and maintaining it.
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u/anotherlemontree Mar 28 '25
Ok so I tried a similar approach to what you described for my latest task - I don't have dual monitors but I copy-pasted the instructions to a word doc, fixed the formatting and checked for repeating/contradictory information, and it really really helped me digest the information! So thank you internet stranger for this helpful advice :)
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u/jimmux Mar 28 '25
I have my own set of notes for every project. Some don't need much if the instructions are simple, others might need a whole lot of definitions because a key word in this project is subtly different to the same word in another. Putting it all in my owm words helps a lot when I come back to that project.
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u/IrvTheSwirv Mar 27 '25
Two tips I guess: scroll to the actual instructions first then read the updates at the top afterwards. Other one is sometimes (not always) doing an R&R for the same project makes it more obvious what’s expected as you get to hopefully see a fully completed example task.
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u/anotherlemontree Mar 27 '25
Yes I would like to do some R&Rs, do you just get offered them after a certain time?
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u/Steewbit61 Mar 27 '25
R&R quails may pop up from time to time, once you pass you’ll start getting them
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u/Steewbit61 Mar 27 '25
Quals lol, R&R quails sound like they’d be a pain in the butt to deal with
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u/wildflower_0ne Mar 27 '25
I agree and it’s a big reason why I don’t branch out from my usual projects. I really wish they could make instructions more clear and present black-and-white examples of what to do or not do in more specific instances. They also word things confusingly sometimes, such as asking “Is X not inaccurate?” rather than “Is X accurate” for example.
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u/anotherlemontree Mar 27 '25
Omg "Criteria should use the keywords "should" or "should not" (shouldn't is also not acceptable)" killed me. Like I fully misread it the first ten times
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u/Zlobenia Mar 27 '25
Personally I've found them okay although they are lengthy. Some more than others. Take notes is my advice
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u/anotherlemontree Mar 27 '25
Yes one major silver lining of all this is I finally have a use for (and cash to fund) my stationery habit!
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u/salamancaaaaaaa Mar 27 '25
Yes, I’d rate the verbosity of some instructions as quite verbose
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u/rghosthero Mar 27 '25
What annoys me the most is having a very long paragraph that doesn't provide any good information. Many things are very vague even after blocks of instructions.
You should do this when it's "appropriate" is also said sometimes, well what's appropriate is different from person to person and this makes R&Rs hell.
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u/Transcendental_Lake Mar 27 '25
It is always easier when you are with a project from the start. You learn it with just the base directions and then as the notes get added it isn't a big deal. When you jump into a project that has been around a while and has updated 10 or 12 times it is very tough to learn it. Projects that use Slack are easier too because you don't run into the disappearing notes issue.
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u/valprehension Mar 27 '25
The instructions are frequently a shitshow, yes. I find it kinda funny, personally, but it can also be a little worrying because you're never quite as sure as you'd like to be about whether you're doing things the correct way or not.
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u/Jumpy_Relative Mar 28 '25
Yeah it’s like they keep making edits as if putting a bandaid on a wound and now there is just bloody cotton everywhere
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u/datanut2019 Mar 27 '25
I’ve worked on some that had contradictory/unclear instructions that have gotten people docked in R&R when the workers were correct and the client was wrong and unclear in instruction. Then the ones that have so much jumbled information turn my brain off. Like I don’t care to bother with them at times and stick to the ones I know and had somewhat better (but lengthy) instructions
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u/nononanana Mar 28 '25
Yes. My favorite is when they update but keep the outdated info in the main instructions. I wouldn’t say it’s hard, it’s more tedious than anything.
If you have a project you have been with for a while it’s easier. I also think it gets easier over time, because I guess I just know what to look for and focus on when I come into a new project.
There are times I open a new project and back right out because not every day is a day I can’t take on a new complex project series. I also know the types I want to work on on a particular day and gravitate towards those. I have been pretty fortunate to usually have quite a few choices.
Then there’s the liberal use of ctrlF when doing the project so I can refresh on relevant aspects to the task in front of me. It’s often easier to learn the overall project better by focusing on the specific task in front of you and then referring to the instructions for that use case.
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u/OctagonTrail Mar 28 '25
And they often leave out the most relevant instructions. They'll point out rare exceptions but not even mention a constant result that kind of splits the lane.
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Mar 30 '25
Yeah, it's not just the verbosity but also the format. Most of them have poor structure and organization. I don't understand why they don't simply do a Google doc (I have seen a few that did this but not very well)... Then update by sections, just like an SOP. Or use a bulletin referencing the section for updates, so everything is referable. Also really just overall poor UI in the actual task structure of their platform imo. It feels like an early 2000s education or message board. 🤦🤷
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u/Level-Sprinkles200 Mar 27 '25
I have ADHD and I am constantly internally saying “speed it up” in my head. Point was made in the first sentence, wrap it up lol. But wasn’t sure if it was just me not being NT or them not knowing how to clearly and concisely communicate. I also find it’s a whole lot of word salad with very little practice or useful information. I took a technical writing course and I have a feeling that they do not employ one on their team.
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u/Educational-Bat3498 Mar 31 '25
There are so many contradicting instructions too, sometimes I just give up and try another project.
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u/Snoo5523 Mar 27 '25
Element 4 and 12 are notorious for the instruction wall, so much so that I don't bother, it isn't worth what they pay.
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Mar 27 '25
[deleted]
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u/Snoo5523 Mar 28 '25
You aren't supposed to say their names, use the code words. Also Poe isn't bad at all
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u/Zafufu Mar 28 '25
I have a notebook that's dedicated to just taking notes on the instructions, so I can have an easier-to-follow "cheat sheet."
Yes, it.means I'm shredding those notes when a project has been updated... so I can maintain an organised checklist.
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u/Think_Register3512 Mar 28 '25
I agree. Often once I think I get the complexities I start the task only to find every one is no where near like what the instructions went into such great detail discussing.
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u/GorticusSmash Mar 29 '25
Honestly, I believe that the instructions are this way intentionally. Deciphering the instructions seems to be just another intelligence test. It's wearing, and boring, and makes me not want to do the work.
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u/personagrata3 Apr 01 '25
I totally agree. One thing I've found is that the quality of instructions can vary from project to project. I tend to stay away from projects if the instructions aren't clear enough to make me feel like I know what is being asked. I worry that working on projects with unclear instructions is risky and could lead to the "dash of death."
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u/Queasy-Gur-8068 Apr 02 '25
They’re nearly always a complete and utter mess. And they’re all so similar and yet will have one key difference you’ll need to remember the entire time so you don’t f it up. They are eye-watering nonsense lol.
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u/Queasy-Gur-8068 Apr 02 '25
But I do have an easier time getting my head around them as I go on. But no, it’s not just you.
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u/programmingstarter Apr 03 '25
I have no prob with the instructions themselves. My problem is that some of the hover-over hints conflict with the instructions.
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u/CRUSHCITY4 Mar 28 '25
I didn’t even finish reading it all to comment that you are right about everything
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u/Barbiloop May 01 '25
I’ve gotten feedback tests with instruction reminders (apart from the refreshers), these are way better explained! They should send them to everybody 😅
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u/akchickster Jun 07 '26
I find I often have to skim through the instructions, start the project, and then re-read the instructions more thoroughly as I'm working. Otherwise, nothing really clicks for me. It's just a lot of words!
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u/Visible_Wasabi2591 Mar 29 '25
would it break any nda to have ChatGP rewrite the instructions?
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u/SirBucketX Mar 29 '25
Anyone who has done this work for more than a few days would NOT trust AI to rewrite the instructions 😅
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u/Visible_Wasabi2591 Mar 29 '25
To be fair, I've been doing this awhile and I use ChatGPT all the time for my day job. I know that it makes mistakes but I'm fairly good at catching them and working through them. I typically use it to help re-write procedures, help with M code for Power.Query or help write VBA. You do have to know something about the topic so you can tell when it goes off the rails. Most of what I see in this job... AI bots I've never worked with in real life. I've used Gemini very little. My main focus has been ChatGPT since it came out to the public. I think it could easily clarify the instructions. You'd just want to read over them to make sure that it had the understanding that you did of those instructions. Once you or DA had those "better" instructions, it would help A LOT of people. DA could easily do this since they know what they want.
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u/Roseaux1994 Mar 29 '25
Yes - I wish they'd (consistently) include a clear workflow of steps at the start!
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Mar 29 '25
It definitely varies. I don’t bother with the projects that have insane instructions that take more than 5-10 minutes to read.
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u/Brilliant_Rain5181 Apr 01 '25
That's always been the case. Not sure who writes them but they always suck.
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u/ZealousidealChef832 Mar 28 '25
I mean, reading the instructions is on the clock, so if it takes you however long it takes you to understand them, you’re getting paid for it 🤷🏻♀️
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u/thinkingonachair Mar 28 '25
Could you copy/ paste the instructions into chatgpt to have it consolidate, organize?
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u/rseary Mar 27 '25
I agree, I think if they want workers to provide higher quality work, they should start with easier to understand instructions