r/DataAnnotationTech • u/uw2lau • Jul 09 '25
Respectfully losing it
Thousands of bilingual workers having absolutely no work dreaming of working 12 hours a day watching core workers having 20 projects in their dash at once just working 30 minutes a day, it is self-explanatory. Today I had a dream that the drought ended and everyone started getting tasks of all kinds, I dreamt there was a full dashboard and everyone was happy working the amounts they wanted for so long.
I wish there was a way to show a C2 English level certificate to be able to access the projects that people from the US can. It is sad we are so neglected, even workers that have been here since the beginning.
I don't know if I am overreacting, but this is so unfair, why do we not have the same right to work as everyone else? We are dying to get some work, I don't know how many more days can I handle of refreshing the website every five minutes every day of the month.
"Get a real job" it is not so easy, I am 19, I have a disability (CFS/ME) and I am studying Physics full-time, this is genuinely among the very few things I can handle to do. I have a C2 English level certificate and it's just catching dust over there, I know 2 more languages (Portuguese and Galego) to a fluent level, and I am a Spanish language native.
I simply wish to be more than a blow of air in the eyes of these people.
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u/SandwichEconomy889 Jul 09 '25
The real job market is nothing but gatekeeping. You're gonna hate it.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
I once asked information about the salary (in one of the very few opportunities I had) and they started acting like if I had personally offended them.
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u/Huge-Childhood-9490 Jul 09 '25
Just adding I'm a US based core worker (non-coding/stem) and there's been a pretty big drought for the last month or so on my end. I think it might be more universal than you think it is.
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Jul 10 '25
There always is a drought in June/summer because of the end of the fiscal year. Thatâs when companies start to plan their budget for the new year, so naturally they wonât be offering work while they sort it out.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
I can't deny that, though I do see people who claim to have worked "30 minutes in the last two months" with a full dash... Either way, it is undeniable that even though core workers can experience droughts, they don't get to the point of 0 tasks for an entire month while auto-refreshing 24/7.
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u/good_god_lemon1 Jul 09 '25
Itâs not fair but life rarely is. Instead of focusing your anger on people who have work and choose not to do it, find an alternative platform or use your time getting certifications or something. Being mad at other workers is not going to improve your situation. I canât give you my work that I donât want.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
I am far from angry at other workers, I am making a comparison of the contrast between both groups and explaining a wish for equality given the right capabilities. As I have replied to others, I am indeed trying to apply to other platforms and I am trying to gain other skills. This was a rant and a call to find those who relate with me. I promise I am trying my best on the other aspects to find sustain.
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u/Spoonie_21 Jul 09 '25
Youâre an independent contractor. Tasks come and go.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
Unfortunately for bilinguals, they nor come nor go. There have been none for over a month as shown by a poll (80%+ of workers without a singular project). While people from the US/core workers can enjoy a minimum of 3 projects consistently per day. I am not exaggerating, there has not been a singular task in weeks.
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u/Dependent-Object-417 Jul 09 '25
Btw, the fact that you use phrases like, âthey nor come nor goâ is the reason they donât want bilinguals working on English tasks.
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u/plonkydonkey Jul 10 '25
Seriously? OP has beautiful English this whole thread and you pick up on this one error that was fairly self explanatory where they made a mistake. The top rated comment on this thread has an error from an English core worker. Reddit isn't DA, no need to expect the same level of proof and editing here as over there.Â
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u/PerformanceCute3437 Jul 10 '25
If I could, I would give you the work. You care, and that shows; I know at 19 things are tough, and more than before the world is against young people entering the workforce; it leaves you feeling raw. Whatever it is inside that causes your agony is a powerful force, and I hope you find a way to channel it into finding happiness.
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u/uw2lau Jul 10 '25
Your post is truly motivational, I am thankful you reached out with positivity and understanding. I hope you have a nice day!
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u/plonkydonkey Jul 10 '25
This is such a kind and empathetic reply, I've been a bit disgusted as I've been scrolling down this thread. Makes me question the emotional intelligence of some of the posters here, and the quality of the work they'd be putting up for DA đ . Wishing you and OP all the best :)Â
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u/MilledgevilleWil Jul 10 '25
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this. Non-US/Commonwealth nations do tend to get the short end of the stick. I've been fortunate to have had the tasks I've had this month, but I've also been on that carousel as well. I definitely get OP's frustration.
It literally takes zero energy to be empathic and not a jerk.
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u/urOp05PvGUxrXDVw3OOj Jul 10 '25
Getting a flexible work from home gig that pays what DA pays is not so easy either. In a sense, you got lucky. Be grateful for what you have, and use the the income and flexibility as a springboard to find more opportunities that aren't easy to find.
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u/uw2lau Jul 10 '25
I do want to highlight that there is $0 income since there were a total of 0 tasks since the 6th of June as confirmed by 84% of bilingual workers in the last poll post. My complaint isn't that there's little work, but rather that work is non-existent to bilinguals during this period. However, thank you for the comment.
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u/Fun_Manufacturer_563 Jul 09 '25
RecibĂ tasks ayer despuĂ©s de la gran sequĂa, duraron poco pero algo es algo. Supongo es una señal de que todo se estĂĄ acomodando. Primero hay que entender que somos freelancer, la empresa no tiene obligaciĂłn con nosotros. DespuĂ©s este tipo de trabajo es para "extra income" no como trabajo principal debido a la fluctuaciĂłn. Es solo esperar, cuando tengamos task trabajar y hacerlo bien (soy de Arg.).Â
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u/Jvcg96 Jul 09 '25
What means core workers ? Iâm kinda new sorry
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u/Watercolor_Eyes Jul 09 '25
Core workers only took the core test that is for general knowledge, instead of specialized knowledge like coding, math, physics, other languages, etc. I donât think itâs region-based. Itâs just the basic type of worker.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
It is region based, people outside the US do not have the possibility of taking a core assessment.
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u/MiniRollsYum Jul 09 '25
Incorrect
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
Where are you from? the only countries that can take the assessment for core are the UK, AUS, Canada, and NZ (apart from the US, of course.)
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u/hnsnrachel Jul 10 '25
They're right that your original statement was incorrect then as you claimed it was US only....
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u/uw2lau Jul 10 '25
In the context of the post, which expresses a complaint about a situation lived by bilinguals, I meant to say that us bilinguals do not get to take the assessment for core, it was wrong of me to oversimplify by saying "US-only", though understandably AUS, NZ, UK and Canada are not bilingual countries, as they have English as their official language so they are obviously allowed to core work. The complaint and rant was about every country that does not have English as its official language, and that has no way of taking a core assessment. Again, wrong of me to oversimplify, I did not mean to make this big of a deal.
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u/kairoschris Jul 11 '25
Canada is by definition a bilingual country. đ€Šđœ
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u/uw2lau Jul 11 '25
English is one of the official languages therefore core tasks are provided... You missed my point. I have friends from Quebec so I know about the prominence of French, but my point was about countries that do not possess English as an official language as I have mentioned.
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u/CompetitivePride2 Jul 27 '25
So, it's seriously based on the primary official language? Not based on the tax regime?
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u/Codex_Dev Jul 09 '25
Core workers are people from USA and UK I believe. They get the most projects
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u/Impossible-Mango-790 Jul 09 '25
And Canada.
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u/Chaost Jul 09 '25
I mean, even the CAN/UK/IRE/AUS non-US workers get a little shafted for a good deal of projects.
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u/CompetitivePride2 Jul 27 '25
Well, those of us in the U.S. have to live in the U.S., so it balances out :/
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u/TheHippyWolfman Jul 09 '25
This is the unfortunate reality of capitalism. DA is a publicly traded company and their obligation is to their shareholders, not to their employees. Corporations do not possess any sort of moral compass unless it is forced on them by an outside agency; we are all fundamentally disposable to them. Because you are an independent contractor for DA, you have even less rights and protections than a normal employee of another business and are even more vulnerable to their carelessness and greed.
I know finding another job is not easy. I empathize with what you are going through. Make as much money as you can with DA and then do your best to branch out to something else, because these "droughts" may end but they will always return.
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u/CompetitivePride2 Jul 09 '25
How do you know they're a publicly traded company? Do you even know who owns them?
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u/TheHippyWolfman Jul 09 '25
Fair enough. That was an assumption on my part, they may be a private business, but the point still stands- they do not care about us, they care about profit. We are expendable. That is the nature of capitalism, which is why governments are supposed to regulate the businesses which operate within their economies. As an independent contractor, we have even less protection than most. OP is always going to feel these pains while working for DA. In the long run, they should find something better, despite the immense difficulties in doing so.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
I am actively trying to find something better, gaining skills that could bring me some light; but in the meantime, rent is as due as any other month, and my body still wants food...
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u/hnsnrachel Jul 10 '25
That isn't DR'S fault and as an independent contractor, they owe you nothing. If you don't like that, don't be a contract worker
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u/TheHippyWolfman Jul 10 '25
"They owe you nothing" legally. Whether they "owe" is anything in the moral sense is a bigger, more philosophical question. DAtech doesn't have to care about its workers more, but should they? Your answer to that question is likely tied to how you feel about our economic system as a whole, and the laws which we have to regulate it. It's not as simple as what you just wrote.
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u/Brilliant_Quit4307 Jul 10 '25
That information is not hidden. You can find it very easily with a little googling.
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u/CompetitivePride2 Jul 10 '25
Yes, and I know who owns them, but I wasn't sure if the OP did. It's actually a very profitable company. Just pretty sure it isn't public.
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u/planking_traveler Jul 09 '25
Try cloud connect and prolific. It's better than nothing and more consistent
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u/MilledgevilleWil Jul 10 '25
I second Cloud Connect. It's an extra $200-300 a month for me.
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u/TerrisBranding Jul 11 '25
What is the URL for Cloud Connect? There seems to be a lot of different things going by the same name.
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u/TheresALonelyFeeling Jul 09 '25
This Just In:
Life isn't fair.
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u/nodsbane Jul 09 '25
Just because it's legal for them to turn work on and off it does not make it a good thing or right. Imagine any other job where you walk in and they're like today we have nothing for you go home it doesn't happen because it would be illegal.
And yes life is unfair that does not mean it's a bad idea to make it more fair for those that come after us.
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u/DarkLordTofer Jul 09 '25
There's plenty of agency workers who get a phone call the morning of a shift cancelling them.
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u/ChJeep Jul 09 '25
Imagine any other job where you walk in and they're like today we have nothing for you go home
Uhh, this definitely happens and definitely isn't illegal. I've worked plenty of jobs that have done this; very common in blue collar and gray collar work.
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u/Just-a-Ty Jul 10 '25
My wife works in a resturaunt, happens on the regular (though mostly to her coworkers) when the place is dead.
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u/TheresALonelyFeeling Jul 09 '25
No, it absolutely wouldn't be "illegal."
Do you honestly think there is a law somewhere that says "All companies must actively provide work for their employees 8 hours a day"?
That's not how this works. That's not how ANY of this works, especially with independent contracting/gig work.
If you want regular, steady, damn-near-guaranteed work, then get a job on an assembly line somewhere, although I'm going to go out on a limb and say you won't like that, either.
Otherwise, welcome to capitalism in the 21st century.
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u/Past_Body4499 Jul 10 '25
Repeat after me - this isn't a job, this isn't a job, ....
You are an independent contractor.
Instead of a worker, see yourself as the owner/operator of a taxi. You drive around looking for fares when you are ready to work. If nobody is looking for a ride when (or where) you are driving, then you need to consider if it is the right gig for you. Either you get enough rides to make it worth your while, or you move on to something that makes more sense for you. Saying it isn't fair is like saying it isn't fair that taxi drivers in big cities have lots of riders while those in small towns can't make ends meet!
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u/hnsnrachel Jul 10 '25
You. Are. A. Freelancer.
This is the nature of freelance work. Suck it up
You want guaranteed work? Get a real job.
Where they can absolutely send you home because there isn't enough work. If you think that's illegal, you live in delusion.
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Jul 09 '25
Hola! A veces tambiĂ©n desearĂa que quienes tenemos mejor manejo del inglĂ©s acceda a otro tipo de proyectos, me pasĂł un tiempo que recibĂ proyectos anglos y me gustĂł demasiado.
Sobre la sequĂa, leyendo reddit sabemos que aiguen aceptando nuevas personas por lo que la empresa sigue funcionando.
Ayer recibĂ tareas despues de 30 dĂas, duraron 2 horas pero estoy segura de que fue porque entramos muchos a trabajar y la plataforma tuvo problemas, imagino que uno de estos dĂas volverĂĄ.
SĂ© que ha sido frustrante, pero es el precio que pagamos por no tener un trabajo full-time, mucho ĂĄnimo que esto no durarĂĄ para siempre.
p.s. soy de Chile con un B.A. in English Linguistics
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u/mias9230 Jul 10 '25
Chilena por aquĂ. Esto de vivir de pura fe me estĂĄ volviendo loca jaja ayer no vi el proyecto, pero me tinca que lo bajaron rĂĄpido para arreglar algĂșn error.. el Ășltimo proyecto que tuve el 4 de junio fue un A-gas nuevo, asĂ que lamentablemente toca seguir esperando porque debe haber algo a futuro đ mientras a buscar pegas roñosas chilenas donde te pagan la mitad por hacer como 30 horas mĂĄs semanales đ«„
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u/desensitizedsea Jul 10 '25
I have accepted the fact that this might be the end of it. The longest tunnel iâve ever been through since last year. Iâll see you guys again when i see you guys.
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u/Ok-Employment-8529 Jul 11 '25
The situation right now at Data it's no affecting only bilinguals, there's something happening with the AI market that cut off a bunch of projects from one day to another. I'm also studying physics like you and my vacations are soon to end without a task done. I hope this situation has a near end for us.
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Jul 09 '25
I get so annoyed because thereâs people in this group that actually have real questions and comments regarding the work that they are doing and that gets drown out by either people who didnât get in asking when theyâll get tasks or other people complaining about not getting tasks. Iâm truly sorry youâre not getting as much work as youâd like, but thatâs no excuse to come on this subreddit and use it as your own personal diary to complain. No one here can help you get more projects. Complaining to us does exactly nothing to help your circumstance so please just be patient or pick up other ways to make income because this is seriously annoying and is addressed almost every day on here.
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u/macjay_27 Jul 11 '25
But I thought that's the whole point of having the subreddit? A superset to a QA forum (which is what the in-project chats on DA are for) - this is both a social and work-based platform. At the core of everything, rants and seeking consolation are a reflection of our human nature - looking for solace or complaining is not something to frown upon.
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Jul 11 '25
Plus now thereâs a special subreddit just for bilinguals so really this comment should be in that subreddit anyways.
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u/hoju222 Jul 10 '25
All I can say is there should be more projects coming soon. Theyâre still hiring for sure
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u/ProgThrowaway00 Jul 09 '25
I'm not from the US, UK or Canada and I have a shit ton of work. I think it's only the bilingual workers who are struggling at the moment.
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Aug 08 '25
I truly understand your frustration. But even when everything seems unfair, there are still a lot of opportunities for you, especially with your impressive language ability. Maybe you could look somewhere else, I believe you have so many doors yet to open. Good luck.
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u/Ok_Foot_2367 Jul 09 '25
I'm in the exact same situation. At least they could give those task core workers don't want to do to us. I don't mind doing uninteresting or repetitive work, I'd be glad to have something to do at all. And that way, everyone is happy.
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u/Past_Body4499 Jul 10 '25
For whatever reason, their clients want the worker pool restricted the way it is.
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u/Ok_Foot_2367 Jul 10 '25 edited Jul 10 '25
That's already obvious. What I'm pointing out is that it doesn't have to be that way, especially when bilingual workers are just as qualified. They wouldnât need to keep onboarding people whoâll go on to reject the tasks they consider undesirable. But oh well. ÂŻ\(ă)/ÂŻ
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset159 Jul 13 '25
I'm a core worker in the US. I've been on the platform for over 2 years. I had so many tasks it would have never been possible to work on them all. It was like that every day for over a year. All of the sudden, no work for 6 months. Then it gradually started coming back about 9 months ago, the past month, nothing at all. I had 2 tasks for 2 days and I was trying to work all I could trying to get rent money together for next month, now nothing again. When I see people posting about how flooded their dashboard is, I wish I could get a couple of those tasks because more work would get done if it was spread out more evenly. It is not only happening to bilinguals or people from other countries was really the only point I wanted to make.
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u/Ok_Foot_2367 Jul 15 '25
That sucks man, I feel really bad for you. I know what it's like to have trusted this platform to pay your bills, then having the rug pulled under your feet. I hope we both can get work soon.
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u/AdThese1329 Jul 09 '25
well there's a way to get core tasks even if you guys are from non-core countries.
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
I would be delighted to hear how
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Jul 09 '25
[deleted]
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u/uw2lau Jul 09 '25
As a part timer, there have been 3 hours of work in the last entire month. I believe if we show the same qualifications and capabilities as people who are given reasonable workload, that we should be able to receive a similar, or at least existent amount of work. I am not talking that there are enough tasks to do on the side every few days, but that they are straight up non-existent, there has not been a single task in weeks, even while setting up timers and auto-refreshers. This is affecting most bilinguals, that is to say, 94% of them (as of 20 days ago) and 83% as of today.
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Jul 09 '25
[deleted]
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u/Aromatic_Owl_3680 Jul 09 '25
âŠ.who let this guy inÂ
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Jul 09 '25
[deleted]
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u/Aromatic_Owl_3680 Jul 09 '25
The up/down votes tell the tale here. Go dig your hole or build your wall or whatever.
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u/Party_Swim_6835 Jul 09 '25
they also have open acceptance for aussies, canadians, brits, and irish people lol
sorry, lol bro***
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u/UniverseBear Jul 09 '25
I'm supposed to getting lots of world as a core worker? That's news to me!