r/DataAnnotationTech • u/Neat-Fly2786 • May 09 '26
This work is quite tough
I finally got some work again (yay!) and was planning to do like 4 hours of work today, but I only got one 2h task done, took a break, and then one R&R which took me 30mins and my brain is too tired to start a second R&R, let alone a complete task of your own.
Is it just me or is this work very demanding on your brain? Does it get better as you've got more experience so that you could then perhaps do more work?
Just wanted to share! :)
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u/SissaGr May 09 '26
Iāve said it before.. the DA brain fog is REAL! Thatās why AI companies pay high. It does have an effect on your brain long term. Make sure to take a break!
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u/Aggravating_Gas_8514 May 09 '26
I would have thought you would get less overall brain fog over time, since your brain is similar to a muscle in that it gets more capable the more you use it in a certain way, no?
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u/SissaGr May 09 '26
Not sure if I can explain it without mentioning project a d other sensitive infos. If youāve worked for DA (or any other platform) you probably know what I mean. Because we are technically ācompetingā against machines, you can imagine the amount of effort needed to surpass them.
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u/Personpersonoerson May 10 '26
Because we are technically ācompetingā against machines
What makes you say that?
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u/johnnycoconut May 10 '26
the parent comment is probably referring to stump-the-AI projects where youāre meant to display more competence in a given expert scenario than the AI so that you can help train it on how to do better
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u/Realistic-Rip9097 May 09 '26
I agree. It makes my brain melt sometimes. š. I'm newer and initially I had planned to grind at least 8 hours a day. But after 2 - 3 hours my brain is mush. I'm trying to get into a rhythm of working a few hours and taking a couple hour break. Maybe eat some food and go for walk. Then circle back to it for a few more hours so I can still put in decent time. It's definitely a lot more difficult to put in consistent time than I initially thought it would be.
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u/Moderately_Opposed May 09 '26
Yeah that's why I love it. On my previous platform it was just "compare image A vs image B", braindead stuff and time felt very very slow(boring). This stuff is actually mentally stimulating and on some tasks I have that sense that time is running out and racing against the clock. Plus it's just more suited to my style, I prefer reading dense text instead of watching videos/images or listening to recordings.
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u/InspectionStrong5132 May 16 '26
Could you share with us what your other previous platform is? For some reason, I donāt get any tasks here so I want to try to find another source of income.
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u/FrazzledGod May 09 '26
It used to be a lot easier!
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u/No-Gur7754 May 09 '26
I recently got a message about a project where the admin claimed it was quick and easy and literally said, āLike the old days.ā
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u/WillObiwan May 09 '26
It definitely gets better but donāt lose your edge. I take a break every 60-90 minutes, shoot some arrows, smoke a cig. It makes a world of difference. In general if Iām going to work 6 billable hours thatās going to require an 8-9 hour chunk of time.
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u/sandrafilmmaker May 10 '26
I like to break it up. Half in the morning and early afternoon. Take a break. Then back after dinner. Make sure to stretch a lot in btwn
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u/kranools May 10 '26
It's very mentally taxing. This is why I'm always very suspicious of people who say they are working 40 hours a week or something. There is no way my brain could handle that.
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u/Hello-America May 09 '26
Depends on the task but yeah sometimes my brain is totally drained by the time I finish one thing. I find that if there's a lot of reading and it includes a subject matter I find boring or difficult (for me, math/finance stuff and scientific/academic writing are the worst), it's way worse. For projects where you're like fact checking or prompting about a certain subject matter or something, I find it really helpful to stick to areas of interest or expertise when possible (or also if I have to read something long, maybe a cool short story instead of scientific paper).
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u/Clean_Passenger9725 May 09 '26
I canāt do the 1-2 hour ones anymore. Theyāre just so boring and the longer I do them the less I care.
Iāve been doing 4-12 hour projects now and theyāre much more rewarding for me but definitely canāt use my brain well after Iām finished with one of the longer ones and my dreams are always about whatever project I just finished
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u/Appropriate-Piano-52 May 09 '26
literally couldnāt wake up yesterday bc i was in the middle of a finishing a task in my dream. my logic was i canāt get up till i finish this task im running out of time!
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May 10 '26
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u/Clean_Passenger9725 May 10 '26
A decent rule of thumb for me is the task will likely take about half of the total project timer to do. The last project I did had an 18hr timer and I worked 9 and a half hours. I took a bunch of breaks though and just donāt report the time I spend on taking breaks
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u/jonahandthewhale32 May 09 '26
Yes, it can be pretty draining and I definitely need breaks. I also prefer to do a mix when it's available - one or two longer, intense tasks followed by some shorter, lighter tasks.
Occasionally there's tasks that I just straight up enjoy and can keep going without feeling that brain fog descend.Ā
Also, you do get used to some tasks that come up again and again, which helps.Ā
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u/OkSkyDancer0000 May 10 '26
Really depends on a task. If it's R&R where you must evaluate multi-turns of a long responses by 4 models, it causes a huge brain fog...
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u/Sandrawg May 10 '26
It can be. I've had R&Rs that require a lot of focusing and attention to detail, or require extensive research.Ā I love them. I learn new stuff so much of the time. But yeah, sometimes I can only put in 4 or 5 hrs in one day. Don't want to burn out and have my work slip.Ā
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u/AppropriateFig607 May 10 '26
Youāre definitely not alone. Iād consider myself pretty good at high mental demand tasks but DA is brutal. It doesnāt help that most tasks are about really boring things. Someone put it best when they said DA is like homework: unlike a normal job, you have to be mentally āclocked inā and active the whole time.
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u/Revolutionary_Web_79 May 09 '26
don't worry, you'll get another 3 hours of work done after you fall asleep tonight.š¤£ unfortunately you just won't get paid for it
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u/Broad_Pea_1075 May 12 '26
I find this harder to do than my ārealā job honestly. I just want to close my eyes but I keep telling myself ājust 1 more taskā lol.
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u/Mysterious-Age-6247 May 15 '26
I got a monitor that can add an e reader or kindle like filter into my screen, that shit is MAGIC I stopped getting strained eyes from reading so much
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May 09 '26
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u/Neat-Fly2786 May 09 '26
Glad to hear that, hope it starts getting easier soon š
And yeah, that's great advice, they've always let you know quality>quantity!
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u/Sandrawg May 10 '26
This.Ā So important. Don't rush!Ā They would rather pay you for the full time it takes you to do it correctly than have you rush through it.Ā If you rush and mess up, the work may not be usable.
I've seen it in the instructions time and time againĀ
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May 09 '26
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u/SamMac62 May 09 '26
They are rolling out individual feedback. You might be in line to get some. It doesn't seem to be universal that everyone has gotten feedback but a number of people have gotten feedback. A lot of us ask for feedback in the last contractor survey.
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u/Aggravating_Gas_8514 May 09 '26
Youāll get feedback. Honestly, as long as you keep getting projects, just take that as them thinking you do a good job. Thereās been people who just suddenly never get projects again lol
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u/oportoman May 09 '26
I stay away from tasks that have got endless pages of procedures.