Is Working From Home The New "Slave Labour" Of The 21st Century?

@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
September 26, 2010 5:05pm CST
Please don't think I am having a go at MyLot here because I am not. This is the one site that has constantly paid me so I don't want to antagonise anyone connected with MyLot or its members, just wanted to clear that one up! No, what I mean is; these PTC sites and others such as Survey sites and the like, or sites promoted by gurus whereby you promote them if you haven't any product to sell yourself. I see this all the time. There are even review sites that pay you to say good things about people such as Chris Farrell. It is so obvious as the reviews are so similar to one another on IMReportCard. MyLot is the only online site that I choose to make money from but I have delved into PTC on occasion, plus surveys, blah-de-blah and I couldn't help thinking that it really is modern-day, slave labour. Don't you think so? If you think about it for a minute compare what you are doing to - say, an office job or anything regarding computer work in the outside world. Are you doing that? Good! Now, to try and grasp this concept I am thinking of try this for me... THINK ABOUT THE HOURS YOU SPEND "CLICKING" ON YOUR HOME COMPUTER AND HOW MUCH MONEY YOU ARE EARNING IN A DAY.. then.. THINK ABOUT A JOB YOU HAD IN THE PAST IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD WHERE TYPING WAS PART OF WHAT YOU DID then.. COMPARE THE TWO. For me, there is no comparison to having a "proper" job in the outside world. The trouble is there aren't any to even apply for now. Is it the same for you? Is that why you resort to PTC and the like? Are you desperate for cash or do it as a hobby? I would really like to know the circumstances that forced you (or otherwise) to try online work. Has it been successful and why? Is it because of the hundreds of hours you put in? Are you frustrated with the pittance that is paid to the online community in general? By the way, anybody ever found work with PeoplePerHour.com because I haven't! NB: I do not wish to read about sites you use, JUST about the cirumstances surrounding WHY you use the sites in the first place. Thank you.
5 people like this
5 responses
• Philippines
27 Sep 10
Having a proper job in the outside world is really the best way to earn a bigger salary and get bonuses too. But, in the Philippines, when you reach a certain age it becomes harder to find work if you get laid-off when your company closed or downsized the number of their employees. Most companies prefer younger workers so looking for work now goes beyond the outside world. My sister is earning from online jobs. The salary she gets in US dollars is small but when converted to Phil peso it's a bit more than the minimum wage here. I might be joining her soon as I'm having a hard time looking for a job. This might also be my chance to learn different types of work or use other skills I have.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Sep 10
www.signupundermeplease.com I like posting here, and if they want to pay me to do it, hooray. But you're right, it doesn't compare to even the lowest paying job in the real world. But the (very) few earnings sites that I'm on, I have found a use for the extra cash, so why not?
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Sep 10
true, true...
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Sep 10
Yes, but you work so can take it easy to a certain extent.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45665)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Sep 10
Yeah, you're right. Back in 1989, I was making $16.50/hr when minimum wage was $5/hr. My online "work" these days doesn't even bring me $5/week! (Unless I get accepted for a survey that actually pays a few dollars.) I'd make more delivering the local weekly. But even that job is difficult to get these days.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Sep 10
Yes, a paper round! Kids get paid loads to deliver papers now and good for them. I'm not knocking this site, really I'm not as I have lots of fun here BUT $10 a month to me equates to around £6.32, something like that. The minimum wage in this country is £5.93 for the over 21s (at least from October as it's going up) so that's where my comparison comes in. If I was doing the equivalent amount of typing in the real world I would make the £6.32 in less than 2 hours! You see what I'm getting at?
1 person likes this
@thomad13 (210)
• United States
27 Sep 10
I turned to the internet when my husband lost his job. We had an emergency fund but its been almost six months so I've been using the computer to make extra cash. I do agree with you. I have a full time job and then to put in hours online to not even make half of that. I use mylot mainly for the writing tasks and aside from here I use just mainly one freelance site and so things like transcription, administrative assistant, customer service, bookkeeping, etc. I have made decent on there but in the realwork it would have been a lot more.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Sep 10
You have been lucky with the freelance work so I'm pleased for you. It is interesting that you say it doesn't pay as much as if the same work was done "outside." That has enlightened me and affirmed my suspicions that I bet freelancers aren't even paid the minimum wage. Something should be done about that, in my opinion. I think there should be a proper wage structure and sites like PeoplePerHour should be the ones to impliment that. I can't see it happening anytime soon though.
• United States
26 Sep 10
I'm sure this is a very uncomfortable question for a lot of people. I just graduated from college with a Bachelor's in Psychology intending to go on to graduate school, but now I am in technical school, because I am not ready for the time, effort, and money that graduate school is right now. I could probably get a part-time job or internship if I really tried, but I have a speech impediment which makes it difficult for me during interviews and just daily life, actually. Thus, I have turned to the internet to just make a few extra dollars. I'm new here, and have not made anything, so any tips would be welcome as well!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
26 Sep 10
I can't offer you tips as such but, if your response is anything to go by, you will do fine in this MyLot community. Trust me! Welcome aboard!