Digital Work for the Poor: The Next Big Opportunity?

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2010-02-06 09:45:00 UTC
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Congratulations to Samasource and Crowdflower, which have won the title of "Netexplorateur" of the Year, thanks to the creation of their GiveWork application. GiveWork -- which allows iPhone users around the world to support work opportunities for the poorest of the poor -- is a groundbreaking application, and the recognition is much-deserved.

Samasource is a firm that helps refugees and others in poverty earn income by completing digital tasks that include clerical and data input, photo tagging and translation, among others. It business development side brings in the contracts (often partnering with groups like Crowdflower to do so), while its field team trains employees and helps facilitate task completion. As a nonprofit, Samasource is dedicated primarily to the income and professional growth of its employees, with the goal of helping participants progress further and further down the path of higher-skilled work and additional education.

How does it work? The GiveWork application works on the iPhone, and allows American or Western iPhone users to cross-check the work of Samasource employees completing tasks. The money that Samasource receives from application sales goes to train more people on the ground. Just as importantly, the GiveWork application acts as a quality control mechanism. Matching iPhone users' answers with that of Samasource's field employees answers ensures quality.

There's a lot of buzz around Samasource right now, for good reason. The knowledge economy is only going to grow in importance -- which is exciting, but also opens up the possibility of a deepening digital divide. What I like most about Samasource is its commitment to making its employees better able to compete broadly, not just better able to do their specific tasks and assignments.

Other Netexplorateurs recognized this year are worth pondering as well. Some are more familiar, like the LUCAS system that's being developed as a way to improve field diagnostics in global health. Others, like the LAYAR augmented-reality system, are fascinating for their potential to shift the way we consume knowledge and interact with the spaces around us.

You can find the full list here, and read more about digital work at Samasource.org.

Photo Credit: luc leguy

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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