Work for Google! - Google Image Labeler

12 December, 2008

Have you ever wanted to work for Google? Who hasn't, right? Well, now you can!

For a long time now Google has had its image search feature. We all know about that - it allows us to search the Internet for images. But what you may not know is that for a wee while, Google has been running a feature called Google Image Labeler.

Google Image Labeler is still in beta at this stage (GMail was in beta for three years), but it is helping Google label its images better so it can return better images to you when you search.

How it works is simple. You click the "Start Labeling" button and you will be paired with a random partner. You and your partner will be shown an image, and you both enter words relating to that image (kind of like word association) until you both enter the same word. Google then records the word you entered and uses it later. Somehow... You and your partner then move on to the next image. And so for two minutes.

Some images come with a list of words which are reserved - these are usually the most basic words. For example, a picture of a field may not allow you to enter "field, grass, paddock" or other words like that. This gets you to think a bit more laterally and come up with some other words to describe the image.

So, Google is using you to improve their searching - you are directly contributing to Google! It is just like working for Google, only you miss out on the nice salary, the great offices, the free food and the ability to win any conversation by saying "I work at Google". But apart from those things (and probably a few more) it's exactly the same as working for Google.

Anyway, it's a bit of fun as you type (and mistype) furiously to try and get more guesses than your partner. The next time you are surfing around and have two minutes to spare, pop over to Google Image Labeler, feel good about yourself and help out anyone who is using Google Image Search.

ferrari_chris