Phrase Detectives: Solving the anaphor resolution

Phrase Detectives exploits "human computation" in the anaphor resolution task. This is one of the linguistic problem which is hard to solve. There are many automatic algorithms trying to resolve anaphor resolution. But it is too complicated task for the PC and quite simple but boring for the end user. I did this task to get a note at the university. i wasn't paid for it and it was quite boring.

But hidden under the pretty interface and given the challenging motivations to compete and to try to win 75 pounds for the first place, 50 pounds for the second place and 25 pounds for the third place once a month, it could be worth doing it. Moreover, the idea that you are improving the future of technology gives you comfort. And this all on the fair basis of the highest month score. [It seems to me that it is quite reachable and maybe I should play more games then I will get the same amount of money as for working hard? :)]

So on trying to reach the highest score I help to create the anaphorically annotated AnaWiki (wikipedia of the research lab from the Essex University).

It is interesting to understand how do they validate the results, how good are results, etc. I will try to find more information about it.
During four weeks they have gained over 40.000 annotations!!! That sounds quite well. I wonder, how much they should have paid if the persons making the resolving tasks were their employees.

More information about this online game you can find on these Webpages:
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/information_technology/networked_human_computation_solve_computer_language_126034.html

or here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126082345.htm