Free $10 or more to talk with a stranger for 10 minutes (research)

[Proz]

Link

I'm not apart of this, just stumbled upon this recently.

If selected, you could get up to 1-3 phone calls to phone # you submit online and then paid $10 per call.

Looks to be legit since its from .edu

 

[itslave]

I think I'll pass since they want your Social Security Number.

 

[Sesopedalian]

If they want your SS # it's either a scam, they are stupid, or both.

 

[MontyBurns]

It's through the University of Pennsylvania. I highly doubt it's a scam.

Still, not saying it's a good idea to give them your social security #.

 

[MontyBurns]

Here are some more details. You don't talk with a computer. You talk with a stranger, and they review the conversations to learn what a freak you are.


>>>

FISHER Telephone Speech Study


Thank you for your interest in FISHER, a telephone speech study supporting linguistic research, technology development and education conducted by the Linguistic Data Consortium at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a FISHER participant you will take part in 1 to 3 telephone calls talking to other participants -- typically people you do not know -- for ten minutes.

A robot operator will initiate all calls. You need only answer your phone at the time(s) you will specify later during this registration.

In real life, our conversations with strangers have specific goals: to get or give information, to accomplish a task or to build a relationship. In this study, we assign topics to encourage the same kind of goal-oriented talk. The topics also give variety to the conversations and keep them going in a meaningful way. Please speak on the suggested topic, giving your opinions and the benefit of your personal experience and please also ask about the other person's experience and opinions.

Please remember that all FISHER calls will be recorded for research and educational purposes. You will receive $10 for every successful call in which you take part. You will also be entered into our lottery for each call you complete. There will be (3) $1000 lottery prizes.

You may receive FISHER calls on any type of phone, landline or cellular. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at 1-800-380-PENN. Thank you in advance for supporting linguistic research and education through the FISHER project.



David Miller
FISHER Project Manager

 

[crypticlogin]

For the record, it says you talk with a person -- a computer just does the dialing.

edit: Montyburns is just too quick on the trigger for me.

 

[oaaltone]

Last year I worked as a research assistant at UMASS in their Computer Science Dept on a project that was being done for the Linguistic Data Consortium. They do some amazing work with colleges throughout the country, lots of data recognition stuff: automatic image analysis, intelligent data retrieval, etc. Lots of cool stuff that could be some major improvements to life as we know it in the near future!

In any case, help out a good cause. Get paid

I'm betting the SSN is only needed to prevent duplicates, which would really screw up their test data, and rip them off financially as well.

 

[Ziptar]

Heh, talk with a random stranger about a random topic... I wonder how many of those conversations will end in the first 5 minutes with "STFU!" "No! You STFU!"

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Ziptar
Heh, talk with a random stranger about a random topic... I wonder how many of those conversations will end in the first 5 minutes with "STFU!" "No! You STFU!"

lol..you signed up didn't you Ziptar..?

 

[Flatbroke]

The Potential of SS number abuse, (who "sees" this info?, grads, undergrads, the janitor moves papers left on the desk during lunch time?), keeps me out of this one. If you EVER have someone use your SS number for id theft, you will live a life of credit hell for a very long time. You been watching TV lately on this subject? Is it worth $10 to roll the dice?

 

[joshs2345]

the SSN# is used by the university for billing purposes (they have to have SSN for anyone they cut a check to)

and it could also be used to make sure people are doing it 100x

 

[BuckNaked]

Originally posted by: Flatbroke
The Potential of SS number abuse, (who "sees" this info?, grads, undergrads, the janitor moves papers left on the desk during lunch time?), keeps me out of this one. If you EVER have someone use your SS number for id theft, you will live a life of credit hell for a very long time. You been watching TV lately on this subject? Is it worth $10 to roll the dice?

 

[dosman]

By billing purposes do you mean that someone will use your ss # and get a credit card? And by getting a credit card you are billed for it later?
Just wondering?

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: dosman
By billing purposes do you mean that someone will use your ss # and get a credit card? And by getting a credit card you are billed for it later?
Just wondering?

No, he means that someone will (legitimately) report your earnings to the IRS as is required by law. When you do these studies for a University, especially a State University, and earn money you have been employed by said University and therefore your earning such as they are, are subject to taxation.

Bottom line, they have to collect SSNs. If you don't want to participate, fine. But it's an easy $10 for anyone else. Grad students (The youngest students that administer these studies) would not put their 4+ year college investment on the line to rip you off for a measly $10k.

 

[Sesopedalian]

Maybe it's a study to see how many people are dumb enough to give their SS# over the internet to a place where you have zero idea what will become of it. Then they will forward these Social Secuity numbers to the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office will research and identify those who sent the numbers and offer them admission to the University of Pennsylvania.

 

[eliteorange]

Originally posted by: Sesopedalian
Maybe it's a study to see how many people are dumb enough to give their SS# over the internet to a place where you have zero idea what will become of it. Then they will forward these Social Secuity numbers to the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office will research and identify those who sent the numbers and offer them admission to the University of Pennsylvania.

heh... aint that skool kinda hard to get in?

 

[allisolm]

I hope that this is legit as they already called me to give me a pin number and say I was enrolled. They said that pretty much everyone was going to be accepted up to 8000 participants.

 

[Dacus]

Why do they need your SSN? You can issue a check without a SSN.

 

[allisolm]

Already got a call. Topic was to be "Foreign Relations". Unfortunately, the computer wasn't able to find another participant to talk with me. (sniff, sniff.) If this isn't legit, they're sure going to a lot of trouble. Got email from them, too and it came from upenn. I participated in another voice study from an institute in Oregon that took two years and involved about 12 calls.

 

[cartier]

When i was a young punk i used to do research like this! I would call a random number in sweden or germany, then, while it was connecting, I would use 3-way and call some random local number and put the 2 together.

 

[emmpee]

I currently work for an academic department at a major university. We need social security numbers to issue checks to ANYONE. Even if we're just reimbursing someone $7 for lunch or something... SS# needs to go on the form. That's just the way it works. If you don't like it, don't take up the offer, but anyone accusing the oldest university in the United States of running a two-bit SS# identity theft scam should rethink their stance.

 

[Helenihi]

For those of you freaking out about your SS#, hope you never got a job, because you'll need to give out your SS# for that too. On hoes you'll be ruined!

 

[allisolm]

Completed one call. Talked about which countries, if any, we think propose a threat to the US and how to handle any such threats. Call went smoothly and you get to leave feedback about the call at the end. Now, in a few weeks, I'll see if the check arrives!

 

[qwerty1323]

Originally posted by: emmpee*snip* oldest university in the United States *snip*

where'd you get that info?

 

[locutus4]

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