“Microwork” is a series of small tasks that have been broken out of a larger project and can be completed via the Internet. Microwork is considered the smallest unit of work in a virtual assembly line.

The term was developed in 2008 by Leila Chirayath Janah

Leila Chirayath Janah

Leila Chirayath Janah is the Founder and CEO of Samasource, a social enterprise that gives digital work to impoverished people around the world.-Background:...

 of Samasource

Samasource

Samasource is a nonprofit organization that brings dignified, computer-based work opportunities to people living in poverty around the world. The organization's mission is based on the belief that poverty can be alleviated by tapping into the brainpower of the poor and empowering them as producers...

. Samasource’s business model centers on breaking down digital work into small units and outsourcing it to the world’s poor. Nearly 1,000 people complete “microwork” with Samasource.

Sites offering microwork

• http://www.taskrabbit.com/
• http://gigwalk.com/
• http://tongal.com/
• http://myguidie.com/
• Amazon Mechanical Turk