The name “mechanical turk” comes from a fake chess-playing machine that hid a person inside of it, whom actually operated said machine. So I think the name is quite appropriate for this service.
Anyway, I don’t like that service either.
Anyway, I don’t like that service either.
edit: I see that wearywanderer explained what I mean as a sibling, that’s why I think GP didn’t get precisely what the MT was and how it was operated
Do you have a source for that assertion? As far as I can tell, several of the chess players known to have operated the Turk had substance abuse (chiefly alcoholism), health, and money problems (the words 'debt', 'penniless', and 'destitute' come up a few times). While not proof of abuse, it does suggest a strategy of recruiting the vulnerable.
I understand what you mean if we judge it from modern western standards, but I don’t agree if we judge it by the standards of that era.
It’s all a matter of context IMHO.