Problem running Inquisit 4 Web script with MTurkers

Millisecond Forums

Problem running Inquisit 4 Web script with MTurkers

https://forums.millisecond.com/Topic10013.aspx

By ericdknowles - 3/19/2013

Hi guys,

I have a study that I'm attempting to run on MTurk. I get some completed responses, but not many, leading me to think that the script isn't working for most people. I did receive one note from a worker:

I can't open this Inquisit in either IE or Firefox and I get the following error message: "Script Url: http://www.millisecond.com/myaccount/scripts/eknowles/RaceCat/RaceCat.iqx

WIC Error: 0xffffffff80070057 The parameter is incorrect. Line 762, File win\Direct2DGraphics.cpp

Unable to load the picture 'http://www.millisecond.com/myaccount/scripts/eknowles/RaceCat/./W020-B080 R.jpg'. Verify the file is of a supported image format."

Any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks!

Eric

By Dave - 3/21/2013

You should try to avoid spaces in filenames as well as the path prefix as clearly indicated by the resulting invalid URL in the error message:

"Unable to load the picture 'http://www.millisecond.com/myaccount/scripts/eknowles/RaceCat/./W020-B080 R.jpg'. Verify the file is of a supported image format."

By Livio - 3/21/2013

Hi Eric,

just to let you know: After I had published a HIT on MTurk using Inquisit, I was informed by them that my account would be suspended if I continue to publish HITs that require workers to download software. I would therefore appreciate to hear from you if Amazon is behaving the same in your case. Because as far as I can tell they are either extremely unfair or completely incompetent. I mean Inquisit has been used in dozens of studies on MTurk, so their behavior very much puzzles me.

Anyway, good luck for your study!

Livio

By IR - 7/23/2014

Hello,

Some of my participants encountered a similar error: icon Error unknown WIC Error: 0xffffffff80070057 The parameter is incorrect. Line 1015, File win\Direct2DGraphics.cpp

I do not have any space in the names of files that I used. Is it possible that using an underscore in the name of the files might cause the same problem? Or is there any other reason?

Thank you in advance for your help,

By Dave - 7/23/2014

If you look at my original response in this thread, notice that spaces were not the only and in fact not the most important issue. There's likely something similar wrong with your script. However, what that is cannot be answered in the abstract. You need to provide the relevant code.

By seandr - 7/23/2014

Hi IR,

Are you using Inquisit 4.0.5 or earlier by chance? We did some work in 4.0.6 that should make these sorts of errors less likely. If you can share the link to your script as Dave requested, we can investigate.

Thanks,

Sean