This is going to be a quick run down of how to use AutoHotKey and then use the scripts provided by other Turkers to make some batches a lot easier. AutoHotKeys is only available for Windows systems. I am not familiar with similar tools for Mac but if there is enough demand for it I will research it and do the write up. First you will need to install AutoHotKeys from : http://www.autohotkey.com/ Once this program is installed on your computer you need to right click on your desktop, scroll down to 'new', and then select 'AutoHotKey Script'. This will post new icon onto your desktop which you can rename to suit your needs. Now you can right click on this icon and select 'edit script'. A Wordpad document will pop up. In this document is where you copy/paste or build your own script. At the top of this document will be some writing, don't delete this. Scripts are fairly simple to create once you know the commands. Most of these commands can be found here: http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm Here is what a script may look like once it is done. Very simple. #space:: Run http://www.google.com return The '#' designates to press the 'windows key' and the 'space bar' at the same time Run designates what the task will do Return ends the line so if you wanted to put another task underneath that task you would be able to. Now that you have the script that you want in the Wordpad document select 'file' and then 'save' and then you can close the script. To start the script just double click on the desk top icon and you should see a little green 'H' icon appear in your system tray. This is to show you that the script is active. For the script above all you have to do now is hold down the 'windows key' and press 'space' and your default browser will open with google.com You can set any key to be a function using AutoHotKeys but anytime that script is running that key will only function as the script tells it to. In order to make that key function normally you must end the script. To do this all you have to do is right click on the hot key icon in your system tray and select 'exit' This should be all you need to know about how to use AutoHotKey to make your Turking more efficient. If you have any questions post them in here and I will try and help you solve these issues.
I for one would like to see an OSX version. I looked into IronAHK, which is a binary/linux version that can apparently run on mac, but I couldn't get it to install even using terminal commands.
For those of you who asked about a Mac equivalent of AutoHotKey, I would like to report that I just downloaded Keyboard Maestro and started checking it out. My first task was to set up a hotkey for my Turk ID. That took about five minutes and I'm thrilled. I have a lot more to learn before I can rate its overall capacity, but at quick glance it appears to have a lot of functionality, including recording a string of actions and playing it back with a hot key. I liked that it is easy to choose when your macros are active ie. make them only active in a certain program; I made mine active in Firefox since I turk only in Firefox. You can also turn off the macros temporarily with a single click and even put all your turk macros in a folder which can be turned off if you don't want them active when you're not turking. (I'll bet you can even set a hotkey to launch mturk in your browser and turn on all your turk hotkeys. ;-) ) I got a free version, but in 30 days it's going to prompt me to pay $36. Before buying I'm going to look at the Mac Productivity Bundle package of software, since it's in there and could save me money if I want any of that other stuff. Another free option for Mac users (and everyone) is the iMacros add-on Firefox which basically records strings of actions in your browser ie. opening your email and typing in the password. You can then play them back with a hotkey. I downloaded it but after watching a video tutorial didn't immediately see the utility for Turk, but I have a feeling some of you will. ;-)