As a SORT technician you do two things: contribute repair knowledge to the library (paid by watch-time), and verify what the community submits (video-backed, and the real trust signal). This page shows you exactly what a live call looks like and how to verify information, step by step.
Your two lanes
🎥 ContributeRecord repairs, fault diagnoses, and tips for machines you know. Your content sits next to the machine's profile — and earns you a share of membership dues by watch-time.
✅ VerifyReview what owners submit, confirm it on camera, and build the training & troubleshooting library. Approval pays 40 points — the biggest single reward.
The two feed each other: verifying builds the library you also contribute to, and your badge (below) becomes a public trust signal on the technicians directory.
Part 1 — The live call
How a call reaches you
On their machine profile — or from the homepage — a member taps “Book a live call.” Two things happen behind the scenes:
- Their record gets flagged as call requested.
- If their profile isn't tech-verified yet, it jumps to the front of the review queue (marked urgent) — because you have to review the profile to prep for the call anyway.
Key insight: booking a call is also a priority-review request. You're never prepping from scratch — the call and the review are the same job, done once.
Prepping the call
Pull the machine's profile from the review queue and read it like a case file:
- Identity — make, model, serial, category.
- Likely faults & fixes — what's been confirmed, and what's still open.
- Bill of materials — the exact part numbers, so you can tell them what to order.
- Error / LED / blink code — the single most useful clue if the machine misbehaves.
Note for yourself which faults are confirmed vs still open. You never present an unconfirmed theory as a fact on a call.
On the call — and after
- Walk the member through the likely cause, what's safe for them to check themselves, and the part(s) to order.
- Never have someone open a machine that's plugged in. High-voltage capacitors, gas valves, and lithium batteries are lethal — for those, the right answer is a licensed professional or on-site visit. Say so on the call.
- Afterward: mark the report verified → the member's equipment status flips from ⏳ not yet tech-verified to ✓ tech-verified, the report author earns +15, and their living profile link updates.
- Capture anything new you learned as a fix or report — it helps the next person (and earns you points).
Part 2 — How to verify information
Verification is video-backed and strictly controlled. Points are the expensive reward, so the proof has to cost something real: a filmed, checkable demonstration that a human reviews. Nothing counts just for submitting.
1
Record a short clip — talking through and demonstrating the verification. A phone clip is fine; clarity beats polish.
2
Make sure the video actually shows the proof. Check all that apply:
- A live test or measurement being shown
- Before & after
- The part / component, identified
- The error / LED / blink code on camera
3
Submit it on the verification page: the report ID or corpus ID you're confirming, the model, the symptom/claim, your video link (unlisted YouTube or Drive) or a short clip (up to ~30 MB), a one- or two-sentence summary, and the safety confirmation.
4
Status: pending review. Nothing is awarded yet — the submission just enters the queue.
5
A SORT admin reviews the video and approves or rejects it.
6
On approval: you earn +40 points; the video is attached to the corpus record (or the report is marked verified); and it enters the Video library as training & troubleshooting material.
⚠️ Only verify what you safely observed. Never open a machine that's plugged in; HV capacitors, gas valves, and lithium batteries are lethal. If it can't be shown safely, don't film it — that's the correct answer.
What verification is worth
Every contribution earns points; points roll up into a badge.
| Action | Points |
|---|
| Join the community / register a machine | 5 |
| Submit a problem | 10 |
| Submit a fix / repair story | 25 |
| Your report gets verified by SORT | +15 |
| Your report gets promoted to the corpus | +5 |
| Video-verify a contribution (approved) | 40 |
Badges: Member → Contributor 🥉 → Trusted 🥈 → Expert 🥇 → Master 🏅. Fixes pay more than problems, and verification compounds — you earn again when a contribution is confirmed.
For a technician, the badge isn't just points — it's a trust/experience signal shown on the public technicians directory, earned by verifying and contributing, not by claiming skill.
Endorsements — a lighter touch
Not every record needs a full video. A tech can add a quick thumbs-up endorsement on a corpus record — no points, just credibility. Enough independent endorsements auto-verify a record, so the community can vouch for solid knowledge you didn't have to film.
Quick answers
Do I have to be an approved technician to verify?
Contributing and verifying are open to anyone with relevant experience. Applying (technicians page) gets you a contributor profile and listed in the directory — with your badge as your public trust signal.
What if my verification video is rejected?
Re-record with the proof clearer (show the test, the part, or the code on camera) and resubmit. Points are only ever awarded on approval.
Can I verify my own contribution?
Ideally a contribution is confirmed by a distinct reviewer. The system is tightening this — for now, assume someone else's eyes should confirm your claim.
How does contributing pay?
A fixed share of membership dues goes into a contributor pool, paid monthly by watch-time. The more your content helps members, the more you earn.
What if a verification can't be filmed safely?
Then don't film it. Safety overrides points every time. Refer the unsafe step to a licensed professional.
Who decides approve vs reject?
A SORT admin — a human always reviews the video. Nothing self-approves except a record that reaches the endorsement threshold.