Off topic: What Is The Best Feature Offered On This Website? What Is The Worst, If Any?
Thread poster: Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
Oct 21, 2020

Even though some of you may never have used all of them.

 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
Level 3? Level 4? Oct 22, 2020

Here in the studio we're almost sure the unremitting caps will induce a level-3 scenario moving forward, but in these uncertain times, who knows? We'll be back with an update, so stay tuned.

P.L.F. Persio
expressisverbis
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Zibow Retailleau
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:46
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I hate having to think up a title every time I post in a forum Oct 22, 2020

Barbara Cochran, MFA wrote:

Even though some of you may never have used all of them.


Best: these forums
Worst: Kudoz


expressisverbis
Johannah Morrison
Felipe Lacerda
Alpha100 (X)
Zibow Retailleau
 
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Hey Tom Oct 22, 2020

Thanks for your response. I know I didn't request this when I created this forum, but would you be willing to share your reasons why you think the forums are the best feature and kudoz is the worst?

Thanks


 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 15:46
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
My own experience Oct 22, 2020

I don't use all the features of the forum of course, but I can say the following about the ones I use:
KudoZ Help is a great tool for learning, providing help and interacting, but the famous KudoZ Points ruin everything.
There are members who compete with each other, members who do everything to get others off the ranking list, members who are bullies, members who think they know everything, buddy members who can screw others, members who have just registered and don't even know any
... See more
I don't use all the features of the forum of course, but I can say the following about the ones I use:
KudoZ Help is a great tool for learning, providing help and interacting, but the famous KudoZ Points ruin everything.
There are members who compete with each other, members who do everything to get others off the ranking list, members who are bullies, members who think they know everything, buddy members who can screw others, members who have just registered and don't even know anything about translation, etc.
Recently, I've been away from this terminology forum because I can't accept certain issues I see, I feel I don't fit there, and besides, stalking and bullying from adults is something completely shameless.
Other forums, such as those for translation-related courses, offline and online events, and jobs posting, and general forums like this one I consider them very useful features, although I don't get many clients from job posting, or attended any event/course until now. I hope to do it in the future... let's see!
I can see ProZ features as good resources, what it makes them bad, are certain users, but I believe this is a situation we can see in any online platform with a strong community.
In this general forum I have to say I have been learning a lot, and I had the pleasure to meet brilliant colleagues.


[Edited at 2020-10-22 11:25 GMT]
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Johannah Morrison
Barbara Cochran, MFA
P.L.F. Persio
Tina Vonhof (X)
Marwa Seleem
Felipe Lacerda
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
If there’s a best, doesn’t there also have to be a worst by definition? Oct 22, 2020

Best is KudoZ. I think it’s a well-designed, cleverly thought-out system for helping people out and learning new things. In my languages we don’t have any major problems beyond the odd scattergun polyglot firing out random answers. The only issue is that activity levels are fairly low these days.

Worst is the job side. Dominated by cheapskate agencies. Never had work off here as a paying or non-paying member. Only solution I can see is for the site to set minimum price levels.... See more
Best is KudoZ. I think it’s a well-designed, cleverly thought-out system for helping people out and learning new things. In my languages we don’t have any major problems beyond the odd scattergun polyglot firing out random answers. The only issue is that activity levels are fairly low these days.

Worst is the job side. Dominated by cheapskate agencies. Never had work off here as a paying or non-paying member. Only solution I can see is for the site to set minimum price levels.

Forums are in the middle. Everything that can be said has already been said, and rehashing the same old arguments can get tedious without an injection of fun or mischief.

I like the design. I find it easy on the eye.

The “trainings” and conferences can be really painful from what I’ve seen. Just so slooowwww.
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P.L.F. Persio
expressisverbis
IrinaN
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Philip Lees
ahartje
Barbara Carrara
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
German to English
Forums have entertainment value... Oct 22, 2020

... and not just because of the contributions of one MH.

Participants in the German > English Kudoz section are generally well-behaved, although some days the queries seem to be dominated by the same two or three people.

Some of the jobs appear interesting, but the rates are generally at the level of what I made when I started translating full-time in the 1980s.


expressisverbis
Christopher Schröder
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
 
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Agree W/ Chris And Kevin Re: Job Postings Oct 22, 2020

I think that the site should refuse to let agencies and individuals who offer ridiculously low rates, as if they exist inside of a 1980s vacuum, post their projects. Everything (food, clothing, housing. utilities, etc.) is a lot more expensive now. That kind of a move would only promote the interests of individual translators, the entire profession, and even of this site.

So I guess, for me, the job postings would be the worst feature. Anyway, it doesn't offer many book projects at
... See more
I think that the site should refuse to let agencies and individuals who offer ridiculously low rates, as if they exist inside of a 1980s vacuum, post their projects. Everything (food, clothing, housing. utilities, etc.) is a lot more expensive now. That kind of a move would only promote the interests of individual translators, the entire profession, and even of this site.

So I guess, for me, the job postings would be the worst feature. Anyway, it doesn't offer many book projects at all in my language pairs, although I was fortunate to be awarded at least two from here that I can remember. But almost nothing else that's ever listed there is of any interest to me because of my classical tastes and background, and because of those unrealistic rates. To the best of my recollection, until very recently, I did not post a single bid on this site for two years or more.

There is ONLY ONE (how's that for caps!) agency that I have worked for that I found on this site that turned out to be worth the effort of posting a bid (because of the rate they accepted from me, and, yes, it was a book project, and the people who worked for them, at least at that time, knew how to conduct business with a translator in an intelligent way).



[Edited at 2020-10-22 15:06 GMT]

[Edited at 2020-10-22 15:06 GMT]

[Edited at 2020-10-22 15:53 GMT]

[Edited at 2020-10-22 19:29 GMT]
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expressisverbis
Christopher Schröder
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Askar Usin
 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
Taking things a step further Oct 22, 2020

I would say that (despite their problems - all thoroughly discussed in the forums) Kudoz and the Blue Board are the best features of this site.

The worst - hands down - is the Jobs Board. Simply taking into account how damaging it is to the proz.com brand, I would think that abolishing it altogether warrants serious consideration....


P.L.F. Persio
Kevin Fulton
Mervyn Henderson (X)
expressisverbis
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Tom in London
ahartje
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 15:46
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Ridiculous low rates are an insult, it's true. Oct 22, 2020

I agree with the overall opinion about job rates. Ridiculous low rates are an insult. I simply ignore these jobs/requests.
It would be nice to find a solution for this "problem". I can't imagine one... I think it's up to these companies that offer such rates to be ethical and upright.
As for the forum Kudoz Help, these Portuguese forums are mostly composed of Brazilians and have only two or three assiduous Portuguese members.
Therefore, the questions come also mostly from Brazi
... See more
I agree with the overall opinion about job rates. Ridiculous low rates are an insult. I simply ignore these jobs/requests.
It would be nice to find a solution for this "problem". I can't imagine one... I think it's up to these companies that offer such rates to be ethical and upright.
As for the forum Kudoz Help, these Portuguese forums are mostly composed of Brazilians and have only two or three assiduous Portuguese members.
Therefore, the questions come also mostly from Brazilian Portuguese members.
Answers given by European Portuguese members may help the asker, but they often don't fit. No matter what people keep saying, there are many differences between both variants.
In addition to the topics I have already mentioned before, sadly, I see no reason to continue participating like I did before.
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Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Not Sure If Abolishing Job Postings Altogether Is A Good Idea Oct 22, 2020

I have seen, although it's true, only about 3 or 4 times over the past 14 years, government (American and EU) projects posted on this site. The posters claimed that their projects were going to last a couple of years. I didn't apply because I was working on book translations, and in the case of the EU projects, did not have the appropriate documentation to be eligible, anyway.

Wouldn't those be good projects to apply for (although I don't know what kind of rates they offered) for a
... See more
I have seen, although it's true, only about 3 or 4 times over the past 14 years, government (American and EU) projects posted on this site. The posters claimed that their projects were going to last a couple of years. I didn't apply because I was working on book translations, and in the case of the EU projects, did not have the appropriate documentation to be eligible, anyway.

Wouldn't those be good projects to apply for (although I don't know what kind of rates they offered) for a translator who translates those kinds of texts, and who wants to do and thinks they need something like that, that is, if those projects really offer a consistent amount of work?

I don't really know. Because, besides the fact I have never been involved in such a project, I have never known any translator who has.
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MollyRose
MollyRose  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:46
English to Spanish
+ ...
untitled Oct 22, 2020

KudoZ has been the most useful for me, both in term search and also for asking questions. It helps me to see different ways of saying things in different contexts. I also enjoy answering questions sometimes and I get excited whenever I get the points!

Posting questions about CAT usage and other software has been helpful, but searching to avoid asking questions has not usually brought up answers I need. I also learn by reading some of the posts in the forums, about how to negotiate
... See more
KudoZ has been the most useful for me, both in term search and also for asking questions. It helps me to see different ways of saying things in different contexts. I also enjoy answering questions sometimes and I get excited whenever I get the points!

Posting questions about CAT usage and other software has been helpful, but searching to avoid asking questions has not usually brought up answers I need. I also learn by reading some of the posts in the forums, about how to negotiate and handle potential problems with clients, etc. Some topics have been interesting entertainment, too (odd translations, posts about pets, etc.).

The worst is some of the needless things that are said in the forums, or the unkind way in which some things are said.
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
expressisverbis
 
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Bully Job Posters, And Other Bullies Oct 22, 2020

Have any of you noticed that some of the job posters talk down to translators who happen to view their projects, and that they sound like total bullies? No way would I apply for their projects, even if I were interested in the subject manner! I'll bet they're among those who try to find every way they can not to pay for translators' work.

Maybe the users on this site who are obviously bullies, too, in one or more ways, and who rarely seem to have gainful employment as a translator,
... See more
Have any of you noticed that some of the job posters talk down to translators who happen to view their projects, and that they sound like total bullies? No way would I apply for their projects, even if I were interested in the subject manner! I'll bet they're among those who try to find every way they can not to pay for translators' work.

Maybe the users on this site who are obviously bullies, too, in one or more ways, and who rarely seem to have gainful employment as a translator, based on their ubiquitous, almost constant presence (stalkers) on pages I have visited and even participated on, might be able to find work with them. I think they'd fit right in.

Anyway, regarding the latter individuals, certain people, including other translators who have actually observed or heard about their behavior, have described them as "immature" and "jealous". If those bullies are victims, that's their own fault. They, for sure, have failed to victimize me.







[Edited at 2020-10-23 00:18 GMT]
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Askar Usin
 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: spammer


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