Working with Online tool and MT: New approach of agencies/clients to reduce translation costs
Thread poster: Colette Magalowski
Colette Magalowski
Colette Magalowski
Germany
Local time: 10:45
Member (2016)
English to German
+ ...
Aug 12, 2019

Hello everyone!

I recently received an email from one of my agencies saying that I have the chance to get more jobs from them to work with their online CAT tool that includes MT. Now, although they don't require to do post-edits from their translators yet, they came up with this idea: if I as a translator use the integrated MT (it is totally up to me) and edit the segments, it becomes a fuzzy match and the word rate is calculated by the use of the MT (after finishing the translation
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Hello everyone!

I recently received an email from one of my agencies saying that I have the chance to get more jobs from them to work with their online CAT tool that includes MT. Now, although they don't require to do post-edits from their translators yet, they came up with this idea: if I as a translator use the integrated MT (it is totally up to me) and edit the segments, it becomes a fuzzy match and the word rate is calculated by the use of the MT (after finishing the translation, the PO will be adjusted to include the use of MT)

That means: the bigger the contribution from the MT, the lower is my rate.
My word rate is still the same but if I use MT to a certain extent, it is reduced (these are the segments from 0-50% which are usually fully paid with no fuzzy matches).

I am pretty uncertain about this whole offer since I decline projects where clients want me to assign PEMT jobs. I do not do PEMT (at least not yet).

What do you think about this approach? Could it be a better solution for translators and clients to completely avoid PEMT and make it fair for translators and agencies or is it just kind of a trick to reduce the costs on the client's side?

Thank you.
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Alejandro Garcia-Quismondo Cartes
Alejandro Garcia-Quismondo Cartes
Spain
Local time: 10:45
Member (2010)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Another twist to reduce costs Aug 13, 2019

Hi Colette,

I was approached some time ago by one of my clients with the same model that you are commenting, so I believe that I know which company is coming from.

The main issue here is that, as translators, we are losing the little control we still have on how our rates are calculated. Now it will be up to another algorithm to tell us what our work is worth based on the "level of effort" that we put on each segment we process.

For me this was not really
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Hi Colette,

I was approached some time ago by one of my clients with the same model that you are commenting, so I believe that I know which company is coming from.

The main issue here is that, as translators, we are losing the little control we still have on how our rates are calculated. Now it will be up to another algorithm to tell us what our work is worth based on the "level of effort" that we put on each segment we process.

For me this was not really an interesting proposal, at least from a translator's point of view, so I did not give it much thought and decide to reject it.
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Gary Evans
Rachel Waddington
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 10:45
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Can you see the MT match without using it? Aug 14, 2019

Colette Magalowski wrote:
If I as a translator use the integrated MT (it is totally up to me) and edit the segments, it becomes a fuzzy match and the word rate is calculated by the use of the MT.


Can you always see the MT match even if you don't use it? If you can see the MT match before you cause the MT match to appear in the target field (e.g. using a shortcut or by clicking it), then I think this is something you should consider, because then you can decide in each individual instance if using the MT match will save you any time. Sometimes it saves a lot of time, if you notice that the MT match is very similar to what you would have typed anyway.

If, however, their system registers the MT match as having been used even though you choose not to use it in a particular segment, then I would refuse this offer.


Adam Warren
Daniel Jeory
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
gut check Aug 14, 2019

Hello Colette--I also think you're right that even in such a disguise with good intentions it's still but cheapie PEMT.

While a new (awkward) interface and online NDA requirements may be ok, why should one pay for free* MT engines/APIs? It seems they've got a prepaid quote of MT, so they redistribute it with profits.

No fluky miscalculation & misunderstanding games: even having enough wiggle room and all the terms alright, I would just walk away without specif
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Hello Colette--I also think you're right that even in such a disguise with good intentions it's still but cheapie PEMT.

While a new (awkward) interface and online NDA requirements may be ok, why should one pay for free* MT engines/APIs? It seems they've got a prepaid quote of MT, so they redistribute it with profits.

No fluky miscalculation & misunderstanding games: even having enough wiggle room and all the terms alright, I would just walk away without specific answers, estimates--and a right to amend the contract.


Cheers
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Working with Online tool and MT: New approach of agencies/clients to reduce translation costs







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