1 - KudoZ

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1.1 - KudoZ: general

1.1 - What is KudoZ?

KudoZ is a community-based terminology network. There are two broad areas: "help" KudoZ and "glossary-building" KudoZ. Both share many elements in common but have different objectives:

* Through "help" KudoZ, ProZ.com users offer each other, and guests, free assistance in translating tough terms. The question is posted by someone in need of term help, who should then select the "most helpful" among the answers received. Take a look at our flash introduction to learn more. In this type of KudoZ, the emphasis is on helping the asker-- the fact that an archive of previously posted terms with suggested translations has been built is a planned, yet peripheral, benefit.

* The purpose of the "glossary-building" KudoZ (GBK) is that of coordinating the efforts of willing members of the ProZ.com community in building up an authoritative glossary of terms and their translations in many languages and fields. GBK questions are posted for translation selectively by a GBK team. Community selection is be used to ascertain the most accurate translations from among those proposed.

1.2 - Glossary of KudoZ terms

Question: The request for help posted by the asker, including at least a language pair, a field of expertise, a term and context information.

Action buttons: Buttons located below the question that offer users access to several areas described below. The buttons are:




Answer: Reply in the target language to the asked term, including at least the translation of the term, an explanation and the answerer's confidence level.

Reference comment: This area is accessed with the "Post reference" button and should be used to provide information which is not in itself an answer, but which may be helpful to either the asker or other answerers. The information submitted in this way will not be subject to consideration as "best" or "most helpful", and points will not be received.

Discussion area: This area is accessed with the "Post discussion" and should be used for additional exchanges of context information and for linguistic discussions on the question. This area should not be used to comment on answers ( http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_answ/3.4#3.4 ) or on participants ( http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_answ/3.7#3.7 ). In GBK it also allows participation of users who do not meet the criteria to answer.

Grading: The process by which the asker reviews the suggestions and awards points to the answerer who provided the translation deemed by the asker to be the most useful.

Peer comment: A comment made by a site user concerning his agreement or disagreement with a translation suggested by a peer. Peer comments must be based on linguistic considerations. This is the only valid way to comment on a KudoZ answer.

Asker: A person in need of translation assistance who posts a term or phrase, providing context and the desired target language.

Answerer: A site user who provides an answer to a KudoZ question.

Reference poster: A site user who provides a reference comment.

KudoZ editors: Non-moderator site users who have been given the right to perform some editing functions on KudoZ questions.

1.3 - How does "help" KudoZ work?

A "help" KudoZ 'transaction' involves three steps:
(1) A person in need of translation assistance posts a term or phrase, providing context and the desired target language.
(2) A site user suggests a translation, provides an explanation and some references.
(3) The asker reviews the suggestions and awards 1 to 4 points to the site user who provided the translation deemed to be the most useful or the most accurate.

1.4 - What good are KudoZ points?

Some clients use KudoZ points to flag translators for further qualification. The logic is that if you require the services of a translator with understanding of medicine, a person who has earned 300 points from medical questions may be a good place to start looking.

1.5 - How are KudoZ points updated?

KudoZ point totals shown in some places throughout the site are updated once daily, whereas those in other places are updated in real time. So there can be temporary discrepancies, but correction is made when all points are counted once per day.

Members can force the system to update their points in real time. Go to your KudoZ points summary page and click on "Update points totals now".

1.6 - What are the rules of KudoZ participation?

See the KudoZ rules: General rules, Rules for asking and Rules for answering and making peer comments

1.7 - What should I do if KudoZ rules are being broken?

If you observe KudoZ rules being broken you should refer the matter to the moderator for the language pair in question. A list of moderators is available here.

Many language pairs have one or more dedicated moderators. In these cases you will see at the bottom of the question page a small box containing the moderator's name and a "Call to this question" link.



When you click on this link, a small box will open to let you describe the rule(s) violation you perceived in the thread. This is a mandatory field. When you submit this information it will be included in a profile email to be sent to the moderator.



If you prefer to contact a moderator directly, please be sure to include all relevant information, including links to particular questions, etc.

If the language pair has no moderator listed, you may contact site staff on the issue via support request.

Note that you should not contact the person(s) who you believe are violating site rules directly, or use the KudoZ form to post messages regarding site rules (see KudoZ rule 1.3). Contact a moderator or site staff.

1.8 - What is the logic behind the KudoZ categories?

KudoZ questions can be categorized using a field list with about 100 entries. The list, which was created statistically from subject areas entered in free text by ProZ.com users, is somewhat fuzzy on purpose. For example, because one member might think "auto" while another thinks "cars", both category names are made available in the list.

Note that although "twin" categories such as these appear separately in the list of fields, they get entered into the database in the same way. So it does not matter which you select--just pick the first category that fits your term.

A tip: in most browsers, once you are in the select list, you can simply hit the letter of the category you have in mind ("c" for "cars") until you get the category you want.

1.9 - What happens if a "help" question isn't graded?

If a "help" question has received answers but not been closed within three days, an email is sent to the asker reminding him or her to grade. If the question remains open after four such reminders have been sent (over 2 weeks), an attempt is made to select the best answer automatically. An 'autograding robot' makes its selection based on the net number of peer 'agrees' received by each answer, according to the following rules:
- To be considered, an answer must have at least two "net agrees" (agrees-disagrees).
- The answer with the highest number of net agrees is selected. If two answers have the same number of net agrees, the last one entered is selected. The idea is that if two answers gather the same number of net agrees, the one that did so in a shorter period of time may be better. In other words, all those agreed to the second answer have seen the first one and still voted for the second, therefore preferring the second answer, while those that voted for the first one may not have seen the second answer when voted.

If no answer has at least 2 net agrees, it remains open.

1.10 - Where can I find a list of my previous questions and answers?

Go to your profile page and click on the KudoZ tab. Members will also see the option to force an update of their KudoZ points here.

1.11 - Can I see questions in language pairs not reported in my profile?

Yes. You can see KudoZ questions in all language pairs by clicking on See more languages in the KudoZ questions page.

1.12 - Under what conditions will a KudoZ question be removed?

There are about ten possible reasons why a KudoZ questions would be removed ("squashed"). For a discussion of these reasons, see: this article.

1.13 - What information can I see about a KudoZ asker?

If you move your mouse over the asker's picture in a KudoZ question you will see a mouse-over message similar to the one pictured below:



The following definitions apply:

* Questions: the amount of questions posted by the asker.

* Open: questions that remain open and have at least an answer not hidden and not declined by the asker.

* Without valid answers: questions that remain open and that received no answers, or that received answers that were hidden, or declined by the asker.

* Closed without grading: questions that were closed without grading by the asker after having received at least one answer not hidden.

Squashed questions are not included in these statistics. If you want to get more information on the asker, a click on the asker's link will take you to the asker's profile.

1.14 - What does the "Vote PRO" or "Vote non-PRO" button do?

In a "help" KudoZ question marked as PRO, participants may vote to have the question marked as non-PRO, and vice versa.

Non-PRO questions are those that can be answered by any bilingual person without the aid of a dictionary while PRO questions are those that are suitable for professional translators. "Glossary-building" KudoZ questions are always PRO and can't be voted into non-PRO.

Three votes for either PRO or non-PRO are required to reclassify a question for the first time, and after that it will reverse its status as soon as there are more votes for the change than against it.

For instance a question asked as non-PRO will require three votes to turn it into PRO (voting 3-0). At this point the button will change to "vote non-PRO" and four votes will turn it into non-PRO (voting 4-3). After that it will take two votes to change the question again in either sense (voting 5-4, 6-5, etc.).

If you have fewer than twenty (20) KudoZ PRO points, you will not see this option.

1.15 - When posting my question I selected by mistake the wrong level (PRO, non-PRO). What can I do?

You should submit a support request to have this issue addressed by staff.

1.16 - I think my point total should have gone up by more today.

If you are a member, it is possible to force the system to update your points in real time. Go to your KudoZ points summary page and click on "Update points totals now". If you are a registered user, any discrepancy in your point total is likely to be corrected within 24 hours.

To check whether or not you have been awarded points for a specific question, check the KudoZ answering history in your profile.

1.17 - One of my KudoZ point totals dropped. How is this possible?

It is possible for select point totals (overall, PRO, by field or by period) to go down. Factors that could cause this:

- A question for which you earned points was squashed or ungraded
- A PRO question for which you earned points was reclassified as non-PRO (thereby decreasing your PRO total and increasing your non-PRO total)
- A question for which you have earned points is reclassified in another field of expertise (raising your total in one field and decreasing it in another)
- Time passes (potentially causing your point total over the last three months to drop)

If you are wondering specifically about the 8 answers for which you earned points yesterday, you can check your profile answering history. Each should be shown with the points you have earned.

1.18 - How can I change what appears on my KudoZ points summary on my profile page?

Users can elect to hide certain types of KudoZ points from their summary from this page: http://www.proz.com/pro/?show_mode=kudoz&sub_mode=summary

1.19 - What do the "ok" and "no" under the the "Gloss" (glossary) column in my KudoZ activity section indicate?

The "ok" indicates that a glossary entry derived from the KudoZ question has been entered into the glossary.

On the other hand, the "no" indicates that no glossaru entry has been entered.

1.20 - I had to create a new profile. Can I merge my points from the previous profile?

Yes, if you are a member, support staff can do this for you. Note that not just your points, but your entire KudoZ history (asking, peer comments, notes, etc.) will be merged. You will no longer have access to the old profile.

To get your profiles merged, submit a support request asking staff to merge your KudoZ history *from* a specific profile *to* a specific profile. Identify the profiles by number if possible (username will do if you do not know the numbers.)

In your support request, write that you understand that the action is irreversible, and that you will no longer have access to the profile from which the history is moved.

To repeat, this option is available to members only.

1.21 - How can I prevent the ProZ.com term search from transliterating diacritics and accented characters?

In some cases, the ProZ.com term search provides a limited ability to transliterate diacritics and accented characters (for example, a search for the term "publica" may return results containing "pública" as well). To disable this feature, select the "match exact phrase" option.

1.22 - How can I enter a discussion entry?

To enter a discussion entry you should click on the "Post discussion" button. A form will show to allow you to post a title and the body of your entry. These fields are limited to 50 and 1200 characters respectively (there is a counter to tell you how many characters you have left for the main field). There is a preview option and buttons for submitting the entry and for canceling the operation.



Once your discussion entry has been entered, you will be able to edit it during the first 24 hours, or to delete it any time, by clicking on the icons displayed on the top right corner of the entry.

1.23 - I suggest requiring payment for participation in KudoZ. This would boost quality.

There are not currently any plans to restrict the use of KudoZ to members, or to require additional payment for participation in KudoZ. However, the option is provided to set viewing and notifications preferences in such a way that you only see questions from members. Also, when you ask, it is possible to specify a preference that answerers be members.

1.24 - Are KudoZ questions indexed by search engines?

Yes. As with the public forums, KudoZ questions are indexed by search engines.

Keep in mind that this can (and should) work in your favor. A series of excellent KudoZ answers, or of helpful, professional forum posts, boost your web visibility to potential clients, and may also give them a further means of evaluating you as a translator and as a professional.

1.25 - What do the time references next to the confidence level and in the peer section indicate?

They indicate the time elapsed from the moment the question was asked until the other action "answer", "peer comment" took place. The times shown are measured in relation to moment the question was asked.

1.2 - Asking

2.1 - What constitutes "term help" as defined in rule http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_general/1.1#1.1 ?

KudoZ questions can be used to ask for help on terms or idiomatic expressions.

A group of words (up to approximately 10) should be posted in a single question only when they constitute an unbreakable unit, such as an idiomatic expression (e.g. 'a jack of all trades and master of none') that may be several words long and where omitting any part would not formulate the question correctly.

Askers can also ask for help in understanding the meaning of a sentence, word order, a grammatical issue or the difference between two terms, but this should be done in the corresponding monolingual language pair. Monolingual KudoZ questions can be asked by selecting the same language for both source and target languages.

2.2 - Is there a limit on the number of questions that I can ask?

Yes. Your daily limit (measured over a sliding 24-hr period) depends on your membership level. If you are not registered with ProZ.com, you can ask one (1) question per day. If you are registered but not member, you can ask five (5). If you are member, you can ask fifteen (15). There are also weekly limits of 20 questions for registered non-members and 60 questions for members. If you have ten (10) questions that have received valid answers and have been open for more than a week, you will not be allowed to ask further questions. Please grade and close these questions to continue asking.

2.3 - What happens if I ask questions beyond the daily or weekly limits?

When you ask questions beyond the limits corresponding to your membership status, these extra questions are added to the KudoZ question queue and they will be made visible automatically when enough time has elapsed for the question to be within asking limits.

When this happens you will see a message like this one:



When you click to see your queue, you will see a table like this one:



Members have higher limits and can request limit waivers via the support system.

2.4 - I tend to store up my term questions until the end of a project. Is there any way I can get around the limit?

We believe that the limit of fifteen (15) per day should be high enough for most people. By spreading your questions over the last two days of a project, for example, you can ask thirty (30). If you need more and are a member, you can ask a Support staff to grant a temporary exemption.

2.5 - Can I post a question in more than one language pair?

It is not possible to post a single question in different language pairs. However, several questions in different language pairs may be posted for a single term.

2.6 - Can I ask a monolingual kudoz question?

Yes, but there is not a specific section in the Kudoz area. What you have to do, if you want to ask a question in just one language (p.e.: English to English) is to go to Ask in the Kudoz tab. Then, in the form, click on 'See more languages'. You will see two lists where you can select the language you want twice. That way, it will be a monolingual question.

2.7 - I am not sure whether a question should be classified as non-PRO or PRO. What is the difference?

While there may be no way to draw a clear-cut line, the following definitions have been adopted for the two types of question:

2.8 - Can I add more info to my question? Can I edit it?

You can not edit a question, but you can add notes. A form appears in the question page. (If you lose track of a question, check the email confirmation for the link.)

2.9 - Can I send my question only to certain people I know?

You can do so if you are a (paying) ProZ.com member.

2.10 - Why would I limit a question to certain people?

Many KudoZ answerers have come to know which ProZ.com members specialize in which areas. On given terms, they choose to consult with those experts directly. Doing so via KudoZ will make this process more standardized and more convenient, and will ensure that a searchable record is kept of the translations offered.

2.11 - Why would I limit access to a question to certain classes of members?

At times, askers desire feedback from specific groups, for example native speakers, those working in a field, or other select classes of ProZ.com members. Functionality is provided to support this preference.

2.12 - If I ask a question privately, ie. restricting it to one of my teams, will it appear to others? Will it be searchable in the archives?

If you are a member, you can opt to keep the term private indefinitely. If you are a registered user, you can opt to keep the term private for one month, after which time it will become public and searchable.

Important note: bank-like security is not being employed in KudoZ, even for private questions. Sensitive terms should not be posted via KudoZ, even when using the privacy options.

2.13 - How can I thank KudoZ answerers without declining or grading yet?

You can click on the name of the person and write to them via the profile page. This causes an email to be sent.

You will want to reference the KudoZ question by URL.

2.14 - How do I grade my KudoZ question?

In order to grade your KudoZ question, you must click on the link that reads "Select this answer as most helpful" within the answer box of the response that was most helpful. Once you click on the "Select this answer as most helpful" link, a window will pop up that will allow you to award your KudoZ points and enter the KudoZ term in your glossary, the KudoZ Open Glossary (KOG), or both.

2.15 - Can I grade my question less than 24 hours after posting it?

KudoZ rule 2.10 recommends that askers allow at least twenty-four (24) hours to pass before closing a question.

To select the most helpful answer, the asker clicks on the link in the selected answer:




If less than 24 hours have elapsed since the question was posted, the following window will open:




If the asker chooses to wait until 24 hours have elapsed since the question was posted, the question will remain open and it will be graded normally by the asker.

If, on the other hand, the asker chooses to select the most helpful answer at this time, a new window will open to allow them to enter their preferences:




This window will allow the asker to select the most helpful answer, to assign points to it and to post a grading comment. The asker also has the option to select and edit a glossary entry associated with this answer.

If the asker does not select a glossary entry, the following message will be displayed:




If the asker makes a glossary entry, the message will include the following information:




Once this form is submitted, the question will remain open and new answers and peer comments can be added. About 72 hours after this submission, the system will grade the question in accordance with the following criteria:

a) If none of the answers has a net peer grading (agrees minus disagrees) of 2 or more, then the option selected by the asker will be used.

b) If at least one answer has a net peer grading higher than 1 and one of the answers has a net peer grading higher than the others, then this answer will be selected.

c) If at least one answer has a net peer grading higher than 1 and two or more answers share the same top peer grading, the answer posted last will be selected. The logic behind this criterion is that all those agreed to the second answer have seen the first one and still voted for the second, therefore preferring the second answer, while those that voted for the first one may not have seen the second answer when voted.

If the answer selected by the asker was chosen due to lack of votes or because the community voted for it, the amount of points, grading comment and (if entered) glossary entry selected by the asker will be chosen. If the asker did not make a glossary entry, one will be created automatically using the asked term and the suggested term.

If a different answer from the one selected by the asker was chosen by the community, 4 points will be assigned to this answer and a glossary entry will be created using the asked term and the suggested term.

After grading, the question will show the following message:

2.16 - I lost my KudoZ email confirmation link, how can I grade my KudoZ question now?

If you lost your KudoZ email confirmation link, you may retrieve another copy by either contacting support through the online ticket system and/or you may contact a moderator to have them resend the link to your email address. Remember, it is important that you send the KudoZ URL of your question when asking for another email confirmation.

If you don't remember the KudoZ URL, and you weren't logged in when submitting the question, you will have to contact support online to have the question graded for you.

2.17 - Can I award points to more than one answer?

No, you may only select one "most helpful" answer. Dividing points among answerers has been considered previously, but discarded based on the relatively little benefit which would be gained, and the difficulty of implementing administration of points and such problems as dividing four points among three answers. A useful guideline for cases where you cannot decide on an answer is to choose the one which helped you most. In the case of two or more equally helpful answers, you may choose the first (things tend to even out for answerers over time.)

2.18 - How can I close a question that has received answers without grading it?

Just click on the "Close" button. You will need to choose a reason for closing the question without grading it, and then click on "Close question".

2.19 - I closed a question without selecting a best answer. Can I reopen the question now?

Yes, you should click on the UNCLOSE button. In case of doubt submit a support ticket.

2.20 - How can I close a KudoZ question I have asked that has not been answered?

On your question page, click the 'Grade' button. That will take you to the next page, where you should click the 'Close without grading' button. (credit: Mikhail Kropotov)

2.21 - How can I stop receiving email reminders to grade my questions?

Askers are sent email reminders to grade open KudoZ questions with eligible answers after 5, 7, 9, and 11 days have elapsed since the question was asked.

To stop receiving these email reminders, the asker should do one of the following:

- Select the most helpful answer;
- Close the question without selecting an answer (click the "Close", "Close w/o Grading" buttons);
- Decline all current answers, but leave the question open to receive future answers. To do so, click "[None of these answers are appropriate; do not remind me to select one]" at the top of the list of answers.

2.22 - What is the criteria for the number of points (1-4) I should award to the selected answer?

When deciding how many points to award, please consider this scale as a guideline:

4: Answer was acceptable, explanation was good, reference was provided (or not needed)
3: Answer was acceptable, explanation was good, but reference was lacking
2: Answer was acceptable
1: Answer was somewhat helpful

2.23 - Points were awarded to an answer to my question but I would like to select another answer instead. How can I un-grade my question?

To un-grade a question you have asked in order to award the points to the answer you found most helpful, you will need to first obtain the agreement of the answerer to whom the points have been given. Both you and the answerer should express this agreement either to the assigned moderator(s), or via support request.

2.24 - Can I use KudoZ if I need help to get a single term translated into different languages?

Yes, you can, provided the term in question qualifies as "term help" as described here.

1.3 - Answering

3.1 - I can not see a KudoZ question. What can I do?

Please send the URL, and a screenshot of the page, to support at proz.com!

3.2 - When I search for questions from members only, I notice something odd.

Exercising the members-only option (available under "asker type" on the KudoZ list page) will restrict the questions you see to those asked by users who were members *at the time they asked*. Because membership category of askers has only recently been recorded, the number of results will be small. Also, the fact that there are various forms of membership (full, partial), and the fact that some memberships will expire, may create the impression that something is amiss.

3.3 - If the question is closed and points were awarded can I still answer it?

Once the points are awarded, the question is closed, but even closed you can answer it.
The logic behind that is that we would allow you to give all the help that you can to the asker, even if (s)he already decided (s)he has found the best answer to (her)his question.

3.4 - Can I edit the answer I've given to a KudoZ question?

No. Editing an answer would be unfair to other answerers. You might consider adding a comment to your answer. In some cases, a wrong answer can be hidden by the answerer and the correct answer posted in its place.

3.5 - Why does the word "Hide" appear in my answer boxes?

You are allowed to hide your own answers. This is a way to retract answers.

3.6 - How can I unhide an answer I've made invisible?

Answers made invisible may not be made visible again. You should only use the "Hide answer" link if you want to hide your answer permanently.

3.7 - If I hide my answer and submit a new one, is this against site rules for answering?

As with submitting more than one answer, this is acceptable if done occasionally. Systematically offering multiple translations, whether hiding previous answers or not, is against site rules for answering KudoZ. See the rules for answering KudoZ.

3.8 - What does it mean when a question is marked "Not for points"?

Some users believe that the awarding of KudoZ points detracts from the KudoZ experience. It is possible for such users to opt to make a question "not for points" when asking. KudoZ points can not be earned by answering such questions.

3.9 - If I answer "not for points" questions, will they appear in the KudoZ history in my profile page?

Yes. Such questions will be marked with a color that shows points were not available.

3.10 - Does answering "not for points" questions improve my position in the KudoZ leaderboard or ProZ.com's translator directory?

No. The benefits of answering "not for points" questions are not technical, they are only indirect (learning, helping, networking, etc.)

3.11 - Does the person who asks a "Not for points" question still have to close the question?

Yes, askers must still select the answer they feel is most helpful, and optionally enter the terms into the glossary.

3.12 - Are points available for answering questions which have been restricted to certain individuals or groups?

If a question has been restricted to a closed list of specific users, points may not be awarded. However, points can be awarded in the case of questions limited to users of certain types.

3.13 - Can I ask an asker for more context?

Yes. Context can be requested in the discussion area of the question. Requests for context should be in line with site rules, however. Asking for context and stating, for example, "don't hold your breath. This is all we're going to get. This asker doesn't believe in context", would be out of line with http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_answ/3.7#3.7.

3.14 - Can I point out that the wrong language pair or question category has been chosen?

Yes. Note that moderators and KudoZ editors can change these fields, and it is usually best to contact one directly, instead of commenting on it in the question itself.

Care should be taken to point out the possible error appropriately. Admonishing the asker to pay attention next time, for example, does not constitute a linguistic discussion and would be against http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_general/1.3#1.3.

3.15 - Can I point out to the asker that the question has already been posted before and is in the glossary?

Yes. However, pointing out that a question is already in the glossary and asking the asker why they chose to post the question anyway, for example, would be against http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_answ/3.7#3.7.

3.16 - Can I post a reference comment to a question where I have already posted an answer?

No. Once you have provided an answer you should add all additional information in the answer itself.

1.4 - Peer commenting

4.1 - Can I agree with more than one answer to a question?

Yes. You are encouraged to agree with as many answers as you consider correct, and disagree with as many answers as you consider incorrect.

4.2 - What happens after someone disagrees with an answer?

Disagreeing is actually just a signal to the person who asked the "help" KudoZ question that you (and maybe others) don't feel the answer is correct, the asker is then free to take or not to take the suggestion.

The only "mechanical" effect is that if the question is auto-graded, disagrees count against an answer for being chosen.

Grading from qualified peers is the normal way to grade and close "glossary-building" KudoZ questions.

4.3 - I entered a peer comment and want to respond to the reply I got. Can I?

No. To prevent KudoZ threads from running off on a tangent, multiple exchanges are not allowed around each answer. A peer may comment and the answerer may respond--but the exchange ends there. (The ability to edit peer comments, and replies to them, is provided only for the purpose of editing spelling, correcting broken links, or making similar changes.) Make sure to make your point clearly and concisely; you get only one chance.

4.4 - I see a link to "edit/delete" my peer comment. What is that for?

The "edit/delete" link gives you the ability to edit your peer comment. Please remember that this ability is provided only for the purpose of editing spelling, correcting broken links, or making similar changes.

4.5 - Can I comment on an answerer's confidence level in my peer comment?

No. Peer comments should be purely linguistic in nature (see KudoZ rule 3.5). Making comments or insinuations regarding an answerer's confidence level would not be in line with KudoZ rule 3.7.

1.5 - KudoZ editors

5.1 - I see some users (not moderators) reclassifying, or removing, others' questions. How are these members selected?

Moderators may invite members/registered users who have at least 300 KudoZ PRO points to read the guidelines for reclassifying and squashing, and take a short test. Those who pass have the right to edit in these ways.

Note: members who have KudoZ-related administrative actions may not be selected as KudoZ editors. Likewise, KudoZ editors who accumulate KudoZ-related administrative actions may have their editing rights revoked.

5.2 - An option appeared allowing me to edit other people's questions. Why?

Some site users who reach a certain number of KudoZ points (500) receive an invitation to become KudoZ editors. When they accept and fulfill all the requirements, certain options will appear for making corrections to "help" questions posted by others. If a question should be Spanish to English but is listed as English to Spanish, go ahead and make the correction.

1.6 - KudoZ notifications

6.1 - I am not getting any KudoZ email notifications.

If you are not getting KudoZ email alerts at all, and you have never gotten them, check the settings in your profile page. You will not get any notifications if:
- you have entered no language pairs
- you have entered no fields of expertise
- you have not selected KudoZ email notifications in your email preferences.

If you had been receiving notifications, and without anything changing stopped receiving them, there could be several causes:
- previous messages to you bounced, and your email address was 'stamped' bad (check the personal data in your profile page; the characters 'xxx ' will have been added before your address
- there is a problem with ProZ.com email notifications. (Check the site status page for info)
- you or your ISP has changed or added filtering, and that filtering is preventing the alerts from reaching you (there is a known problem with terra.es, for example)

If after checking the above you can not find the problem, enter a support request with a link to at least one KudoZ question of which you should have been alerted.

6.2 - I am not getting all the KudoZ notifications I should be.

When email alerts go out for Kudoz questions, among the criteria considered are: language pair, subject area, and difficulty level. If you have not received email notification of a question, make sure that your profile settings and preferences are such that you should have received it. If you are convinced that they are, please submit a support request, including the URL(s) of one or more KudoZ questions of which you should have been notified. ProZ.com staff will check to see whether or not the alert email to you left the ProZ.com servers. (If it did, there may be a problem, or filtering, happening at your ISP or on your local computer.)

6.3 - I am getting too many KudoZ email notifications

To reduce the volume of KudoZ email notifications you receive, try selecting fewer subject areas in your KudoZ notification preferences. To stop receiving KudoZ email notifications altogether, just select the 'No' option in the first question on the KudoZ Dashboard..

6.4 - Sometimes I get emailed questions that I can't see on the site, and sometimes I see questions but have not been emailed...

Email and viewing preferences are set separately. Email preferences are set via your dashboard - http://www.proz.com/dashboard - and viewing preferences are set via the KudoZ list page - http://www.proz.com/kudoz

6.5 - What is a daily digest?

It's a message that contains a brief summary of the questions that have been asked in the day, as well as a short listing of any answers to those questions so far.

6.6 - How do I receive KudoZ notifications from my team?

Any members of your team can post a KudoZ question private to your team. To receive notifications for these types of questions all you need is to have your notifications turned on and the related language pair in your listed working or interest pairs.

6.7 - Can I track a particular KudoZ question?

Yes. If you are a paying member you can track any KudoZ question. For each question you will see a track setting box in the left navigation column of the page which looks like this:

When you check this box and click on save, you will receive a notification each time a reference post or an answer is posted.

Also, there is a selection box in the discussion area that allows the tracking of the discussion entries of a particular question:



When you select the "track question" box, the "track discussion" will also be selected. You can then de-select any of them independently.

When you post a reference comment, an answer or a discussion entry, the "track discussion" box is selected. If you de-select it once it will no longer be automatically selected again in this question.

6.8 - How can I get notifications when a certain person asks a KudoZ question?

In order to get a notification every time a certain registered user asks a KudoZ question you have to "flag" this asker as follows:

In your top drop-down menu select KudoZ -> Dashboard



On the left panel of your KudoZ dashboard, select the option "Asker flags & filters"



This is the box used for flagging askers. In this case no asker has been flagged yet:



To flag an asker you should enter the user's ID in the corresponding box and pres "Flag asker". If you don't know this number you should click on the link "Search" to open a search tool:



In this case a search by name brings the user's ID and username:



Once the asker was flagged, it will look like this in your dashboard page:



And it will look like this when the flagged asker posts a question:



Notification will be sent to you of flagged askers' questions, even when they do not match your notification settings.

6.9 - I don't want notifications of a particular person's questions-- what can I do?

If you become convinced that a certain member is not likely to ask questions that are of interest to you, you may opt to "filter" that member's questions (regardless of your notification settings.)

To do so you should select KudoZ -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu:



On the left panel of your KudoZ dashboard, select the option "Asker flags & filters"



This is the box used for filtering askers. In this case no asker has been filtered yet:



To filter an asker you should enter the user's ID in the corresponding box and pres "Filter asker". If you don't know this number you should click on the link "Search answerers" to open a search tool:



In this case a search by name brings the user's ID and username:



Once the asker was filtered, it will look like this in your dashboard page:



And it will look like this when the filtered asker posts a question:



Notification will NOT be sent to you of filtered askers' questions, even when they do match your notification settings. Also, these questions will not be shown to you when you select KudoZ - Answer questions, even when they match your selection criteria.

6.10 - How can I get notifications when a certain user posts a KudoZ answer or reference comment?

In order to get a notification every time a certain registered user posts a KudoZ answer or reference comment you have get this user's authorization to track his/her answers. To do so:

In your top drop-down menu select My ProZ.com -> Dashboard



In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



In the answerer tracking page you can click on "Search for answerer" and enter the corresponding information on name, username of profile number and then click on "Search" and on the found profile name.



At this point the dashboard will show the corresponding profile number and username. You may send a personalized message before sending the request by means of the "track answerer" button.




You can also start this procedure by clicking on the "track this answerer" in an answer or reference comment posted by this user:




After submitting the request, the dashboard will record it as pending:



While the request is pending, you will see a special message in each answer or reference comment posted by this user:



Once your request was accepted, the dashboard will show the following indication:



If you want to stop tracking this user, click on "remove".

You will also see the following in each answer or reference comment posted by the user you are tracking:




You will receive a notification each time this user posts an answer or a reference comment.

6.11 - What are my options for the KudoZ tracking feature?

There are three basic conditions that you can configure selecting My ProZ.com -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu :



In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



In the box "Who can track you" on the right side of the dashboard you can select the following options:

* Allow anyone to track my answers: requests will be automatically approved.
* Ask me for permission on a case-by-case basis: you will be asked each time a request is received.
* Do not allow anyone to track my answers: all requests will be automatically rejected

6.12 - A user asked for authorization to track my KudoZ answers. Why would someone want to do this?

While the motives could be different for each user, two likely reasons to do so would be (a) to learn from someone who is good in a certain field of expertise or (b) to evaluate a translator for possible future collaborations. Remember that you can revoke the right to track your answers at any time.

6.13 - A site user would like to track my answers, what should I do?

To work on your answer tracking options, select My ProZ.com -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu :



In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



On this page you will see the notification that you have a pending request to be tracked by a colleague and, on the right side, the identity and message from the colleague willing who sent the request:



This right side panel allows you to approve or decline the request. If you chose to approve it you will be asked for a confirmation:



Note that you can at this point select the option "Allow anyone else who wants to track my answers to do so as well", so that further requests will be automatically approved.

Once you approved one or more users for tracking your answers, you will find them at the table of colleagues tracking you:



This panel allows you to revoke individually the permission to track your answers granted to any of those colleagues.

6.14 - How can I be notified of KudoZ questions in other language pairs?

To be notified of questions asked in language pairs you do not want to list as working language pairs in your profile, just report the language pairs in question as interest language pairs.

To do so, go to your Profile Updater and report your 'non-working' language pairs in the Languages section.

Once reported, click on Edit next to each language pair just added and select I only have an interest in this pair, do not show it in my profile. Remember to save all the changes you apply.

Finally, go to your KudoZ dashboard and set your KudoZ notifications preferences for these language pairs as you have done for your working language pairs.

2 - Glossary-building KudoZ

You may also be interested in:

2.1 - What is the purpose of the glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) questions?

The primary purpose of this new question type is to enable the ProZ.com community to together find the best translation of a given term into a given language, and to incorporate the term and its translation into an authoritative glossary which will be made available openly under the Creative Commons "by" license ("CC-by").

A secondary purpose of the new format is to provide opportunities for KudoZ participation (along with the associated benefits of networking, learning and professional differentiation), in pairs and fields in which few questions are currently asked.

2.2 - How do glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) work?

A glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) 'transaction' involves three steps:

(1) Posting: A term is posted by an authorized person for translation into one or more pairs. A definition and one or more example sentences are included with the question. Notification of the GBK-type question is sent to interested and qualified site users.

(2) Submission: During the 72 hours following the posting, qualified parties are able to suggest translations including terms, definitions, example sentences and optionally references. These parties will also be able to post peer comments and grading on the answers provided.

(3) At the end of the submission period the system will attempt to close the question. If successful, a notification will be sent to the person who posted the selected answer, 4 points will be assigned to that answer (unless the question was posted as not-for-points) and the a glossary entry will be created and stored. If closing proves impossible, notifications will be sent to all interested and qualified parties and a selection phase will last until the peer-grading received allows for the closure of the question.

2.3 - Who can participate in the glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) questions?

Participation in a GBK question, including answering, posting references and grading, is limited to site users who (1) Have the corresponding field(s) of expertise among their "specialty" fields. (2) Have the corresponding language pair among their working ones. (3) Are native in either source or target languages.

During the selection phase (questions still open after the first 72-hours period) participation is extended to site users who satisfy the language pair and native language criteria and have the field of expertise among their working ones.

All users can post discussion entries.

2.4 - Why is the participation limited in glossary-building KudoZ?

The purpose of the glossary-building KudoZ is to coordinate the efforts of willing members of the ProZ.com community in building up an authoritative glossary of terms and their translations in many languages and fields. With a focus on the quality of the resulting glossary entries and ample time for submission and selection of answers, it was decided to limit participation to specialists in the field and language pair.

2.5 - Why are these limitations not applied to "help term" KudoZ as well?

The main goal of "term help" KudoZ is to provide those in need of translation assistance with access to timely help. Therefore the access is open to allow the participation of anybody willing and able to help. The asker selects the most helpful among the responses received (and awards points for it).

2.6 - What are the additional fields of expertise?

A GBK has a main field of expertise and may have one or more additional fields of expertise. These additional field are also included in the filter (notifications and access to the question).

For instance a question with primary field "telecommunications" may also be related to "computers: software" and to "Computers: systems, networks"

This will be only related to notifications and access (and in the future to searches in the glossary). The corresponding KudoZ points will be assigned to the primary field.

The additional fields are included in the GBK term searches.

2.7 - I added in my profile the specialty field needed to answer a GBK question but I still can't answer it.

Users who adds a new "specialty" field of expertise to their profiles will not be provided access to GBK filtered by this particular field for 72 hours after implementing this change. This aims to preventing users from modifying their profiles in order to "follow" the specialties requested in the questions.

This restriction will not apply to profiles created less than a month ago.

2.8 - How are GBK questions graded?

At the end of the 72-hours submission phase (and periodically if the question entered in a selection phase) an 'auto-grading robot' makes its selection based on the net number of peer 'agrees' received by each answer, according to the following rules:
* To be considered, an answer must have at least two "net agrees" (agrees minus disagrees).
* The answer with the highest number of net agrees is selected.
* If two answers have the same number of net agrees, the one posted by the answerer with the corresponding language pair ranked higher is selected.
* If still undecided, the alternative entered latest is selected. The logic behind this criterion is that all those agreed to the second answer have seen the first one and still voted for the second, therefore preferring the second answer, while those that voted for the first one may not have seen the second answer when voted.

2.9 - The submission period for a GBK question has ended and the question is still open. Can I still submit a translation?

Yes. Answers can be posted during the selection period, or even when the question has been closed.

2.10 - Can I provide more than one answer as different options when answering a GBK question?

Answerers in GBK can provide more than one answer to the same term, as this is the proper way to offer synonyms. In this case the example sentence(s) should include the term offered in each answer.

2.11 - Can I post more than one term in my answer to a GBK question?

No. Even if you know two or more different terms to answer a GBK question you should provide only one of them in your answer, the one used in the example sentence(s).

If you know synonyms or other possible interpretations of the term asked besides the one you already offered in your answer, you can provide additional answer(s), each containing just a term, and with definition and example sentences related to that term.

2.12 - Is it OK to to answer a GBK question suggesting the same term already offered in another answer?

Yes. A GBK answer includes a term, a definition and at least one example sentence. The term is only a part of the answer, and it could happen that the second answer offering the same term includes, for instance, a better definition.

Time should not play such a central role in GBK, where a better answer should be more relevant than a faster one.

2.13 - I want (or do not want) to receive notifications about GBK questions, what should I do?

You should un-check (check) the option "Ignore glossary-building questions " and click on "Save settings" in the KudoZ dashboard.

2.14 - I want to receive only notifications about GBK questions, what should I do?

You should select the option Asker type = "Glossary-building questions " in the KudoZ dashboard.

2.15 - How are the GBK questions created?

"Glossary-building KudoZ concepts" are selected from current KudoZ entries or from other sources, and are edited to make sure they have the proper terms, definitions and examples of use. This is currently being done in English, but other languages could be added later.

This is being currently done by site staff, but in the future this task will be performed by site members who will be part of a "GBK (Glossary-building KudoZ) team".

2.16 - There is no "neutral" option in the peer comments. How can I leave a comment to the answerer?

If you are allowed to provide a peer-comment, then you should be able to post a note to the answerer by using the link provided at the bottom of the answer.



The messages posted will be visible above the voting area of the question:

2.17 - What is the "Glossary-building KudoZ questions" box displayed in the home page? Can I customize what I see there?

Users who meet the criteria to answer GBK questions and have a minimum of 10 open questions available to answer will be presented with a box displaying a randomly selected open question.

Like many other home page features, users can select not to see this box, or customize its position by clicking the "customize" link on the feature or selecting
"My ProZ.com" -> "My settings" -> "Site settings"

3 - Glossaries

3.1 - How do I add a term to a glossary?

1. Go to your Profile
2. Select "Enter Terms" under the Glossary heading (left column of Profile)

3.2 - How do I upload an existing glossary?

Only plain text, standard format glossary can be uploaded. Word documents, RTF files, or any format other than plain text will not work. The maximum allowed file size is 2MB. If you have a glossary file larger than 2MB, please break it up into smaller pieces.
Note: Glossaries should be in the form:
source termtarget termNotesURL

(Notes and URL are optional.)

1. Go to your profile
2. Click on your name
3. Select "Enter Terms" under Glossary
4. Select "Upload your glossaries!" located at the bottom of the page.

3.3 - How do I edit a glossary or an existing term?

Note that these instructions apply only to terms in your personal glossaries. Terms in the site-wide KudoZ glossary can only be edited by a moderator. If you want to suggest a change to a term in the site-wide glossary, you can contact the appropriate moderator using the moderator list.

To edit an existing term:

1. Go to My Proz.com
2. Click on My Glossary
3. Click on the name of the glossary where the term is
4. Click the term in question
5. Click the 'Edit or add info to this term' at the bottom of the page
6. Edit the existing information or add new information, and click the "Enter" button to save your changes

To edit the name of a glossary:

1. Go to My Proz.com
2. Click on My Glossary
3. Click on the [Rename] link, next to the glossary you want to edit

3.4 - How do I move a term from one glossary to another?

1. Go to your Profile page
2. Click the name of the glossary where the term is
3. Click the term in question
4. Click the 'Edit or add info to this term' at the bottom of the page.
5. There will now be a drop down list 'Your Glossary' that will allow you to change which glossary the term belongs to. You may move it to another glossary, or create a new glossary that the term will be added to.

3.5 - How can I send/receive glossaries through my profile?

You can send and/or receive glossary files using the Send file (beta)... tool in profiles.

You will find more information about the Send file (beta)... option here.

4 - GlossPost

4.1 - What is GlossPost?

GlossPost is a searchable database of links to glossaries on the Internet. It has been compiled by members of ProZ.com and the YahooGroup of the same name created in February 2000 by Brazilian translator and conference interpreter Maria Eugenia Farre. The database is maintained by a group of volunteer moderators, however any ProZ.com member can search the database or submit new glossary URLs.

4.2 - What are the goals driving GlossPost at ProZ.com?

We have three main goals:

- To create an online terminology resource with searching capabilities specifically designed for the needs of translators.
- To enlarge the database by benefiting from the collaborative spirit of ProZ.com users.
- To ensure the accessibility of GlossPost and honor the commitment of providing a free and useful resource for translators across the globe.

4.3 - What are the possibilities created by the collaboration between GlossPost and ProZ.com?

In brief: creating a larger database of glossary URLs, with addresses in more language combinations, annotated by translators. Since its inception, GlossPost has attracted mostly translators specializing in Western languages. Since ProZ.com is a huge multilingual community with active participants across the whole linguistic spectrum, we hope that translators of other languages will also feel compelled to add links to the glossaries they use in their daily work to the benefit of all.

We also hope to contribute with the expertise acquired in moderating GlossPost to make the new site a useful and efficient online terminology resource.

4.4 - How many links from the original GlossPost archives have been included?

At launch, approximately 1,600 links from the archives have been included automatically. This doesn't cover the entire GlossPost original database, but there are plans to import more links in the future, as time permits.

4.5 - Will the links in the GlossPost database at ProZ.com be checked to prevent dead pages and repeat URLs?

In our new home at ProZ.com, we want to address all the concerns and issues that affected GlossPost subscribers in the past. Link rot is one of them, and we are not the only sufferers. The GlossPost URLs at ProZ.com will be checked periodically using an automated function to make sure that the database remains as current as possible. Also, manual editing of the URLs has been made possible. Links can be checked and marked good or bad, made invisible or visible to other users by the users themselves and also by the moderators. Incomplete entries can be supplemented by addition information from other users.

4.6 - What are the searching capabilities included in the GlossPost database at ProZ.com?

The searching capabilities have been greatly improved. At the new database, users will be able to browse the glossary URLs, search by keyword, language combination, discipline or BSO category. For obvious reasons, the ability to search by language combination was one of the most common requests received from GlossPost subscribers. A feature enabling automated announcements of glossary URLs in the language combinations specified by ProZ.com users is also being studied.

4.7 - How can I contribute to the expansion of this glossary database?

By posting the URLs of glossaries, dictionaries and other terminology resources you find on the web.

You can also contribute to this initiative by editing and verifying the links included in the database (this option may or may not be available, depending on your site activity level). Also, since the project has just been kicked off, it will be extremely valuable to get as much feedback as possible about the design and results the searchers are getting. Please send your feedback to support.

4.8 - What is the posting procedure?

The posting form can be found here.

The fields are:

URL: enter the URL for the resource (glossary, terminology database or dictionary)
Title: enter a title for the resource, e.g. Hydrology Glossary or Dog Breeds or Turkish Language Dictionary
Source: enter the source for the resource, e.g. Unicode.org or Association of Dog Breeders of America or Academie Francaise
Comment: enter useful comments pertaining to the URL, e.g. "reliable translations", "single-page glossary", "downloadable as .pdf", "watch your step, contains typos".
Source Language: select the source language(s) from the list. If many languages are included, as is commonly the case with EU resources, you can select the All/Many languages radio button.
Target Language: select the target language(s) from the list. If many languages are included, as is commonly the case with EU resources, you can select the All/Many languages radio button.
Disciplines: select one or more disciplines, as you would when submitting a KudoZ question.
BSO Category: select one or more BSO categories

When you have completed the fields you want to add, press the Submit button. It's not necessary to fill in all the fields, but if possible, try to fill in as many as you can. This will help us build a better database and enable you to get more precise results in the future. Note, however, that some fields are mandatory and marked with a * for your convenience. Your entry will not be vetted before you have completed the mandatory fields.

4.9 - In what language should I post?

The GlossPost moderator suggests and encourages users to post in English. However, we realize that this may not always be possible, due to multiculturalism considerations. Comments in other languages are considered OK, but for the benefit of all and better search results, try to include at least a few words in English in the keyword field and/or give a title to the glossary in English.

4.10 - As a ProZ.com user, will I get any benefits from posting glossaries?

Yes! Members will be awarded 10 browniz points for each URL submitted, and 5 browniz points for each edited entry. The name of the poster and editor will be acknowledged when URLs are displayed.

4.11 - How can I report bugs or send suggestions?

Feedback is always welcome. Please send an e-mail to support.

4.12 - What will happen to the GlossPost list at Yahoogroups?

The GlossPost list at Yahoogroups will be eventually phased out and replaced by the new resource at ProZ.com. For the time being, however, it will continue to run under the moderatorship of Maria Eugenia Farre. There will also be some forwarding of links from GlossPost at Yps and the Translator Resources Forum to GlossPost at ProZ.com. However, GlossPost subscribers and Translator Resources Forum users are encouraged to post their new finds to GlossPost at ProZ.com.

4.13 - Where can I learn more about the history of GlossPost?

This interview with GlossPost creator Maria Eugenia Farre contains more information on the list's history.

5 - ProZ.com term search

5.1 - What is ProZ.com Term search?

5.2 - How are terms added to the terms database?

5.3 - How can I contribute to the expansion of the terms database?

5.4 - Which are the search options available?

5.5 - Can I save my search settings?

5.6 - Where are results retrieved from?

5.7 - How are results ordered?

5.8 - It seems I am not getting all the results I should. Why?

5.9 - What happened to "Reverse lookup"?