| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Off topic: Slanging on Proz.com Thread poster: Mervyn Henderson (X)
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Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Spain
Local time: 20:22
Spanish to English
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I've put this under Business Issues because I don't know where it goes, really. It can be moved if you like.
Over time I've noticed on Proz - particularly during sustained periods of a string of comedy items masquerading as job offers - that the talk inevitably turns to prices.
It is never very long, though, before someone hits a nerve, the topic implodes, and slanging starts. I noticed this on another similar site years ago, too.
Not that I'm condemning i... See more I've put this under Business Issues because I don't know where it goes, really. It can be moved if you like.
Over time I've noticed on Proz - particularly during sustained periods of a string of comedy items masquerading as job offers - that the talk inevitably turns to prices.
It is never very long, though, before someone hits a nerve, the topic implodes, and slanging starts. I noticed this on another similar site years ago, too.
Not that I'm condemning it. I have a feeling we all find it morbidly amusing and therapeutic at the best of times. Even the slangers and the slangees. Does this happen in other professional circles? Do we like it? Are we normal? Do we just need an outlet? Perhaps it's a positive thing.
Mervyn
(in fearful anticipation of irate comments!!) ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Group therapy | Jul 22, 2008 |
Well, these rather comical job posts seem to be here to stay, and there are always a bunch of people here who are ticked off by them (including me, on occasion). Discussing these, venting about them and warning others have many purposes, but the one I find is most elementary is group therapy. Yes, yes! Even though most of us don't like to admit it, let's face it: we feel so much better when we realize that we are not alone in enduring ridiculous offers, not only on the job board, but also in our... See more Well, these rather comical job posts seem to be here to stay, and there are always a bunch of people here who are ticked off by them (including me, on occasion). Discussing these, venting about them and warning others have many purposes, but the one I find is most elementary is group therapy. Yes, yes! Even though most of us don't like to admit it, let's face it: we feel so much better when we realize that we are not alone in enduring ridiculous offers, not only on the job board, but also in our inboxes (through ProZ mail).
I think this is healthy and sane - and I don't see why there are occasionally people popping in telling the others to get over it already. The other thing also is that there are hopefully some people who are just starting out who read those comments and are then aware that it is not because most job postings mention rates like USD 0.035 (it's getting to the point where they use three decimals!) that that is how much their work is worth.
To some, it may sound like pure frustration - but it is also education, organization and, yes, yes, group therapy.
Thanks for asking, Mervyn! I feel soooooo much better now... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 20:22
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Make it part of the ProZ.com deal | Jul 22, 2008 |
I'm glad you think it's positive, Viktoria. Maybe we could institutionalise it on the site. We take it in turns - each day one translator is singled out to be systematically picked on by the rest of us as a hapless target to vent our innermost frustrations.
"Look at this one with his glasses and his hair", someone could snarl. "He wouldn't know what an adjective was if he found it in his soup".
Etc. etc.
| | | | Margreet Logmans (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 20:22
English to Dutch
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| Not prices, but requirements | Jul 22, 2008 |
Personally, I don't feel the need to rant about rates and prices (I ignore anything below my minimum rate) , but I can't help laughing (and feeling a bit annoyed) about the requirements set in some job postings.
Like today in my language pair: less than 150 words of ingredients for a food label - they asked for the applicants to: Please provide full CV including details of relevant qualifications, experience and memberships, recent and relevant projects worked on, rates and contact details of 2 referees for whom you have completed relevant translations. PLEASE ensure referees are contactable (email is method of contact).
!! NO AGENCIES PLEASE !!
Sorry, but I do feel the need to vent some frustration over ridiculous demands like these. Group therapy indeed. But I also think it is a good thing to discuss this sort of thing every now and then, just to be reminded of what is reasonable and what isn't.
I just love your sense of humor, Mervyn.
Perhaps we could add a new item to the homepage: 'Most ridiculous job posting of the week'.
As for the slanging: I've never found an adjective in my soup, or perhaps I did not recognize it Let the snide responses begin...
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| More slanging matches in general | Jul 22, 2008 |
I rarely go into the "ridiculous rate" threads, as I never bid for jobs here anyway. But I think there is a trend towards more slanging matches in general on the site - whether related to kudoz, professional choices or whatever - the personal insults seem to be flying much more readily and sweeping judgements passed at the drop of a hat. It's interesting, as in the past I've sometimes thought that the moderation on this site was unnecessarily heavy-handed. But having seen the way some discussion... See more I rarely go into the "ridiculous rate" threads, as I never bid for jobs here anyway. But I think there is a trend towards more slanging matches in general on the site - whether related to kudoz, professional choices or whatever - the personal insults seem to be flying much more readily and sweeping judgements passed at the drop of a hat. It's interesting, as in the past I've sometimes thought that the moderation on this site was unnecessarily heavy-handed. But having seen the way some discussions have degenerated recently, I'm coming to think that the moderation needs to be heavy-handed. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 20:22
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | It's getting more frequent in time, but not as % of total traffic - I guess... | Jul 23, 2008 |
It is never very long, though, before someone hits a nerve, the topic implodes, and slanging starts.
I see this as the out-of-this-world occasions, technically speaking as the so called three-sigma events - for normally distributed items 3*sigma would mean three such events per thousand.
In good ol' times the traffic may have been say 100 calls per month, so it took about 3 months to get a bozo posting. Ten times bigger traffic will make it one every ten days - no time at all to cool down (g) after the latest flaming party.
One more point: we get out-of-this-world, cant-believe-my-luck posts more frequently too. The bread falls both sides, not just on the buttered side.
regards
[Edited at 2008-07-23 13:33]
| | | | | Perhaps so, ... | Jul 23, 2008 |
Marie-Hélène Hayles wrote:
But having seen the way some discussions have degenerated recently, I'm coming to think that the moderation needs to be heavy-handed.
... but I'm inclined to say it just needs to be consistent more than anything else.
If it was consistent, we wouldn't notice these trends.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:22
Member (2008)
Italian to English
hmmm "ticked off". That's an interesting one. In British English, to be ticked off means that someone has scolded you.
In American English it appears to mean "irritated" . Is this a recent euphemism for "Pissed off" ? I'd be curious to know, since Americans only seem to have started (mis)using "ticked off" quite recently.
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| And the point/relevance of your posting is? | Jul 23, 2008 |
Tom in London wrote:
hmmm "ticked off". That's an interesting one. In British English, to be ticked off means that someone has scolded you.
In American English it appears to mean "irritated" . Is this a recent euphemism for "Pissed off" ? I'd be curious to know, since Americans only seem to have started (mis)using "ticked off" quite recently.
Viktoria is Canadian, so your remarks are aimed at the English-speaking regions of the North American continent? What's your point?
[Edited at 2008-07-23 17:07]
| | | | | (Aside) Seem... | Jul 23, 2008 |
Tom in London wrote:
I'd be curious to know, since Americans only seem to have started (mis)using "ticked off" quite recently.
"Seem" seems to be based on your personal experience... I've been using "ticked off" (yes, a polite version of "pissed off") for several decades.
Fact check in order?
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 20:22
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | See what I mean? | Jul 23, 2008 |
Ah, I can feel another round of blistering back-and-forth coming on already. Maybe it's the weather - for example, here I am tippety-tappetying away at this ruddy computer, it must be 34 degrees out there not fifteen metres away in Plaza Nueva, where I can hear the band tuning up for this evening, and I do get the feeling I shouldn't be slogging, but maybe slagging instead.
And so, just to weigh somewhat pettily and pointlessly in myself, let me say it's "ViKtoria" with a K. I was g... See more Ah, I can feel another round of blistering back-and-forth coming on already. Maybe it's the weather - for example, here I am tippety-tappetying away at this ruddy computer, it must be 34 degrees out there not fifteen metres away in Plaza Nueva, where I can hear the band tuning up for this evening, and I do get the feeling I shouldn't be slogging, but maybe slagging instead.
And so, just to weigh somewhat pettily and pointlessly in myself, let me say it's "ViKtoria" with a K. I was going to say "it's spelled Viktoria", but I knew that in a flash somebody else would be telling me "spelt".
Awaiting the onslaught ....
Mervyn ▲ Collapse
| | | | JPW (X)
Local time: 19:22
Spanish to English
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| Here it is in black and white... | Jul 23, 2008 |
—Verb phrase
11. tick off, Slang.
a. to make angry: His mistreatment of the animals really ticked me off.
b. Chiefly British. to scold severely: The manager will tick you off if you make another mistake.
So that's that one sorted then.
As for ViKtoria with a K, I plead guilty on that one, having spelt/spelled (delete as appropriate) it with a 'c' I am sure, and for that I can only apologise. Actually, I think I'll apologiZe as well, just to be on the safe side...
What really ticks me off (1st definition) is when people call me John. John Paul is too long to type apparently , but JP would do just fine, 2 simple keystrokes.
Rant over, now I can just sit back and wait for tickings off (2nd definition). I wonder what LT would make of all this? Hmmm...I wonder.
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| We can always... | Jul 23, 2008 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
Ah, I can feel another round of blistering back-and-forth coming on already.
... get "pissed" together (drunk) instead of getting "pissed" (angry)
Just a thought 
| | | | | Ticked off, pissed off and generally browned off ... | Jul 23, 2008 |
Tom in London wrote:
hmmm "ticked off". That's an interesting one. In British English, to be ticked off means that someone has scolded you.
In American English it appears to mean "irritated" . Is this a recent euphemism for "Pissed off" ? I'd be curious to know, since Americans only seem to have started (mis)using "ticked off" quite recently.
I lived in New York in the late 1970s and "ticked off" was being used then to mean "annoyed" or "fed up" - not as recent as all that, while, as pointed out by several Prozians, in England it means "scolded" or "reprimanded". At the same time, "pissed" in the USA was also being used to mean "annoyed", while in England it meant (and still means) drunk and "pissed off" means "annoyed".
Then there's "slated" which confused me at first. In the USA it means "listed" as in a theatre announcement while in England it means "severely criticised" (or criticized ??).
How annoying and generally off-pissing it all is ...
Jenny
| | | | JPW (X)
Local time: 19:22
Spanish to English
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| The eternal problem... | Jul 23, 2008 |
of two cultures separated by a common tongue....?
I live on a wet rock in the atlantic and I am sure I've heard "ticked off" being used for 'annoyed' here too - and not from American tourists either.
Well, I'm off for a kip (40 winks, nap, siesta). Could someone knock me up in oh, about half an hour?
 ... See more of two cultures separated by a common tongue....?
I live on a wet rock in the atlantic and I am sure I've heard "ticked off" being used for 'annoyed' here too - and not from American tourists either.
Well, I'm off for a kip (40 winks, nap, siesta). Could someone knock me up in oh, about half an hour?
 ▲ Collapse
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