smarterwork.com someone? Thread poster: Fabio Paracchini (X)
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Fabio Paracchini (X)
Local time: 12:30
English to Italian
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hi
anybody out there knows something about smarterwork.com? at first glance it looks quite interesting, but their startup fee is not very cheap and before considering to subscribe i\'d like to check a few opinions about their service.
bye&thanx
fabio
| | | | | I have been wondering too | Apr 30, 2002 |
They proudly proclaim this about their \"Experts\"
Work as You Please
\"I don\'t think I\'ll ever make my fortune, but it\'s enough to live, pay the bills and do what I want in life.\" Julie-Ann Amos, Writer and Consultant, London,
Their press releases keep dwelling on the number of freelancers around the world and how convenient that is for outsourcing companies. I got the impression that they are just one more company where people wit... See more They proudly proclaim this about their \"Experts\"
Work as You Please
\"I don\'t think I\'ll ever make my fortune, but it\'s enough to live, pay the bills and do what I want in life.\" Julie-Ann Amos, Writer and Consultant, London,
Their press releases keep dwelling on the number of freelancers around the world and how convenient that is for outsourcing companies. I got the impression that they are just one more company where people with no expertise want to get rich quickly on people with a lot of expertise.
Oh, the shareholders are also very happy. The outsourcers are happy, the agency knows its price, the shareholders have been jubilant, and then there are those experts who are happy to pay their monthly bills...
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-04-30 12:56 ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lydia Molea 
Germany
Local time: 12:30
English to German
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| not thrilled with smarterwork | Apr 30, 2002 |
I used to be a member when it was still free. The projects in my language combination where rather weird, they were posted a long time after their deadline, funny sample texts, the info was not exact, etc. etc. I bid on some jobs, but I never received anything. It used to be that when you bid, smarterwork added their commission, on some small bids it doubled the sum! And now they want lots of money for their \"service\"?!? I don\'t think so!
| | | | Egmont
Spain
Local time: 12:30
Afrikaans to Spanish
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Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 12:30
French to German
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| SmarterWork Certification | Apr 30, 2002 |
I took their tests in French English and German to see if I would qualifiy. Amazing. The level is inferior to the TOEFL or First Certificate. I am now a certified SmarterWork professional translator and this is ludricrously and ridiculously funny! OK, that was I while ago. I don\'t think I paid anything. That may have changed now.
There are lots of new sites all wanting to make a quick buck from freelancers. I would be very careful.
All those sites create one big p... See more I took their tests in French English and German to see if I would qualifiy. Amazing. The level is inferior to the TOEFL or First Certificate. I am now a certified SmarterWork professional translator and this is ludricrously and ridiculously funny! OK, that was I while ago. I don\'t think I paid anything. That may have changed now.
There are lots of new sites all wanting to make a quick buck from freelancers. I would be very careful.
All those sites create one big problem for freelancers: They function according to the auction system. The first one who sets a rate can be sure the next one is going to underbid him. If you go and bid for double of the first amount, the rates go up again, but only slightly. I think freelancers do not really know what their efforts are worth. I am always told by my colleagues that they rather work for little than not at all. They are hurting the profession, they kill the market. I work for one agency who pays me well (but badly, compared to my other clients) and have now a sencond one, a start up. I work for them because we talked and the owner said that he understood now that rates were directly linked to quality. Now, if an agency owner admits that? Does that mean that people working for 6 cents or below are poor translators? Not necessarily. But if you firmly insist on your 15-20 cents, you may get them - sometimes.
Those are my 20 cents.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-04-30 16:14 ] ▲ Collapse
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I took a look at this site and I didn\'t see the same things you did. Fabio, where did it ask for payment; all I saw was a place where you could register for free. Maya, where did it offer the opportunity to be tested?
| | | | Fabio Paracchini (X)
Local time: 12:30
English to Italian
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TOPIC STARTER
after registering (4 free), when you ask to be registered as a service provider, they send you an email with a link to a page that says:
The payment structure for Smarterwork services is as follows
Level Two
Verification of Service Provider, leading to smarterwork accredited member status
Entry in the smarterwork global services directory
Entry in the smarterwork global servic... See more after registering (4 free), when you ask to be registered as a service provider, they send you an email with a link to a page that says:
The payment structure for Smarterwork services is as follows
Level Two
Verification of Service Provider, leading to smarterwork accredited member status
Entry in the smarterwork global services directory
Entry in the smarterwork global services search
On-line profile with a facility for customers to place unlimited work directly with service provider
Ability to quote on all marketplace projects, where you have obtained a Smarterwork qualification. Unlimited value.
Priority placement on search results and directory
Discounted option to be included in newsletters/promotional places (prices on request)
Normal Cost: USD 450.70 (EUR 500.00) Your Discount: 25% Your Cost: USD 338.02 (EUR 375.00)
Payable in four equal quarterly instalments of USD 84.51 (EUR 93.75)
Level one
Verification of Service Provider, leading to smarterwork accredited member status
Entry in the smarterwork global services directory
Entry in the smarterwork global services search
On-line profile with a facility for customers to place unlimited work directly with service provider
Ability to quote on 10 marketplace projects per month, where you have obtained a Smarterwork qualification and the customer’s stated budget is below $400.
Normal Cost: USD 225.35 (EUR 250.00) Your Discount: 25% Your Cost: USD 169.01 (EUR 187.50)
Payable in four equal quarterly instalments of USD 42.25 (EUR 46.8
bye
fabio ▲ Collapse
| | | | Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 06:30
German to English
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| I agree with Maya | Apr 30, 2002 |
You have to be very careful with such services.
Personally, I\'d stay away from all such services that do not, exclusively, focus on the translation market. Smarterwork, like several others like it, specializes in IT people, accountants, consultants, etc. My experience has been that translators signing up with such all-inclusive websites usually end up with the short end of the stick. And the fees I have just seen here are just horrendous (it may be worthwhile for some free... See more You have to be very careful with such services.
Personally, I\'d stay away from all such services that do not, exclusively, focus on the translation market. Smarterwork, like several others like it, specializes in IT people, accountants, consultants, etc. My experience has been that translators signing up with such all-inclusive websites usually end up with the short end of the stick. And the fees I have just seen here are just horrendous (it may be worthwhile for some freelance expert in M&A, but for translators it\'s a big no-no).
We have always been told to specialize and focus, and the same goes for choosing the channels through which to market yourself. If you want to advertise your services on the net, use your own website (and make sure you get listed in all the major search engines) and join services that are specific to our profession (ProZ, Aquarius, TraduGuide, etc.).
I also agree with Maya when she says that auction systems will invariably result in underbidding and a decline in rates. As professionals, we should not participate in such activities, as they are detrimental to all of us and turn our services into mere commodities.
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| Money's worth? | Apr 30, 2002 |
Thanks Fabio. I didn\'t get as far as registering; that\'s why I didn\'t get to see the fee structure. What I wonder (but it\'s not a burning question, since I doubt I\'ll be registering there) is if you fork over some euros, do you actually get to see the source and target languages in the job listings? As a guest viewer, you don\'t: how useless!
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-04-30 18:35 ]
| | | | Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 12:30
French to German
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| To GoodWords | Apr 30, 2002 |
Hello,
Before answering Fabio, I tried to see where it got me without logging in. Nowhere. Everything is changed. I can\'t really tell at what stage I was asked to do a test, because this was last year.I think it was at the moment I wanted to bid for a job. You can\'t bid before having been certified. But I remember the tests because it took them weeks to process the answers. And I think I never paid for anything. That seems to have changed. I very rarely go to this site, for there ar... See more Hello,
Before answering Fabio, I tried to see where it got me without logging in. Nowhere. Everything is changed. I can\'t really tell at what stage I was asked to do a test, because this was last year.I think it was at the moment I wanted to bid for a job. You can\'t bid before having been certified. But I remember the tests because it took them weeks to process the answers. And I think I never paid for anything. That seems to have changed. I very rarely go to this site, for there are no jobs to be had. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | How utterly dishonest! | Apr 30, 2002 |
So, let me get this straight: you register for free, but as a for-free member you cannot really use the site. And, you only get to know that after you register, when they send you the fee structure by email, that is, it is not available on the site itself?
Really, the cheek some people have. I\'ll find some other way to pay my bills...
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