| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Agencies requiring translators to use a specific CAT tool Thread poster: Kate Tomkins
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What is your reaction when an agency says: "We use XXX CAT tool. We can provide you with free access for your projects" with no option of using an alternative?
Usually this is one of the online-based tools where your translations are fed directly into their memory bank to save money in the future.
What if this is your least favourite CAT tool? Or perhaps you have never used it before and will have to learn from scratch before starting the project.
Do you s... See more What is your reaction when an agency says: "We use XXX CAT tool. We can provide you with free access for your projects" with no option of using an alternative?
Usually this is one of the online-based tools where your translations are fed directly into their memory bank to save money in the future.
What if this is your least favourite CAT tool? Or perhaps you have never used it before and will have to learn from scratch before starting the project.
Do you see this as a new learning opportunity/challenge, or is the agency making unreasonable demands? ▲ Collapse
| | | | owhisonant (X) 
Germany
Local time: 12:09
German to English
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| Not unreasonable... | Sep 2, 2013 |
In this case, I think that if an agency has invested into the licenses and taken the time to streamline their production processes according to their needs, it's perfectly reasonable to expect a translator to be willing to work in that environment, even though it may not be that translator's "preferred" tool.
I prefer Trados, but I've also worked in memoQ and Swordfish over the past few months, and been fine with that. If I really disliked a particular environment, I would just ref... See more In this case, I think that if an agency has invested into the licenses and taken the time to streamline their production processes according to their needs, it's perfectly reasonable to expect a translator to be willing to work in that environment, even though it may not be that translator's "preferred" tool.
I prefer Trados, but I've also worked in memoQ and Swordfish over the past few months, and been fine with that. If I really disliked a particular environment, I would just refuse the job. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Incompatible exigencies | Sep 2, 2013 |
I have invested in my own tool, and I wouldn't be able to make use of my TMs and glossaries if I were to use the online tool imposed by an agency.
Personally, I had a very bad experience with a clumsy, unyieldy and slow online-based tool, so I proposed the agency in question to raise my usual rate by 30% to compensate the time lost due to the clumsiness of their tool and the impossibility to use my own TMs and glossaries. Since they refused, we parted company and I am positive it wa... See more I have invested in my own tool, and I wouldn't be able to make use of my TMs and glossaries if I were to use the online tool imposed by an agency.
Personally, I had a very bad experience with a clumsy, unyieldy and slow online-based tool, so I proposed the agency in question to raise my usual rate by 30% to compensate the time lost due to the clumsiness of their tool and the impossibility to use my own TMs and glossaries. Since they refused, we parted company and I am positive it was their loss. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Agree entirely | Sep 2, 2013 |
Chiara Deaglio wrote:
I have invested in my own tool, and I wouldn't be able to make use of my TMs and glossaries if I were to use the online tool imposed by an agency.
Personally, I had a very bad experience with a clumsy, unyieldy and slow online-based tool, so I proposed the agency in question to raise my usual rate by 30% to compensate the time lost due to the clumsiness of their tool and the impossibility to use my own TMs and glossaries. Since they refused, we parted company and I am positive it was their loss.
Why should we spend months or years learning to use our own software properly and then be forced (often in a hurry) to learn other software where we can make no use of our acquired skills and knowledge?
I consider this to be an unreasonable request on the part of the agency and would refuse.
Steve K.
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 06:09
German to English
| With Oliver W | Sep 2, 2013 |
owhisonant wrote:
If I really disliked a particular environment, I would just refuse the job.
An agency's requirement of a specific CAT tool may be based on its own investment, but it also may be a specification of the end customer. A number of German automakers and suppliers, for example, are increasingly requiring the use of a certain German-based CAT tool, due to reasons of industrial policy. This is what gave Trados its boost, back when it was a German-owned company.
I use three CAT tools. At this juncture of my career, I'm not interested in learning a new tool unless it REALLY makes translating easier. I simply don't accept jobs requiring tools I don't use. The CAT environment is here to stay. If I were 20 years younger, I'd learn to use as many tools as possible, especially if access were provided at no cost to me.
| | | | | Not unreasonable but probably unsuccessful | Sep 2, 2013 |
To be fair, I wouldn't consider this an unreasonable request per se.
However, if an order from a company making such a request is competing for my availability/time with an order from a company that leaves me the freedom to decide how I work, the latter will invariably take precedence.
This is the case for me with any formulaic or unwieldy demands made by potential clients.
If I have the time on my hands, I might consider complying but if I don't (which is more often than no... See more To be fair, I wouldn't consider this an unreasonable request per se.
However, if an order from a company making such a request is competing for my availability/time with an order from a company that leaves me the freedom to decide how I work, the latter will invariably take precedence.
This is the case for me with any formulaic or unwieldy demands made by potential clients.
If I have the time on my hands, I might consider complying but if I don't (which is more often than not the case), I will favour those who don't make these demands. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Not into the challenge/opportunity thing | Sep 2, 2013 |
KateKaminski wrote:
Do you see this as a new learning opportunity/challenge, or is the agency making unreasonable demands?
Here's my view, Kate. I'm not into the whole 'opportunity' or 'challenge' NLP business. Those are words used by corporations to reframe their minions into looking positively at negatives.
... Consequently, I look at such requirements as an annoyance. The way to overcome that annoyance lies in sweetening the deal. If they can give me a steady stream of no-nonsense jobs that constitute gainful employment, then sure, then we can talk about their favourite CAT.
On the other hand, if the other aspects of working with them are equally rigid and cumbersome as having to work in a proprietary or other environment of their choice, then, well, I guess we aren't gonna last.
Steve Kerry wrote: Chiara Deaglio wrote:
I have invested in my own tool, and I wouldn't be able to make use of my TMs and glossaries if I were to use the online tool imposed by an agency.
Personally, I had a very bad experience with a clumsy, unyieldy and slow online-based tool, so I proposed the agency in question to raise my usual rate by 30% to compensate the time lost due to the clumsiness of their tool and the impossibility to use my own TMs and glossaries. Since they refused, we parted company and I am positive it was their loss. Why should we spend months or years learning to use our own software properly and then be forced (often in a hurry) to learn other software where we can make no use of our acquired skills and knowledge? I consider this to be an unreasonable request on the part of the agency and would refuse. Steve K.
I believe that translators should acquire translation skills, not CAT skills. One or two is okay, but more is likely to be a waste of time. Plus, it degrades our profession.
[Edited at 2013-09-02 14:48 GMT]
| | | | | Another big disadvantage | Sep 2, 2013 |
Another big disadvantage of using certain agency owned CAT tools is that all he segments you translate in such "battery translating" environments are stored in their huge TM which is at the disposal of ALL their translators.
This means that your work will be freely available to all other translators working for that agency (to whom access to TM is available through a password).
I am talking about a sort of "world" CAT tool made made by the same company as my own tool (T... See more Another big disadvantage of using certain agency owned CAT tools is that all he segments you translate in such "battery translating" environments are stored in their huge TM which is at the disposal of ALL their translators.
This means that your work will be freely available to all other translators working for that agency (to whom access to TM is available through a password).
I am talking about a sort of "world" CAT tool made made by the same company as my own tool (Trados), but which is far less efficient and expedient than the latter, IMHO. ▲ Collapse
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| Sometimes reasonable, most often not | Sep 2, 2013 |
I use WordFast, my license, for my personal use. Most of my good clients simply don't care about it, as long as I leave no trace of its use on my final deliverables.
I participated in a huuuge project, with about a dozen translators, using MemoQ on a cloud. The agency provided portable licenses to all of us. For the record, NO discount on any level of matches, not even repetitions: this was done for the sake of consistency alone. Every time any of us entered a new segment, it was lo... See more I use WordFast, my license, for my personal use. Most of my good clients simply don't care about it, as long as I leave no trace of its use on my final deliverables.
I participated in a huuuge project, with about a dozen translators, using MemoQ on a cloud. The agency provided portable licenses to all of us. For the record, NO discount on any level of matches, not even repetitions: this was done for the sake of consistency alone. Every time any of us entered a new segment, it was loaded in real time to he TM, so for a colleague on the other side of the planet (or perhaps just a block away), that segment would instantly become a repetition, or perhaps a fuzzy match. The key words glossary mushroomed all the time. We were all interconnected via Skype, so we could exchange queries, answers, ideas, whatever. It was the only way to have done so much in so little time, with consistency.
Meanwhile several agencies demand Trados absolutely, even aimlessly on jobs where NO CAT tool would be able to help in any way. They won't communicate with anyone who doesn't have Trados, except to say so... once! Perhaps they read somewhere that it would enable any numbskull to provide better, faster, and - most of all - cheaper translations, and believed it wholeheartedly. So it became some kind of a religion.
Sometimes such demand has a leg to stand on... or not. Your mileage may vary. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Conflict of interest | Sep 2, 2013 |
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz wrote:
I believe that translators should acquire translation skills, not CAT skills. One or two is okay, but more is likely to be a waste of time. Plus, it degrades our profession.
[Edited at 2013-09-02 14:48 GMT]
I agree entirely, Lukasz. The current CAT obsession means that we waste much valuable time on formatting, tags, submitting TMs etc. which could be better spent on achieving an elegant and near-perfect translation.
Steve K.
| | | | Shai Navé
Israel
Local time: 13:09
English to Hebrew
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| I beg to differ | Sep 2, 2013 |
owhisonant wrote:
In this case, I think that if an agency has invested into the licenses and taken the time to streamline their production processes according to their needs, it's perfectly reasonable to expect a translator to be willing to work in that environment, even though it may not be that translator's "preferred" tool.
Unless it is an in-house team, the translators are not their employees and therefore such a request is very unprofessional. With due all respect to their investment, it doesn't mean that this is the right tool for the job, or at all. Professionals choose their own tools based on their experience, knowledge and workflow; professionals are not told what to do by someone who just tries to justify some arbitrary investment decision that likely was made out of all the wrong reasons (promises for super-humanly productivity increase and cost reduction - for the translators that is).
And on top of that. Unless the said agency offers to provide training, support, and pay for the training and/or tool (if a standalone license is required), then this request is unreasonable.
If I really disliked a particular environment, I would just refuse the job.
With that I agree.
I also agree with Łukasz and Steve. Technology is a tool. The tool helps the professional do do his or her job better and/or more efficiently; It is not the professional who assists the tool, and people tend to be very confused about that (aided by a huge lobby that promotes these ideas and notions very hard for obvious self-serving interests).
I have a little saying that I sometimes like to use. Translation might not be the only task in a translation/localization project, but it all starts with a good translator and translation. Those who seem obsessed with technology, workflows and all the other empty buzzwords of the day have their priorities all mixed-up.
[Edited at 2013-09-02 20:07 GMT]
| | | | felicij
Local time: 12:09
German to Slovenian
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not bloody likely...
Imagine you have a carpenter coming to your home to fix a closet and brings his brand new Makita 24V Accu-screwdriver and you say to him: wait, no. I have a brand new B&D 3.6V screwdriver and it cost me a fortune. Use this one or get out of my house...
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| What is the fuss? | Sep 2, 2013 |
If you want to do the job on their online CAT tool, do it, if not not, don't!
I also use 3 CAT tools, but when an agency requests for a translation job on their online translation system (which is always slower, full of bugs and hiccups) I simply ask more money (T=M), and that the translation is not stored in my TM, so be it, I work for a living.
| | | | | Looks like that | Sep 2, 2013 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
Meanwhile several agencies demand Trados absolutely, even aimlessly on jobs where NO CAT tool would be able to help in any way. They won't communicate with anyone who doesn't have Trados, except to say so... once! Perhaps they read somewhere that it would enable any numbskull to provide better, faster, and - most of all - cheaper translations, and believed it wholeheartedly. So it became some kind of a religion.
Also,
Steve Kerry wrote:
I agree entirely, Lukasz. The current CAT obsession means that we waste much valuable time on formatting, tags, submitting TMs etc. which could be better spent on achieving an elegant and near-perfect translation.
Steve K.
Thanks, Steve (and Shai, too). A lot of those things you mention could and perhaps should be done by somebody else than the translator, also given that they actually require a different skillset in probably the majority of cases.
[Edited at 2013-09-02 23:05 GMT]
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 12:09
Spanish to English
+ ...
Steve Kerry wrote:
... The current CAT obsession means that we waste much valuable time on formatting, tags, submitting TMs etc. which could be better spent on achieving an elegant and near-perfect translation.
Steve K.
Exactly! They get short shrift from me. I don't even like sharing my TMs with anybody.
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