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MemSource vs. MemoQ
Thread poster: Ekaterina (Katia) Glass
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
Nope... Nov 15, 2015

soaper wrote:

It seems there is caching going on behind the scenes where the segments are processed in batches. This is probably to minimize round trips to the cloud from the desktop editor. Again, design decisions negatively affecting user experience.


Happens also with the online editor...


 
soaper
soaper
Türkiye
Local time: 12:55
Turkish to English
Re: Latency in Memsource Nov 15, 2015

> Happens also with the online editor...

Then I believe that the online editor is not optimized to avoid caching. They implemented caching primarily for the desktop editor, and just used it everywhere, whether needed or not.

[Edited at 2015-11-15 17:49 GMT]


 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
German to English
+ ...
Lots of lag with Memsource Nov 15, 2015

I'm working in Memsource right now, at the request of a client. I would not choose to work with this tool again; in fact I was offered an extra 30,000 words which I turned down, in part because I don't want to work in Memsource anymore after this.

It's very basic, which is OK for small files, but my main problems are:

- Extreme lag when typing, changing segments, waiting for translation memory entries to autofill the empty segments, etc. The lag gets worse
... See more
I'm working in Memsource right now, at the request of a client. I would not choose to work with this tool again; in fact I was offered an extra 30,000 words which I turned down, in part because I don't want to work in Memsource anymore after this.

It's very basic, which is OK for small files, but my main problems are:

- Extreme lag when typing, changing segments, waiting for translation memory entries to autofill the empty segments, etc. The lag gets worse the longer I work in the file. It slows me down massively and actually makes me introduce mistakes as I type because the text is not appearing in "real time". Very frustrating.

- Selecting text to use the concordance function is very dodgy. Sometimes it works fine, sometimes it won't select, and then when you try again it tries to select the entire segment. On a related note, if you want to change something in the translation and it's not at the beginning or end of the segment, it is sometimes incredibly hard to get the cursor to actually move to the spot you are trying to select. The cursor just jumps to the start of the segment and then you have to waste more time trying to click in the right spot. The only sure way to get the cursor to the right spot on the first try to to use the arrow keys on your keyboard, which is NOT ideal when the segments are large and especially when there is lag in this action as well (see above point)!

- I find maintaining consistency within the translation difficult because it's hard to find my own translation memory entries when using the concordance function. The file I'm working on is quite large so manually searching through my own file is not my idea of efficient use of time. But at the moment that is what I'm being forced to do, just to make sure I am actually staying consistent with my own terminology.

Now in its defence, I have seen worse browser-based tools, and the GUI is set up better than those.

My conclusion: I would never choose to use this tool of my own accord. It is slow, too basic, and wastes a lot of valuable time. The GUI may look more appealing than some other basic CAT tools out there, but its practical functionality is such a letdown that it doesn't really compensate for the tool's shortcomings.

For the record I am using the browser-based editor and not the desktop version. And also for the record, I do not have lag problems with other "RAM-intensive" programs (i.e. the problem does not seem to be my computer and its processing capabilities).
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Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
@Angela... Nov 16, 2015

I agree with all your comments... if you want to use your own TM, you'll have to fork out for one of the paid-for versions... I'm using the 1+ Freelancer... €20/month... yes, I'm paying so I can work "normally"... this, obviously, doesn't solve all the other issues, but at least I don't have to open my TMs in another CAT and do a manual search...

 
Stepan Konev
Stepan Konev  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:55
English to Russian
Hi Angela Nov 16, 2015

I guess you are talking about browser version.
You can resolve the lag and selection problems by using Memsource Editor.


 
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
nope... Nov 16, 2015

Stepan Konev wrote:

I guess you are talking about browser version.
You can resolve the lag and selection problems by using Memsource Editor.


the lag is present with the desktop editor too... you are still connected to the cloud...


 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
German to English
+ ...
Waste of computer space and money Nov 16, 2015

The client is providing their own TM, which is perfectly fine, so I have no desire to use my own TM. My complaint was that finding my own entries in the client's TM from within the document I'm working on is not an intuitive process.

The client asked me to use this CAT tool for their project, so I agreed.

But 1) I'm not about to download and install the desktop version on my computer for one job alone. The product is so unconvincing, I am not interested in using up sp
... See more
The client is providing their own TM, which is perfectly fine, so I have no desire to use my own TM. My complaint was that finding my own entries in the client's TM from within the document I'm working on is not an intuitive process.

The client asked me to use this CAT tool for their project, so I agreed.

But 1) I'm not about to download and install the desktop version on my computer for one job alone. The product is so unconvincing, I am not interested in using up space on my computer hard drive for it.

and 2) I'm not about to pay any money for this product. I am most definitely not convinced by the functionality of what I've already tried to even consider for one second spending my hard-earned money on this product.

Just my opinion. If someone else likes Memsource, more power to them. But I personally think Memsource have a lot of work ahead of them before they become a real contender on the leader boards of CAT tool developers. And if they are going to have an online version and a desktop version, and a free version and a paid version, they should make sure all versions are practical and that whatever is free is good enough to convince users that paying is worth it.

[Edited at 2015-11-16 13:33 GMT]
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Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
I have more than one client... Nov 16, 2015

using it, so it makes sense for me to get the paid version... if I'm going to use it a lot, then I need to be able to get the most out of it, otherwise my productivity plunges.

BTW, the desktop editor takes very little space on your hard drive.

To me, this is a tool created with the LSPs' productivity in mind... they are the ones that will be paying the big bucks. Unfortunately, from a translator's point of view, it can't be compared to the big cheeses... having said th
... See more
using it, so it makes sense for me to get the paid version... if I'm going to use it a lot, then I need to be able to get the most out of it, otherwise my productivity plunges.

BTW, the desktop editor takes very little space on your hard drive.

To me, this is a tool created with the LSPs' productivity in mind... they are the ones that will be paying the big bucks. Unfortunately, from a translator's point of view, it can't be compared to the big cheeses... having said that, it has got better... at the beginning, it was just useless...
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soaper
soaper
Türkiye
Local time: 12:55
Turkish to English
Re: Memsource Nov 16, 2015

> The product is so unconvincing -

Exactly! Couldn't have said it better.


 
Ari Rotonen
Ari Rotonen
Finland
Local time: 11:55
Finnish to English
+ ...
Memsource causes loss of productivity Nov 16, 2015

This is actually my first post to any Proz.com forum, and I am writing this out of sheer frustration.

I just completed my first Memsource cloud job using the free desktop editor. Based on my experiences, the development philosophy of Memsource seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that a professional translator needs to be productive and thus have power over his/her work, working methods and the CAT environment. It is not enough to be able to create a translation – a profes
... See more
This is actually my first post to any Proz.com forum, and I am writing this out of sheer frustration.

I just completed my first Memsource cloud job using the free desktop editor. Based on my experiences, the development philosophy of Memsource seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that a professional translator needs to be productive and thus have power over his/her work, working methods and the CAT environment. It is not enough to be able to create a translation – a professional must be able to do it profitably.

Here's what I encountered:

1. There is no way to verify a log, because there is no analysis feature for a translator. This is particularly dangerous in a multi-translator project, where the customer's analysis log also calculates internal fuzzies for the entire project, not separately for the batch of each translator. If you happen to get the last files in a list, there is no way to demonstrate that the actual amount of work you have to do is higher, since the internal fuzzies do not exist in the TM yet. Fortunately, my PM was a professional and the problem was solved easily. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been had the PM not trusted me.

The lack of an analysis feature also makes it impossible to track one's progress in larger files.

2. The QA system is slllloooww. And inferior to that of MemoQ or Trados Studio, partly because of the slowness, but also because the translator has no control to the QA settings. It is sometimes quicker to run a subset of a QA set instead of every QA check at once. Quickness equals a better hourly rate, which in turn equals a favourable opinion on a CAT tool.

3. The editor lacks autocomplete and several other productivity-enhancing features.

As a result of the shortcomings above, my overall productivity fell by 30%, which is unacceptable. (In reality, the productivity loss was over 50%, but I made some allowances to installation and learning, etc.).

There is no way I would pay for Memsource, unless the development philosophy changes and starts to serve the productivity of the translator. This goes beyond a request for having this or that feature added, but instead requires a mindset that adds productivity-enhancing features even without specific requests. Innovation, you know.

I am happy to pay for Trados Studio and MemoQ, because every euro I invest in them will pay itself back many times thanks to increased productivity they afford. As for Memsource...I paid nothing, and lost money. Not a good deal in my opinion.


[Edited at 2015-11-16 15:46 GMT]
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Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
Completely agree... Nov 16, 2015

Ari Rotonen wrote:

This is actually my first post to any Proz.com forum, and I am writing this out of sheer frustration.

I just completed my first Memsource cloud job using the free desktop editor. Based on my experiences, the development philosophy of Memsource seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that a professional translator needs to be productive and thus have power over his/her work, working methods and the CAT environment. It is not enough to be able to create a translation – a professional must be able to do it profitably.

Here's what I encountered:

1. There is no way to verify a log, because there is no analysis feature for a translator. This is particularly dangerous in a multi-translator project, where the customer's analysis log also calculates internal fuzzies for the entire project, not separately for the batch of each translator. If you happen to get the last files in a list, there is no way to demonstrate that the actual amount of work you have to do is higher, since the internal fuzzies do not exist in the TM yet. Fortunately, my PM was a professional and the problem was solved easily. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been had the PM not trusted me.

The lack of an analysis feature also makes it impossible to track one's progress in larger files.

2. The QA system is slllloooww. And inferior to that of MemoQ or Trados Studio, partly because of the slowness, but also because the translator has no control to the QA settings. It is sometimes quicker to run a subset of a QA set instead of every QA check at once. Quickness equals a better hourly rate, which in turn equals a favourable opinion on a CAT tool.

3. The editor lacks autocomplete and several other productivity-enhancing features.

As a result of the shortcomings above, my overall productivity fell by 30%, which is unacceptable. (In reality, the productivity loss was over 50%, but I made some allowances to installation and learning, etc.).

There is no way I would pay for Memsource, unless the development philosophy changes and starts to serve the productivity of the translator. This goes beyond a request for having this or that feature added, but instead requires a mindset that adds productivity-enhancing features even without specific requests. Innovation, you know.

I am happy to pay for Trados Studio and MemoQ, because every euro I invest in them will pay itself back many times thanks to increased productivity they afford. As for Memsource...I paid nothing, and lost money. Not a good deal in my opinion.


[Edited at 2015-11-16 15:46 GMT]


I've been trying to convince the 3 agencies I work for and use it NOT to do it... they all switched from Studio to it and my drop in productivity has been massive (I reckon about 30% too). The only way to recoup some of it is to use the paid-for version... at least I can run an analysis and I can add my own TMs and TermBases... it's a system geared exclusively towards the LSPs (to facilitate the management of their tasks) and not really developed with the translator in mind... the ones - as you say - who actually do the job...

[Edited at 2015-11-16 16:31 GMT]


 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
German to English
+ ...
There is another way to recoup your losses Nov 16, 2015

Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL wrote:

I've been trying to convince the 3 agencies I work for and use it NOT to do it... they all switched from Studio to it and my drop in productivity has been massive (I reckon about 30% too). The only way to recoup some of it is to use the paid-for version...


You could also raise your rate by 30% for jobs where you are forced to use Memsource. That would give added incentive to the agencies, surely. They don't seem to care about your productivity (especially since I assume even though your productivity has lowered, you are still delivering work to your usual standard and on time), but when it affects their bottom line, I promise you they will start to care.

If you are scared they will stop using you, I would start looking for other clients, to be honest (of course I understand if this is not a route you wish to pursue). Who wants to be held ransom by a CAT tool?


 
Ari Rotonen
Ari Rotonen
Finland
Local time: 11:55
Finnish to English
+ ...
A price increase is always an option Nov 17, 2015

Angela Rimmer wrote:

You could also raise your rate by 30% for jobs where you are forced to use Memsource. That would give added incentive to the agencies, surely. They don't seem to care about your productivity (especially since I assume even though your productivity has lowered, you are still delivering work to your usual standard and on time), but when it affects their bottom line, I promise you they will start to care.

If you are scared they will stop using you, I would start looking for other clients, to be honest (of course I understand if this is not a route you wish to pursue). Who wants to be held ransom by a CAT tool?


Yes, a price hike is always an option. The bottom line is a powerful CAT tool consultant both for agencies and individual translators.

Fortunately, I am in a position to choose my clients, but I will try to negotiate first with this one.

Actually, after completing the job, the client informed me about a free Trados Studio app called
MEMSOURCE Plugin for Studio, which enables Memsource files to be translated in Studio, using the Memsource cloud TM. While I have not tested the app, I feel that its very existence is proof that Trados Studio is a far superior tool to Memsource.

My primary worry with tools like Memsource is that their low pricing might seem attractive to new translators who are hesitant to invest in proper CAT tools and thus never get to experience the productivity gains they afford. What few new translators seem to understand that such gains quickly add up and the same applies to productivity losses.

I foresee Memsource following the same path as so many other tools like it that forget the translator: a tool for low-productivity, low-status and low-price translations, which is a cut-throat market both for agencies and CAT tool providers. This results in a lack resources for development, and a constant lagging behind the power curve of proper CAT tools. A translator wishing to earn a living will do wisely to stay away from such tools and markets.


 
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
sorted already... Nov 17, 2015

Angela Rimmer wrote:


If you are scared they will stop using you, I would start looking for other clients, to be honest (of course I understand if this is not a route you wish to pursue). Who wants to be held ransom by a CAT tool?


Don't worry... I have my solution...


 
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2004)
English to Italian
as far as I know... Nov 17, 2015

Ari Rotonen wrote:


Actually, after completing the job, the client informed me about a free Trados Studio app called
MEMSOURCE Plugin for Studio, which enables Memsource files to be translated in Studio, using the Memsource cloud TM. While I have not tested the app, I feel that its very existence is proof that Trados Studio is a far superior tool to Memsource.


I haven't tried that... you need the 1+ Freelancers edition with API. The plug-in only allows you to use the Memsource TMs in the cloud and I believe your client must give you permission to access the TMs. The problem is that I have unsuccessfully tried to translate Memsource files in Studio. A kind colleague also gave me the file type for mxliff files, but I can't make it work... it still returns an error and if you save as target the resulting file cannot be opened in the editor... this happens even if you rename the file just xliff...

So, even if you have the plug-in, I doubt you will be able to open the files in Studio...

This is my experience, at least.


 
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