| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | KudoZ per-day asking limits - good or bad? Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
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pidzej 
Poland
Local time: 21:45
Polish to English
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| a step in the right direction | Sep 13, 2005 |
but IMO the parasite with the 830/1 record, or indeed anyone with anything worse than a 10-1 ratio, should not be allowed more than one question a week. i am pretty sure they could contribute but they just perceive "community" differently.
for good measure, I would up the limit for non-plats with an outstanding asked/answered ratio, e.g. 2031/15750 or such like.
| | | | | Quantity down, quality up | Sep 13, 2005 |
I've definitely noticed a decrease in the number of questions asked - but the ones that have disappeared are, for the main part, the ones which anyone could answer with a basic dictionary - so the quality of question has gone up.
I think the limits have only brought good: yes, it's harder to get points now - but that applies to everyone. And as translators are listed not only by total Kudoz, but also Kudoz earned in the last three and twelve months, newcomers aren't left out when a ... See more I've definitely noticed a decrease in the number of questions asked - but the ones that have disappeared are, for the main part, the ones which anyone could answer with a basic dictionary - so the quality of question has gone up.
I think the limits have only brought good: yes, it's harder to get points now - but that applies to everyone. And as translators are listed not only by total Kudoz, but also Kudoz earned in the last three and twelve months, newcomers aren't left out when a client searches for translators in a given field (I'll never earn the tens of thousands of Kudoz of those at the top of the tree for Italian - English, but I'm normally in the top three of my speciality for the last three months - and that means potential clients can and do find and contact me).
One of my main reasons for responding to Kudoz questions is to improve my profile on Proz. This meant that in the "bad old days", I might have felt constrained to respond to questions I considered to be dictionary questions, or already available in the gloassaries, or from askers I considered to be abusing the system, just to keep my profile high (although in practice I rarely did). Now I don't need to. ▲ Collapse
| | | | paolamonaco
Italy
Local time: 15:45
English to Italian
+ ...
Given that:
1. The number of answers provided has dramatically decreased (did you notice?), whereas their accuracy has not.
2. Platinum membership does not imply quality, nor "platinum questions" do.
3. New rules do not safeguard prozians who already have plenty of kudoz points, and actively participate to the site life.
3. The limit of 5 question for non-paying members can be avoided creating multiple anonimous and non paying memberships.
4. Most of prozians wish ... See more Given that:
1. The number of answers provided has dramatically decreased (did you notice?), whereas their accuracy has not.
2. Platinum membership does not imply quality, nor "platinum questions" do.
3. New rules do not safeguard prozians who already have plenty of kudoz points, and actively participate to the site life.
3. The limit of 5 question for non-paying members can be avoided creating multiple anonimous and non paying memberships.
4. Most of prozians wish to avoid trivial questions.
Why don't you just improve kudoz filters and make is available to platinum members only?
Paola ▲ Collapse
| | | | Claire Titchmarsh (X)
Local time: 21:45
Italian to English
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| Multiple terms in the same question | Sep 13, 2005 |
I'm not usually one to comment on Kudoz rules or rules on this site in general as we're all intelligent adults free to do as we please. But I've noticed quite a few questions in the past two days where askers are putting two, three or four terms in the same question - to get round the question limits I suppose. I didn't really notice this before. It's rather annoying. Questions should always be short and to the point so it helps people trying to do a Kudoz search.
Kudoz question li... See more I'm not usually one to comment on Kudoz rules or rules on this site in general as we're all intelligent adults free to do as we please. But I've noticed quite a few questions in the past two days where askers are putting two, three or four terms in the same question - to get round the question limits I suppose. I didn't really notice this before. It's rather annoying. Questions should always be short and to the point so it helps people trying to do a Kudoz search.
Kudoz question limits are definitely a good thing but can't there be a limit on the number of characters in the title of the question?? ▲ Collapse
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Claire Titchmarsh wrote:
I'm not usually one to comment on Kudoz rules or rules on this site in general as we're all intelligent adults free to do as we please. But I've noticed quite a few questions in the past two days where askers are putting two, three or four terms in the same question - to get round the question limits I suppose.
Hi Claire, when this happens anyone with squashing rights should squash the question based on "Includes more than one term question."
| | | | Daniel Coria
Argentina
Local time: 16:45
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| KudoZ top positions now harder to reach | Sep 13, 2005 |
sarmb wrote:
• Within 2 years I made it into the Kudoz Top 10 in my specialty and language pair (this is something agencies respond to – if people like it or not).
• With the reduced No. of questions, it will be more difficult for newcomers to get there.
• Kudoz gave me a method, to find out who knows his specialty?
Siegfried
The problem with this new limit system is that Translators who currently hold the 5 or 10 top positions in any language pair (especially all-time rankings) have reached that position with the old system without limits. Therefore, these limits consolidate their leading positions, making it harder for newcomers to climb up.
I agree that the overall quality of the questions (and answers/answerers, mind you) has greatly improved, and this is due to the new limits, which I highly welcome. But perhaps we should then think about increasing the number of points awarded per question (perhaps a maximum of 5 or 6 instead of 4), or any other kind of proportional make-up measure to put newcomers' possibilities on a par with those of top scorers who got there with a significantly higher number of questions.
As usual, "Hope it helps"!
Daniel
| | | | | My very very personal case | Sep 13, 2005 |
Hi!
I have always anwered more than asked, but now I have this long and tricky text to translate, full of slavonic contaminations.
I mean, sometimes I have to ask the Russians, sometimes the Poles. I posted the same word in three different pairs (RU>IT, PL>PL and BE>EN)! Of course I have never asked my 15 allowed questions but the countdown is making me nervous. 15 in 24, just another deadline
I gue... See more Hi!
I have always anwered more than asked, but now I have this long and tricky text to translate, full of slavonic contaminations.
I mean, sometimes I have to ask the Russians, sometimes the Poles. I posted the same word in three different pairs (RU>IT, PL>PL and BE>EN)! Of course I have never asked my 15 allowed questions but the countdown is making me nervous. 15 in 24, just another deadline
I guess the limit should be just plain common sens, from both sides.
Cheers
Paola ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Crosstown Traffic or Open Roads? | Sep 13, 2005 |
Crosstown Traffic (Jimi Hendrix)
You jump in front of my car when you,
You know all the time that
Ninty miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive
You tell me it’s alright, you don’t mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a ride
You’re just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don’t need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
... See more Crosstown Traffic (Jimi Hendrix)
You jump in front of my car when you,
You know all the time that
Ninty miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive
You tell me it’s alright, you don’t mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a ride
You’re just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don’t need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I’m tryin’ to get on the other side of town
I’m not the only soul who’s accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back
I can see you had your fun
But darlin’ can’t you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead
You’re just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don’t need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I’m tryin’ to get on the other side of town
I certainly respect the opinions of my esteemed colleagues, but as Walt Whitman wrote in "Song of the Open Road":
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel the open road.
Also see http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/summer96/p96su20.htm
[Edited at 2005-09-13 20:10] ▲ Collapse
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| Poetic? You had to ask! | Sep 13, 2005 |
Henry wrote: We have now had the KudoZ 1/5/15 question-per-day limits in place for over a month. Question postings are down by 25 to 30%. KudoZ participants, please tell me: are we better or worse off with the limits, and why? One post per member, please, 100 words or less. Poetic posts welcome.
How about a couplet?
Though the number of posts has declined,
The quality is up, I opine.
Or a haiku?
With some restriction
Comes more thoughtful questioning
Answerers applaud
I've noticed fewer of the avalanche type postings where someone spews out 15-20 terms at once.
| | | | tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:45
Spanish to English
+ ...
| better with limits | Sep 14, 2005 |
I agree that the limits have improved things somewhat, although I might be inclined to be even stricter. I have asked an average of around 25 questions a year in my 4+ years on Proz, so I have a hard time seeing how people can complain about a limit of 5 or 15 questions a DAY. I do think, though, that certain provisions should be made for people who are active answerers, to expand their limits if they should run into unexpected trouble with a translation job...maybe by giving them a certain num... See more I agree that the limits have improved things somewhat, although I might be inclined to be even stricter. I have asked an average of around 25 questions a year in my 4+ years on Proz, so I have a hard time seeing how people can complain about a limit of 5 or 15 questions a DAY. I do think, though, that certain provisions should be made for people who are active answerers, to expand their limits if they should run into unexpected trouble with a translation job...maybe by giving them a certain number of "wild card" questions (i.e., not subject to the limit) that they can use as needed, as a function of questions answered or Kudoz points.
Daniel Coria wrote:
But perhaps we should then think about increasing the number of points awarded per question (perhaps a maximum of 5 or 6 instead of 4), or any other kind of proportional make-up measure to put newcomers' possibilities on a par with those of top scorers who got there with a significantly higher number of questions.
Daniel, your assessment isn't completely accurate. In the "olden days" there were a lot fewer members and there were fewer questions than there are now. I would also venture to say that there are probably more questions in Spanish-English (your working languages are the same as mine) than in most other combinations, so I don't think you need to worry about a scarcity of questions. In any case, I think "quality rather than quantity" applies in answering Kudoz, too...at least, it works for me, and I am pretty selective about the questions I answer. ▲ Collapse
| | | | ------ (X)
German to Spanish
+ ...
I have answered more than 3000 questions since August 2004 and I've asked only 110. Today I have a horrible technical text in mexican spanish and I would like to ask at least 15 questions, maybe more, but I have reached my 5 question limit. I don't believe that limits are necessary and think people should have the possibility to decide if they want to answer or not. But as restrictions seem to be popular amongst peers, shouldn't there be at least a relation between answered and asked questions?<... See more I have answered more than 3000 questions since August 2004 and I've asked only 110. Today I have a horrible technical text in mexican spanish and I would like to ask at least 15 questions, maybe more, but I have reached my 5 question limit. I don't believe that limits are necessary and think people should have the possibility to decide if they want to answer or not. But as restrictions seem to be popular amongst peers, shouldn't there be at least a relation between answered and asked questions?
Best regards
Janfri ▲ Collapse
| | | | Daniel Coria
Argentina
Local time: 16:45
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| A hasty judgement on my part (and my apologies...) | Sep 15, 2005 |
Cindy Chadd wrote: Daniel Coria wrote:
But perhaps we should then think about increasing the number of points awarded per question (perhaps a maximum of 5 or 6 instead of 4), or any other kind of proportional make-up measure to put newcomers' possibilities on a par with those of top scorers who got there with a significantly higher number of questions.
Daniel, your assessment isn't completely accurate. In the "olden days" there were a lot fewer members and there were fewer questions than there are now. I would also venture to say that there are probably more questions in Spanish-English (your working languages are the same as mine) than in most other combinations, so I don't think you need to worry about a scarcity of questions. In any case, I think "quality rather than quantity" applies in answering Kudoz, too...at least, it works for me, and I am pretty selective about the questions I answer.
Shortly after posting my opinion -and wrongly, since I should have done so before posting- I did a bit of further research on this (for example, the number of questions in the "old" days, particularly for top scorers) and began to come to the conclusion that my first impression was, as Cindy so politely put it, not entirely accurate, and probably dead wrong; so here are my sincerest apologies to everyone (especially the ProZ.com staff) for not having held my horses when I could have...
Saludos/Regards!
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| Daily asking limits could be linked to number of answers provided (or better yet, accepted answers) | Sep 15, 2005 |
Janfri wrote:
I have answered more than 3000 questions since August 2004 and I've asked only 110. Today I have a horrible technical text in mexican spanish and I would like to ask at least 15 questions, maybe more, but I have reached my 5 question limit. I don't believe that limits are necessary and think people should have the possibility to decide if they want to answer or not. But as restrictions seem to be popular amongst peers, shouldn't there be at least a relation between answered and asked questions?
Best regards
Janfri
I agree with Janfri and others voicing the need to ask more questions on occasion. Maybe the question limits can be somehow increased by linking it to the number of already accepted KudoZ answers: this way those who contribute more could also ask for more help on occasion. I don't ask too many questions usually but when I need help I would like to be able to count on fellow Proz members. Sometimes, when you least expect it, something comes up, an impossible to translate page from hell where you need to ask pretty much the same question in various language pairs, a bad day, a computer virus, time crunch, you name it. And you might well be doing such translation as a volunteer, so it isn't necessarily trying to get paid for someone else's hard work as some were suggesting. It's great that some people NEVER have the need to ask, or ask only 25 questions a year, good for them! But it isn't the case for all of us, and I think the limits could be stretched a little, at least occasionally. 5 questions per day? Not good at all.Easy "I love you" type questions can be squashed easily, perhaps even automatically (I assume it is technically possible) if the exact same phrase is already in the glossaries and I don't see what the big fuss about being compulsive about answering questions is. If you don't feel like answering certain questions, just don't. If you don't like the answer provided, just don't select it. Use your judgement, kick back, share your knowledge, ask for help when you need it and simply enjoy using Proz site.
But, honestly, I personally find Proz a bit boring now that the number of questions asked went down quite drastically. This might be not too good for the site. But, again, maybe it's just me and my ADD
[Edited at 2005-09-15 19:29]
[Edited at 2005-09-19 23:03]
[Edited at 2005-09-19 23:08]
| | | | Gina W
United States
Local time: 15:45
Member (2003)
French to English
| I support the 1-5-15 daily limits | Sep 16, 2005 |
Before, I found by the endless complaints on these forums, about people asking too many questions, to be annoying. However, now I think that the 1-5-15 limits are good and fair. Someone who can't even register as a member and post a profile should not be able to ask more than one question per day. We welcome visitors, but this is essentially a site for translators to collaborate. I think that 5 is good for registered members, and a Platinum membership allows someone to ask up to 15 questions... See more Before, I found by the endless complaints on these forums, about people asking too many questions, to be annoying. However, now I think that the 1-5-15 limits are good and fair. Someone who can't even register as a member and post a profile should not be able to ask more than one question per day. We welcome visitors, but this is essentially a site for translators to collaborate. I think that 5 is good for registered members, and a Platinum membership allows someone to ask up to 15 questions per day (I have a Community Platinum membership).
Thank you.
[Edited at 2005-09-19 10:30] ▲ Collapse
| | | | moken
Local time: 20:45
English to Spanish
+ ...
| In favour of limits | Sep 17, 2005 |
Overall I'm completely in favour of the limits. KudoZ-abuse for me is far more of an annoyance than an entertainment.
Less questions = more quality. IMO, KOG is a help for tricky terms and will benefit from fewer but 'better' entries.
Sorry Henry, I know you asked for 100 words max. but there's an interesting issue I'd like to comment on...
Janfri wrote:
I have answered more than 3000 questions since August 2004 and I've asked only 110. Today I have a horrible technical text in mexican spanish and I would like to ask at least 15 questions, maybe more, but I have reached my 5 question limit. I don't believe that limits are necessary and think people should have the possibility to decide if they want to answer or not. But as restrictions seem to be popular amongst peers, shouldn't there be at least a relation between answered and asked questions?
Best regards
Janfri
Janfri, this is a very good point.
Why not enable spending of BrowniZ for provisionally extending Q limits?
While we're at it, why not do away with BrowniZ for agrees...I have never posted agrees for this purpose and I'm not sure that fishing for BrowniZ on the basis of splashing around agrees is really all that helpful.
BrowniZ for glossary entries or along with KudoZ points make more sense to me and being able to spend (a considerable amount...50 or 100) could be a reward for those who put more into the site in the way of helping others with their answers.
Álvaro  )
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