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Will it never end? (rates - how many more such insults to our profession must we take?)
Thread poster: Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:01
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Aug 10, 2008

"If your rate is above .03 USD per word please do not send your resume."

Obviously not a new subject. Just how many more such insults to our profession must we take?


[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2008-08-10 19:34]


 
Kemal Mustajbegovic
Kemal Mustajbegovic  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:01
English to Croatian
+ ...
Proz, do something! Aug 10, 2008

Whenever this issue is risen the moderators and staff members pull same answer: this is a free market.
A load of b.., I say. This site, if it cares for translators, should raise the bar and set a certain standards. Because, as Henry says, it is an insult.

Kemal, (member until couple of weeks ago)


 
Elías Sauza
Elías Sauza  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 04:01
Member (2002)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Rascal Aug 10, 2008

Unfortunately, there will be people willing do the "dirty" work. I know for sure.

 
Nadja Balogh
Nadja Balogh  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:01
Member (2007)
Japanese to German
+ ...
Wow... Aug 10, 2008

This is awful. Maybe I don't read enough of those job postings (being - thankfully - too busy and/or not curious enough), but still I don't think it is that bad for English-German (yet...?). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 
Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:01
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
In memoriam
Not so bad? Aug 10, 2008

Yes, Nadja, I'll correct you, it's English-Spanish.

And it is bad, VERY bad!

Plus that's in US dollars, which are not worth much these days.


 
Jaroslaw Michalak
Jaroslaw Michalak  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 11:01
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER
Some perspective... Aug 10, 2008

A quote on Tata Nano:

„It is 3 metres long, seats four comfortably or five at a squeeze, does 65mph and aims to revolutionise travel for millions. The “People’s Car” is also the cheapest in the world at 100,000 rupees (£1,300) – the same price as the DVD player in a Lexus.”

Does the president of Toyota consider Tata Nano an insult? A disgrace to the automotive profession? Does he call to oust the maker of car from all professional sites, magazines and organ
... See more
A quote on Tata Nano:

„It is 3 metres long, seats four comfortably or five at a squeeze, does 65mph and aims to revolutionise travel for millions. The “People’s Car” is also the cheapest in the world at 100,000 rupees (£1,300) – the same price as the DVD player in a Lexus.”

Does the president of Toyota consider Tata Nano an insult? A disgrace to the automotive profession? Does he call to oust the maker of car from all professional sites, magazines and organizations?

I don't think so...

I, for one, do not feel threatened a bit by the 3 cent jobs. I know from the start that they are operating in the completely different range of the market, that those clients will never be mine. Probably their whole product support budget is lower than what I would charge them for my translation. Therefore they are of no interest for me - if they find someone, good for them, it has nothing to do with me.

On the other hand, those desperate enough to bid on those jobs are not really in the same league with me, are they? Otherwise they would not be selling themselves out so cheap. It does not take great cognitive powers to conclude that if they could compete with me with quality of their translations, they would charge somewhat more...

If you're good enough, there is enough work for you, whatever your rate might be...
Collapse


 
Harry Bornemann
Harry Bornemann  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 04:01
English to German
+ ...
Ask a lawyer Aug 10, 2008

Henry Hinds wrote:
Just how many more such insults to our profession must we take?

..and if you want to become vitriolic, choose a mean one.


 
Tatiana Lammers
Tatiana Lammers  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Same here =( Aug 10, 2008

Henry Hinds wrote:

Yes, Nadja, I'll correct you, it's English-Spanish.

And it is bad, VERY bad!

Plus that's in US dollars, which are not worth much these days.


It's the same for English -Russian pair.... VERY BAD! Especially in the USA =(

Like the job posting that has just appeared on ProZ for a book translation on veterinary at he price of 4$ per page of 1800 symbols....

[Edited at 2008-08-10 16:18]


 
Vito Smolej
Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 11:01
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Some more perspective... Aug 10, 2008

„It is 3 metres long, seats four comfortably or five at a squeeze, does 65mph and aims to revolutionise travel for millions. The “People’s Car” is also the cheapest in the world at 100,000 rupees (£1,300)

see for instance
http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotors.com/tatamotors/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=235&Itemid=208
I know Bosch AG and I am sure they know what they are doing. I just dont think they got the job by posting their names on some boards and/or sending CVs around. Or undercutting prices from the RoW.

They focussed on it.
If you're good enough, there is enough work for you, whatever your rate might be...

++


[EDIT]afaik the Bosch-Indian technology will pretty soon get into European cars. Mean to say, it's not like Intel / AMD / Texas Instruments moving a fab or two to South Eastern Asia to make place for the next generation production facilities ...

[Edited at 2008-08-10 16:10]


 
USER0059 (X)
USER0059 (X)  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 12:01
English to Finnish
+ ...
Equestrian <i>exitus lethalis</i> alert… Aug 10, 2008

Kemal Mustajbegovic wrote:

Whenever this issue is risen the moderators and staff members pull same answer: this is a free market.


Actually, the current mantra seems to be “ProZ.com is only a venue”.

A load of b.., I say. This site, if it cares for translators, should raise the bar and set a certain standards.


Indeed. Having to sift through these USD 0.03 per word offers is not exactly the kind of added value that makes me happy about my investment in ProZ.com (jobs only) membership.


 
Izabela Szczypka
Izabela Szczypka  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:01
English to Polish
+ ...
Must be some inferiority complex Aug 10, 2008

I must support Jabberwock again.
Such low rates have nothing to do with me, and vice versa. Even in the local market there are agencies / direct customers willing to pay X and those willing to pay 50% of X. Whenever the latter contact me, I calmly explain I do not work in their market segment, and that's it.

What's more, the aggregate rate information is (probably) available to every user of this site - I cannot
... See more
I must support Jabberwock again.
Such low rates have nothing to do with me, and vice versa. Even in the local market there are agencies / direct customers willing to pay X and those willing to pay 50% of X. Whenever the latter contact me, I calmly explain I do not work in their market segment, and that's it.

What's more, the aggregate rate information is (probably) available to every user of this site - I cannot see any restrictions. If someone is actually happy to stay within the bottom range of going rates in his/her language pair, or to accept jobs that offer such low rates, in my opinion s/he suffers from the inferiority complex. Which is a personality, not only professional problem, and I do not feel qualified to deal with that.
Collapse


 
Lydia De Jorge
Lydia De Jorge  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:01
English to Spanish
+ ...
Sadly, it will NEVER end... Aug 10, 2008

Henry Hinds wrote:

"If your rate is above .03 USD per word please do not send your resume."

Obviously not a new subject. Just how many more such insults to our profession must we take?


There is no doubt in my mind that they will find 'someone' to work for the crumbs they offer, and I suspect we will see that 'someone' posting questions galore! In the end, and unknowingly, WE will wind up contributing for free (or for points). Some of the terms/phrases posted by askers are amazing, and you have to ask yourself: "This person is a professional translator???". The answer is: No, they are amateurs working for 3 cents a word!

In the end - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!


 
Nadja Balogh
Nadja Balogh  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:01
Member (2007)
Japanese to German
+ ...
Misunderstanding Aug 10, 2008

Henry Hinds wrote:

Yes, Nadja, I'll correct you, it's English-Spanish.

And it is bad, VERY bad!

Plus that's in US dollars, which are not worth much these days.


Hi Henry,

I'm sorry, I didn't express myself clearly: I meant that while I know that it is that bad in English-Spanish (because you wrote so), I do not think it is that bad yet in my language pair (English-German), and I was hoping that somebody more informed than me could comment on this.

And yes, of course, 0.03 USD is just ridiculous.

[Edited at 2008-08-10 17:20]


 
Izabela Szczypka
Izabela Szczypka  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:01
English to Polish
+ ...
Now that's a purely technical problem Aug 10, 2008

Thor Kottelin wrote:

Indeed. Having to sift through these USD 0.03 per word offers is not exactly the kind of added value that makes me happy about my investment in ProZ.com (jobs only) membership.

There could be some filter available to sift off job notifications below the rate you personally consider the lowest acceptable. With options to set 2-3 currency-related thresholds.
Site staff, what do you think?


 
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Will it never end? (rates - how many more such insults to our profession must we take?)







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