Off topic: Posting assignments at ProZ and elsewhere simultaneously Thread poster: Gunilla Zedigh
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Hello everyone!
I have a question regarding assignments that get posted to ProZ AND other translation agencies etc. at the same time. Is the following scenario customary?
An assignment gets posted – say a poem –, several translators rush to get both rhythm and rhyme right (test translation – 8 lines, 52 words), then wait to see if they will be the ‘chosen one’… 5 ½ hours later the agency decides to tell one of their bidders that they have ... See more Hello everyone!
I have a question regarding assignments that get posted to ProZ AND other translation agencies etc. at the same time. Is the following scenario customary?
An assignment gets posted – say a poem –, several translators rush to get both rhythm and rhyme right (test translation – 8 lines, 52 words), then wait to see if they will be the ‘chosen one’… 5 ½ hours later the agency decides to tell one of their bidders that they have chosen NOT to pick a ProZ translator (sends aforementioned bidder an email - after said bidder has prodded). Note: The assignment is STILL OPEN at the ProZ site. The agency simply writes: We have resourced elsewhere.
Does this type of posting still get a smiley face at the end of the day? After all bidders have been rejected! Does this occur on a regular basis at ProZ? Am I the only one frustrated by this? The fact that the agency did not see it fit to close the posting, and inform those who had already posted that another translator had been found elsewhere. Note: I am not able to be online all day, and therefore have to check my email to see if I have been ‘chosen’ for an assignment. Not the agency’s fault I realize, but just wish to clarify my situation here.
I am not a member of ProZ… yet… just a guest, but have been thinking about becoming one. Waiting all day to hear back from an agency, who then says, sorry, we’ve been busy, and we’ve resourced elsewhere sounds to me like…
I find it very rude when agencies expect translators to wait until 4:30 in the afternoon (I bid at 11:30, the assignment was supposed to be completed today, it was posted at 8 am, bidding was to end at noon, but I saw postings after the deadline) before telling them that they’re sorry, but thanks anyway… I know… everyone is overworked… but still!!
And how can a translator be sure that the test translation – 8 lines of a poem, for example – wasn’t the WHOLE poem! The whole assignment! I don’t like to think the worst of people, but…
I have no patience for this kind of thing…
Look to forward to hearing your opinions and comments!
Sincerely, Gunilla Zedigh
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Trudy Peters 
United States
Local time: 21:16
German to English
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| Closing a job posting | Oct 2, 2002 |
I, too, think it would be considerate of agencies to add a note to their job postings saying that the job has been assigned and the posting is closed. Very few do that.
Trudy
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Hi Gunilla
I understand your feelings, but I must say I have often seen this, particularly for urgent assignements. I guess the person who needs a translation to be done in a few hours starts looking for a translator every where, not only in ProZ.
As he gets bidders he chooses one of them and does the most urgent, contact the translator, give him or her the assignement... and forget about the job offer that is still open.
This happens very often. And not ... See more Hi Gunilla
I understand your feelings, but I must say I have often seen this, particularly for urgent assignements. I guess the person who needs a translation to be done in a few hours starts looking for a translator every where, not only in ProZ.
As he gets bidders he chooses one of them and does the most urgent, contact the translator, give him or her the assignement... and forget about the job offer that is still open.
This happens very often. And not all the bids are rejected.
Once I even saw in KudoZ section questions about the translation I had bid for, whereas it was opened, made by the person who had offered the job. I wrote to him again and he told me he had already found a translator and he was asking to loose less time. And this is the way I knew the job was closed.
That would be a point to improve, closing the jobs, and the sooner, the best.
About the other points you comment (the test translation) or waiting to know if you were selected or not...You\'ll get used to it. And you won\'t put so much hope in a bid. ▲ Collapse
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| Personally... | Oct 2, 2002 |
1. The basic membership is free, so why not join!
2. Translation is a long and lonely desert with vague promises of salvation long after crossing over to the other side of grave and ProZ gives me a sense of community.
3. Helping colleagues untie their Gordian knots is satisfying.
4. They continue to help me unravel some of mine.
5. I haven\'t gotten a single Swedish penny of work through ProZ since joining in March or something 2002.
6. Agencies ... See more 1. The basic membership is free, so why not join!
2. Translation is a long and lonely desert with vague promises of salvation long after crossing over to the other side of grave and ProZ gives me a sense of community.
3. Helping colleagues untie their Gordian knots is satisfying.
4. They continue to help me unravel some of mine.
5. I haven\'t gotten a single Swedish penny of work through ProZ since joining in March or something 2002.
6. Agencies worship a God of their own.
Your call, \"lycka till\" and \"ha det saa bra\"
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| I can wait days log for a interesting job | Oct 2, 2002 |
What you have experiences happens quite often. Personaly, I have bidden to quite all english/french and dutch/french jobs for two years. I have had some jobs, but except +/- 5 times, I have never had an answer saying that the job was closed and that another translator had been choosen.
But be honest, this site helps you find customers, but it cannot be perfect. All you have to do to get a job, is post a brief letter and wait. As a freelance translator, it happens very frequently that I... See more What you have experiences happens quite often. Personaly, I have bidden to quite all english/french and dutch/french jobs for two years. I have had some jobs, but except +/- 5 times, I have never had an answer saying that the job was closed and that another translator had been choosen.
But be honest, this site helps you find customers, but it cannot be perfect. All you have to do to get a job, is post a brief letter and wait. As a freelance translator, it happens very frequently that I write 3 times to a company, get an answer, then an appointment, then a second one.... And then nothing else? And it was more expensive to go to these rendez-vous, wait to see somebody and for nothing.
Even as a paying member, when you get known in your field, the proz membership is really worthwhile. And noone can give you the help you can get from fellow translators. You are no longer alone in front of your machine, you know that there are unknown people all over the world who can help you. It has no price. ▲ Collapse
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Gunilla Zedigh
Germany
Local time: 03:16
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | DE>EN Poetry Translation STILL open | Oct 3, 2002 |
Today, Thursday, the poetry trans I referred to indirectly yesterday is STILL open! Now there are even more bidders! STOP translating this cat poem! The agency does not have the time (apparently) to close this posting. Inconsiderate, I think, but I guess I\'ll get used to this way of doing business! The agency found someone yesterday morning! (I was told this yesterday afternoon) A non-ProZ translator was chosen...
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