A different/differing point of view Thread poster: Vito Smolej
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Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 15:22
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Looking at the KudoZ top list
http://www.proz.com/?sp=leaders_new&field=10&submit=1
I just feel the birth envy: born to the wrong language pair. Why's my mother or father not Spanish or Polish!? Oh mother dear, why, oh why such an exotic language as Slovenian (dual may be great, but how much traffic do you get on KudoZ with ?dual? - get real...)
Having a ... See more Looking at the KudoZ top list
http://www.proz.com/?sp=leaders_new&field=10&submit=1
I just feel the birth envy: born to the wrong language pair. Why's my mother or father not Spanish or Polish!? Oh mother dear, why, oh why such an exotic language as Slovenian (dual may be great, but how much traffic do you get on KudoZ with ?dual? - get real...)
Having a look at the best @bats last 3 months, I said to myself: how can you hit 2000+ om a regular basis? And - a corrollary question to this creme de la translation creme - why dont you give private lessons instead???
Here's the traffic in the most busy language pairs:
o ENSP 19272
(yes, 19.000+ querries - and it looks English speaking translators need much more help than their Spanisdh counterparts: 14301:4971
The next language pair is, at least for me, a big surprise:
o EN Polish 7128
(split 4461 and 2737) ... followed then by FRDE (warms my European heart) and (!) FRSP.
Summary from my point of view): KudoZ points are not normalized to the total language pair traffic: the larger the traffic, the bigger (in absolute probabilities) is my chance of being useful - without me having to do additional exercise: there's just more people asking for help.
So ... why have the top list in the first place?
[Edited at 2006-01-31 22:56] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Hinds 
United States
Local time: 07:22
English to Spanish
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In memoriam | Not much volume... but the rates are fabulous! | Jan 31, 2006 |
A number of years ago I did some work in Mexico for an economic development group that had previously done work in Slovenia. They said that interpreters there charged them US $1,000 a day, and supposedly there were only six people in the country who were qualified to do the work!
I was only able to squeeze about a third of that out of them, but at least they did give me a fair volume of work.
Come to think of it, perhaps we could have been more fortunate if the Slovenia... See more A number of years ago I did some work in Mexico for an economic development group that had previously done work in Slovenia. They said that interpreters there charged them US $1,000 a day, and supposedly there were only six people in the country who were qualified to do the work!
I was only able to squeeze about a third of that out of them, but at least they did give me a fair volume of work.
Come to think of it, perhaps we could have been more fortunate if the Slovenians had conquered our land instead of the English and the Spanish. We'll never know. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 15:22
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | "Come to think of it,..." | Jan 31, 2006 |
What my fellow translators charged for their 15 minutes of world wide exposure, is out of the KudoZ context. I know talking in dual or knowing (and using) the difference between accusative and - say - locative is great.I just needs a market(g).
So do not even mention the implicite jealousy, when it comes to language pairs like EN-SP. Namely, the jealousy is explicite ;P
What remains to be discussed ,is the high frequency of ENPL KudoZ questions. Still working on this o... See more What my fellow translators charged for their 15 minutes of world wide exposure, is out of the KudoZ context. I know talking in dual or knowing (and using) the difference between accusative and - say - locative is great.I just needs a market(g).
So do not even mention the implicite jealousy, when it comes to language pairs like EN-SP. Namely, the jealousy is explicite ;P
What remains to be discussed ,is the high frequency of ENPL KudoZ questions. Still working on this one...
Regards
smo
[Edited at 2006-01-31 23:49] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Сергей Лузан
Russian Federation
Local time: 16:22
German to Russian
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| Insider's vision | Feb 1, 2006 |
Vito Smolej wrote:
why don't you give private lessons instead???
So ... why have the top list in the first place?
[Edited at 2006-01-31 22:56]
Re.: Why don't you give private lessons instead?
I guess many of us do. But there are always pauses between classes
And concerning our Polish colleagues - I presume the volume of their work tends to increase in connection with their joining the EU.
Re.: why have the top list in the first place?
Judging by your profile, you could help your colleagues with other language pairs. Just to referesh your knowledge. I teach 3 languages & work in other ways with them, so - it never harms to help your neighbour, especially when there's a possibility that you might need his/ her help in future.
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Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 16:22
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
| Think locally | Feb 1, 2006 |
Ñåðãåé Ëóçàí wrote:
Just to referesh your knowledge. I teach 3 languages & work in other ways with them...
Sorry, nobody is interested in what you do. The forum is not the place to advertise yourself. Use your profile instead. Somehow each your forum posting turns into self-promotion.
Dear Vito,
You are right about the global ratings, but if a client is seeking a English>Slovenian or German>Slovenian professional, they won't seek for the person within EnglishSpanish or EnglishPolish pair. If you care about your `marketing' position, take a look at the corresponding pairs, not at the global point grabbers' rating - and try to get higher in the rating of your working pairs. It takes time - but, obviously, it takes always, in any language pair. Or, as one the best ProZ advice states, `specialize'.
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 15:22
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | Let's all just wait for Chinese to catch up.... | Feb 1, 2006 |
then we'll end with top 10 in 6-digits range...
My observation/opinion is that some lists like this 'top of the "Q doves" list' (Henry,as a sign of appreciation you can use this alternative way of spelling KudoZ at N/C) just do not make sense. It's not even comparing apples and oranges, it's pretty much like comparing ... mice and men. And elephants...
("Oh, come on, Vito, what's your problem, they're all mammals!??")
But enough of that. Let the peac... See more then we'll end with top 10 in 6-digits range...
My observation/opinion is that some lists like this 'top of the "Q doves" list' (Henry,as a sign of appreciation you can use this alternative way of spelling KudoZ at N/C) just do not make sense. It's not even comparing apples and oranges, it's pretty much like comparing ... mice and men. And elephants...
("Oh, come on, Vito, what's your problem, they're all mammals!??")
But enough of that. Let the peace reign supreme;) ]
[Edited at 2006-02-01 20:02] ▲ Collapse
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