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Poll: Do you think it is important to work with more than one CAT tool to get more work?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Mar 24, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you think it is important to work with more than one CAT tool to get more work?".

This poll was originally submitted by José Mariño. View the poll results »



 
Angus Stewart
Angus Stewart  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:07
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
No, but Mar 24, 2018

I don't think that it is important to have more than one CAT tool nowadays as file types can be interoperable between different CAT tools, but it helps if you are willing to work with the in-house CAT tools that clients provide.

 
Jose Marino
Jose Marino  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 07:07
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
file types can be interoperable Mar 24, 2018

However, even though file types can be interoperable, translation agencies prefer/demand a particular CAT tool depending of the project.

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 06:07
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No Mar 24, 2018

What about those of us who keep working without a CAT tool?

 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:07
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Agree with Teresa Mar 24, 2018

There should be an option "I don't use Cat tools". I think it was down to about 15% last time this option was given. We dinosaurs like to know how many of us are left.

 
EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:07
Czech to French
+ ...
It depends on... Mar 24, 2018

whether you actually need more work, which then depends on many things, such as your language pairs, specialty fields, experience, marketing ability, overal financial situation...
If you have direct clients, they don't care what you use - another reason to prefer them! I refuse to use even CAT tools that agencies provide online - working with a tool you don't know is slow and not worth the bother.


 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 03:07
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
Four client types Mar 24, 2018

I see four basic client types:

a) those who couldn't care less about whether you use a CAT tool (if you do, they don't want any trace of it left after cleanup);
b) those that require you to use the CAT tool of your choice, but use one;
c) those that require you to use the CAT tool of their choice, either online, or offline (in the latter case, if you don't have it, they'll provide you with a portable license for the duration of the project); and
d) those who bluntl
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I see four basic client types:

a) those who couldn't care less about whether you use a CAT tool (if you do, they don't want any trace of it left after cleanup);
b) those that require you to use the CAT tool of your choice, but use one;
c) those that require you to use the CAT tool of their choice, either online, or offline (in the latter case, if you don't have it, they'll provide you with a portable license for the duration of the project); and
d) those who bluntly demand you to own Trados as the most essential qualification for a translator, they often don't care about anything else.

IMHO the number of CAT tools you work with influences more the quantity of clients you'll have than the overall volume of work you'll get from them. Group (d) tends to prevail on Proz.

[Edited at 2018-03-24 11:24 GMT]
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satish krishna itikela
satish krishna itikela  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 11:37
Member (2011)
English to Telugu
+ ...
No CAT tool since 19 years. Mar 24, 2018

Morning to all,

You will be surprised to know that since 19 years i am not using a single CAT tool and still i am a successful translator in my language pair. So i don't think that it is must and should important to use any CAT tool to continue in this industry. This is purely my opinion only.

Best regards,
Satish.


 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:07
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Another dinosaur Mar 24, 2018

Like Jack, Satish and Teresa, I don't use any CAT tool and never have in over 30 years of translating. I've tried a couple and found them inhibiting. They slowed me down considerably and stopped the natural flow of language. Also, the quantity of problems with Trados and other CATs raised in these forums is daunting.
It does mean that I have to turn down offers which insist on Trados etc. but I still get a respectable amount of work.
Yes, this poll should have included an "I don't us
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Like Jack, Satish and Teresa, I don't use any CAT tool and never have in over 30 years of translating. I've tried a couple and found them inhibiting. They slowed me down considerably and stopped the natural flow of language. Also, the quantity of problems with Trados and other CATs raised in these forums is daunting.
It does mean that I have to turn down offers which insist on Trados etc. but I still get a respectable amount of work.
Yes, this poll should have included an "I don't use CATs" option to acknowledge the existence of us dinosaurs.
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Jasa Pipan
Jasa Pipan
Slovenia
Local time: 07:07
French to Slovenian
+ ...
Maybe (I don't seem to be able to give straight answers on these polls, it's so annoying!!) Mar 24, 2018

I think it's important to show that you'd at least be willing to consider working with an in-house tool the agency or the end client provide. However, there's always the "reputation" factor (I don't know if it's really about reputation but I don't know how else to call it...mileage, I guess?) where people who've been successful translators for a super-long time simply don't work with CAT tools, say so from the get-go and still get the job because the client manages to go around it.

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I think it's important to show that you'd at least be willing to consider working with an in-house tool the agency or the end client provide. However, there's always the "reputation" factor (I don't know if it's really about reputation but I don't know how else to call it...mileage, I guess?) where people who've been successful translators for a super-long time simply don't work with CAT tools, say so from the get-go and still get the job because the client manages to go around it.

I'm not there yet, though. But I do only work with one CAT tool that I have in my possession and am not willing to get other ones.
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Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 07:07
Member (2006)
German to English
Yes Mar 24, 2018

Well in my field it is a must.
I have narrowed myself down to Trados and Across though because I did not get enough to to justify the costs for other cat tools


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 03:07
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
One is enough Mar 24, 2018

Having more than one CAT means exporting, importing, updating TMs and TBs between them all the time, else you'll have two incomplete sets. That's quite a lot of unnecessary work and oragnization time. I see no reason for that.
For those who still don't use a CAT: I was reluctant, too, for many years. I criticized the CATs and thought they were useless. I finally adopted one in 2015, and I'll tell you I do not want to live without it again. Plus, I would have lost several great jobs if I di
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Having more than one CAT means exporting, importing, updating TMs and TBs between them all the time, else you'll have two incomplete sets. That's quite a lot of unnecessary work and oragnization time. I see no reason for that.
For those who still don't use a CAT: I was reluctant, too, for many years. I criticized the CATs and thought they were useless. I finally adopted one in 2015, and I'll tell you I do not want to live without it again. Plus, I would have lost several great jobs if I didn't have one, as the clients require one now.
Some people will say "my clients don't", "I don't need it", etc. The same thing happened to cars, computers, and even refrigerators in the past.
Can you imagine yourself working without a computer now? Well, you should know that refusing to use a CAT is not very distant from that. I had to learn it the hard way. You will, too.
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Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:07
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Don't lecture ... Mar 24, 2018

... Granny Dinosaur, young man.

 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 01:07
German to English
+ ...
Uses - and ""getting more work" Mar 24, 2018

You use a CAT tool when you have large texts of a technical nature with repeated terminology that must always be translated the same way. So the question is akin to asking "Does buying sugar help you change a tire?" One has nothing to do with the other.

I get more work by building a reputation for professionalism and reliability. The type of work I do does not require CAT tools so I don't use any.


 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
I also refuse to jump on the CAT tool bandwagon Mar 24, 2018

I am doing just fine without the extra hassle -and expense- of CAT tools. I don't need them at all in the fields I work in. I rely on BAT: Brain-Assisted Translation.

 
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Poll: Do you think it is important to work with more than one CAT tool to get more work?






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