| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Platinum members: Was joining ProZ.com as a paying member a good decision? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Platinum members: Was joining ProZ.com as a paying member a good decision?".
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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No comments needed. Results speak by themnselves, and speak out loud.
Walter
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By far my single most productive and effective investment...ever!
| | | | | Once again 2 classes? | Nov 20, 2005 |
I would have thought the issue of separating the different platinum memberships esp. in normal features and surveys etc. was already solved after the several comments platinum members made.
But once again partial platinums are - sorry, I cannot think of another word - discriminated although the poll says "...as a paying member...".
One month ago, I renewed my partial platinum membership - and paid 82 Euros for doing so. If this isn't considered "paying", I don't know what is w... See more I would have thought the issue of separating the different platinum memberships esp. in normal features and surveys etc. was already solved after the several comments platinum members made.
But once again partial platinums are - sorry, I cannot think of another word - discriminated although the poll says "...as a paying member...".
One month ago, I renewed my partial platinum membership - and paid 82 Euros for doing so. If this isn't considered "paying", I don't know what is wrong here.
I must say I'm really disappointed, sad and angry because of this behaviour. And at the moment I am really thinking I will never again renew or upgrade my membership.
Sorry for closing the day like this.
Michaela ▲ Collapse
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| look at the bright side | Nov 21, 2005 |
Michaela, look at the bright side, you get a change to view the opinion of many platinum members who tell you that the investment is more than worth it! Why not go full platinum and that way you will not feel discriminated. You know you will make up the difference in just one short job.
| | | | | Misplaced anger | Nov 21, 2005 |
Hello Michaela,
I am trying to understand why someone would be angry about a simple poll directed at full Platinum members. Obviously the person who developed the poll wanted to get the opinions of people who pay for all aspects of the site. In other words, do people feel that the full Platinum investment was worth it?
I don't think there was any intent to exclude particular groups of people (other than for the purposes of the poll). Quite often I get phone calls from p... See more Hello Michaela,
I am trying to understand why someone would be angry about a simple poll directed at full Platinum members. Obviously the person who developed the poll wanted to get the opinions of people who pay for all aspects of the site. In other words, do people feel that the full Platinum investment was worth it?
I don't think there was any intent to exclude particular groups of people (other than for the purposes of the poll). Quite often I get phone calls from polling companies, and after asking me a few questions, they tell me that I am not a suitable candidate for the survey. Does this mean they have something against me? Of course not! They are interested in sampling a specific segment of the population.
I think what would be interesting is if a separate poll was developed for Partial Platinum members, to see if the percentage is as high (i.e. are Partial Platinum members as happy with their investment as Full Platinum members?)
Anyway, my impression of this site from being both a non-paying and paying member is that the ProZ staff are very considerate of all members. I have never seen anyone discriminated against. On the contrary, I see translators get away with an awful lot before they are removed from the site!
On another note, if you had already paid 82 euros, it wouldn't have cost you much more to renew as a Full Platinum Member. They just had an offer for 100 euros/dollars for a full year.
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| | | | | One of my best decisions ever | Nov 21, 2005 |
Joining ProZ and taking the platinum membership was one of my best decisions ever. Just a fraction of the many helpful features should be reason enough for any translator to get platinum as soon as possible.
Just imaging being without ProZ and the translator's day would be much harder - no networking, no glosspost, no KudoZ, no howtos, no BlueBoard and worst of all: no powwows.
Of course it takes not only time and effort to build up a site of this kind - but also simp... See more Joining ProZ and taking the platinum membership was one of my best decisions ever. Just a fraction of the many helpful features should be reason enough for any translator to get platinum as soon as possible.
Just imaging being without ProZ and the translator's day would be much harder - no networking, no glosspost, no KudoZ, no howtos, no BlueBoard and worst of all: no powwows.
Of course it takes not only time and effort to build up a site of this kind - but also simply cost money. So I could only recommend to all the non-paying members to get platinum.
Erik
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Erik Hansson ( SFÖ )
Technical translator DE-SV
Hansson Übersetzungen GmbH
Am Birkenwäldchen 38
D-01900 Bretnig-Hauswalde, Germany
Phone +49 - 3 59 52 - 321 07
Fax +49 - 3 59 52 - 322 02
E-Mail [email protected]
Internet www.hansson.de
Internet www.t-translators.net
Internet www.technical-translators.net
ProZ profile http://www.proz.com/pro/21654
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| | | | Kirill Semenov 
Ukraine
Local time: 07:09
Member (2004)
English to Russian
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| Former platinum members' opinions? | Nov 21, 2005 |
For me, platinumship was a great investment, too.
But I think that in order to see an objective picture the poll should include everyone who has ever been platinum. As it is now, it excludes not only partial platinum members but also those ProZians who had upgraded to platinum membership in the past but then decided to cancel or not to renew their paid membership. For a while, the poll shows only the percentage of `di... See more For me, platinumship was a great investment, too.
But I think that in order to see an objective picture the poll should include everyone who has ever been platinum. As it is now, it excludes not only partial platinum members but also those ProZians who had upgraded to platinum membership in the past but then decided to cancel or not to renew their paid membership. For a while, the poll shows only the percentage of `disappointed' members during the last year... ▲ Collapse
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Russell Gillis wrote:
I am trying to understand why someone would be angry about a simple poll directed at full Platinum members. Obviously the person who developed the poll wanted to get the opinions of people who pay for all aspects of the site. In other words, do people feel that the full Platinum investment was worth it?
Hello Russell,
maybe it is because you are a native speaker of English that you see something in the poll that I just cannot see. I do not see any hint that this poll is only directed at "Full platinum members" - it just says "Platinum members" (Title of the Poll: Platinum members: Was joining ProZ.com as a paying member a good decision?)
And, excuse me, it is not at all obvious that the poster of the poll intended to only ask full platinum members for their opinions. Where do you get that from?
On another note, if you had already paid 82 euros, it wouldn't have cost you much more to renew as a Full Platinum Member. They just had an offer for 100 euros/dollars for a full year.:)
It is still my decision - and therefore I would also never tell or recommend others how much they can/want to afford.
What if people just don't want to become full platinum members? I am also not sure if my jobs platinum membership will pay this year.
There were several forum topics were this topic came up. And just see the left side where it says "Welcome new platinum members!" and where ProZ.com welcomes ALL kind of platinums, incl. partials.
Anyway, I didn't intend to offend anyone. Maybe the poster of this poll should just have put the "full" before "platinum".
Just like translating: What a difference a word makes ...
Thank you,
Michaela
| | | | | Just WHERE is the discrimination? | Nov 21, 2005 |
Michaela Müller wrote:
But once again partial platinums are - sorry, I cannot think of another word - discriminated although the poll says "...as a paying member...".
Exactly so. The actual wording of the question was:
Platinum members: Was joining ProZ.com as a paying member a good decision?
The only way I can read it is that any Platinum members are targeted, partial or otherwise. I don't see how "partial" Platinums are discriminated against: just join the poll and join the discussion!
I'm really interested in learning whether the investment into a partial Platinumship is worth the money. Do you think it profitable or don't you?
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Erik Hansson wrote:
Just imaging being without ProZ and the translator's day would be much harder - no networking, no glosspost, no KudoZ, no howtos, no BlueBoard and worst of all: no powwows.
Not true! Non-platinum members may network, glosspost, use KudoZ, and read the howtos; and there are alternative non-ProZ solutions for the Blueboard.
Thus, the question on whether it pays to invest $$ resp. $$$ into a partial resp. full Platinumship is not that easy.
On the one hand, I did get some few customers through the ProZ directory. On the other hand, a lot of the business on the bidding board seems to be one-shot and on the cheap side. I don't really target agencies that employ the cheapest available translator on a job by job basis. I'm after long-term business relationships, and I'm not sure yet whether ProZ is an appropriate platform to look out for them. This is why I opted for, "Too soon to tell" in the survey.
P.
[Edited at 2005-11-21 09:38]
| | | | Saskia Steur (X)
Local time: 06:09
English to Dutch
+ ...
| how about former platinum members? | Nov 21, 2005 |
I used to be a platinum member and decided to become a non-paying member again. It might be interesting to let me vote, too. I don't feel discriminated in any way, but I do wonder if the information this poll is after reflects the ProZ community or is a slightly biased view of platinum members only.
best regards,
Saskia
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Saskia Steur wrote:
I used to be a platinum member and decided to become a non-paying member again.
So what was the reason? A success that was so overwhelming that you figured you'd never need ProZ help again? No contacts? Contacts from all the "wrong" agencies? Did Platinum membership hamper you or your business in some way? Or what?
P.
| | | | Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 07:09
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
| A poll with totally predictable results | Nov 21, 2005 |
Saskia Steur wrote:
I used to be a platinum member and decided to become a non-paying member again. It might be interesting to let me vote, too. I don't feel discriminated in any way, but I do wonder if the information this poll is after reflects the ProZ community or is a slightly biased view of platinum members only.
best regards,
This is what I meant: the very fact that people who vote ARE platinum now indicates that either they are satisfied with their paid membership or they hope to benefit from it in the near future. Otherwise they would cancel or not renew their paid membership. Thus, the poll as it stated and restricted cannot possibly give results anyhow different from what we see.
| | | | Saskia Steur (X)
Local time: 06:09
English to Dutch
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| my point exactly | Nov 21, 2005 |
[quote]Peter Bouillon wrote:
So what was the reason?
Well, that's not what this poll wants to find out...
Best regards,
Saskia
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