| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Random selection of "Featured Translator"? Thread poster: Robert Forstag
|
|---|
Robert Forstag 
United States
Local time: 10:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail notifying me that I would be the "featured translator" on the proz.com homepage for 15 minutes.
This is the only such e-mail I have received since becoming a premium member last August, and I have never at any other time noticed that I was featured.
In the meantime, over the past month or so, I have noticed a number of transltors who have been featured multiple times.
I would assume that if the featuring is random... See more A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail notifying me that I would be the "featured translator" on the proz.com homepage for 15 minutes.
This is the only such e-mail I have received since becoming a premium member last August, and I have never at any other time noticed that I was featured.
In the meantime, over the past month or so, I have noticed a number of transltors who have been featured multiple times.
I would assume that if the featuring is random it would also be equitable and this appears to not be the case.
Could you please explain?
Thank you. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Fred Neild (X)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| What does random mean? | Jan 2, 2006 |
Hi Robert,
I have become a member in October so I guess your posting relieves me, a bit, or not? I have never received such an email. It would be good to know what does random exactly mean. For example, can a translator be featured 100 times before I am featured once?
Fred
| | | | Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 16:51
English to German
| 15 minutes? / same faces / text under pics | Jan 2, 2006 |
Is it supposed to be 15 minutes? I keep seeing the "featured translator" when refreshing, and it never feels like more than 5 minutes at the VERY most to me. Or is my sense of time that far off the mark??
I can confirm that I have explicitly noticed seeing the same couple of faces (and animated GIFs ) over and over again.
PS this is off-topic, but it has been bugging me for a while. The tagline under the f... See more Is it supposed to be 15 minutes? I keep seeing the "featured translator" when refreshing, and it never feels like more than 5 minutes at the VERY most to me. Or is my sense of time that far off the mark??
I can confirm that I have explicitly noticed seeing the same couple of faces (and animated GIFs) over and over again.
PS this is off-topic, but it has been bugging me for a while. The tagline under the featured translator's face is the same as their "motto" on their profile page. Which is fine on the profile page, where you get their languages from the left-hand frame. But with the "featured translator"; one usually sees some friendly face and a motto such as "fast and reliable, specializing in music". If a visitor is really looking for translators, does the "featured translator" feature attract them at all, given that languages are not listed? Shouldn't they urgently be added?
[Edited at 2006-01-02 16:17] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Paige Stanton (X)
Local time: 16:51
French to English
| Language pairs should be added | Jan 2, 2006 |
I definitely agree with Ricki, language pairs should be added if possible.
| | |
|
|
|
| Random is a cute little word | Jan 2, 2006 |
First of all, randomized selection can be anything between being feutured once a week and once in five years - after all that's what random is all about and I don't think we should get very upset if some faces turn up more often. I agree with Ricki that some colleague have been featured quite often lately - but the only way of remedy this (to make it "fair") would be to stop the randomizing function and let the ProZ system show the members in their order of profile number.
If we gi... See more First of all, randomized selection can be anything between being feutured once a week and once in five years - after all that's what random is all about and I don't think we should get very upset if some faces turn up more often. I agree with Ricki that some colleague have been featured quite often lately - but the only way of remedy this (to make it "fair") would be to stop the randomizing function and let the ProZ system show the members in their order of profile number.
If we give each featured member 5 minutes, that's 12 members an hour and 288 a day & night, it would take ahout 450 days until every member has been shown once (taking the current appr. 130.000 members).
Ricki Farn wrote:
If a visitor is really looking for translators, does the "featured translator" feature attract them at all, given that languages are not listed? Shouldn't they urgently be added?
[Edited at 2006-01-02 16:17]
I don't think we need to add the languages to this featuring function - what if the featured member (me incluced) has an agency with several language combinations? In any case it would be interesting to know if being featured has led to any new jobs at all (if there is any way to find out)
Regards
Erik
Edited:
I would like to add that I have been feautured maybe twice or three times since I became a member in August 2001. At different occasions I have suggested to ProZ support to
1) let the members either decide what time of the day they want to be featured, depending on their time-zone or which continent most of the clients are, or
2) to leave it randomized.
Being featured at 2 am in the morning on a Sunday (which happened to me) is not e very bright idea.
**********************************
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.technical-translators.net
Internet www.wintitus.de
ProZ profile http://www.proz.com/pro/21654
***********************************
[Edited at 2006-01-02 16:40] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | "Random" is simply not equitable | Jan 2, 2006 |
In reply to Erik, I would simply say that "random" does not work because it is not equitable and that, yes, it actually does bother me when I see a face featured 10 times within a space of two months while I have (to the best of my knowledge) been featured but once within a period of five months.
My understanding of "featuring" is that it is restricted to "platinum" members, so we don't really have to worry about an equitable featuring system leading to a scenario wherein members mi... See more In reply to Erik, I would simply say that "random" does not work because it is not equitable and that, yes, it actually does bother me when I see a face featured 10 times within a space of two months while I have (to the best of my knowledge) been featured but once within a period of five months.
My understanding of "featuring" is that it is restricted to "platinum" members, so we don't really have to worry about an equitable featuring system leading to a scenario wherein members might keel over before they see their profiles featured on the home page. In any case, I would think that the system could be set up so that profile presentation could be randomized but at the same time made equitable (in other words, there need not be an "orderly" presentation of members according to name or date of membership, so long as each platinum profile received the same exposure over the long haul.
I agree with Rikki and Paige that language pair(s) should be shown. Cases of agencies with more than two or three language combinations could be handled with the label "multiple".
The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of the profiles are *not* affiliated with outsourcers, so this issue really would affect only a minority of members.
Finally, I thank Fred for his comment.
Best wishes to all,
Bob ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Featured members | Jan 2, 2006 |
Erik Hansson wrote:
If we give each featured member 5 minutes, that's 12 members an hour and 288 a day & night, it would take ahout 450 days until every member has been shown once (taking the current appr. 130.000 members).
Only Platinum members who have uploaded a photo or any kind of image in their profile are featured, so there are by far less than 130.000 members left for featuring.
| | | | Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 10:51
Member (2000)
French to English
+ ...
MODERATOR | No notices were sent out for several months | Jan 2, 2006 |
There was a brief spate when, as an experiment, we were being notified when we were being featured. This then ceased until fairly recently (I don't remember exactly when, but it really wasn't very long ago). The reason notices started getting sent again was because folks liked getting the notifications and asked to have them back. I've been notified once since notification messages resumed.
As for language pairs, I decided some time ago that tag lines were cute, but "fast and pre... See more There was a brief spate when, as an experiment, we were being notified when we were being featured. This then ceased until fairly recently (I don't remember exactly when, but it really wasn't very long ago). The reason notices started getting sent again was because folks liked getting the notifications and asked to have them back. I've been notified once since notification messages resumed.
As for language pairs, I decided some time ago that tag lines were cute, but "fast and precise" or words to that effect can get a bit old, so I simply stuck my language pairs in my tag. Not that anyone has ever contacted me as a result of seeing my "pretty face" pop up on the home page, but so long as I'm getting a chance to introduce myself, I figure I might as well introduce the relevant aspect: the pairs I translate. Other folks put things like "financial" or "marketing" in their tag lines, which is also useful and relevant info. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Ivana UK
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:51
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
Erik Hansson wrote:
I would like to add that I have been feautured maybe twice or three times since I became a member in August 2001. At different occasions I have suggested to ProZ support to
1) let the members either decide what time of the day they want to be featured, depending on their time-zone or which continent most of the clients are, or
Being featured at 2 am in the morning on a Sunday (which happened to me) is not e very bright idea.
[Edited at 2006-01-02 16:40]
I completely agree! I have received two email notifications re. featured translator since April 2004. I live in the UK and work mainly with UK and European agencies, yet I was featured at 4am and 8am (GMT)! Might be suitable for US residents but not for the UK as offices don't normally open til 9am!
Henry's recent newsletter provides a link where Platinum members can propose their suggestions for improving the Proz site in 2006. Each member can put forward as many suggestions as they can think of ... I've already completed mine and sent it back yesterday - this particular issue being number 5 on my list!!
Have now deleted the link but I'm sure it's on the Proz site somewhere ...!!
| | | | juvera
Local time: 15:51
English to Hungarian
+ ...
| Randomisation... | Jan 5, 2006 |
[quote]Erik Hansson wrote:
I agree with Ricki that some colleague have been featured quite often lately - but the only way of remedy this (to make it "fair") would be to stop the randomizing function and let the ProZ system show the members in their order of profile number.[quote]
Stopping the randomisation function need not be the only way.
Surely, it would be possible to set a frequency limit, for example 3 or 6 month before the same person would be shown again. The actual time can be worked out by the number of people and available time, with generous tolerance. In other words, if the actual turnaround of showing everybody once would be around 8 month, then a 6 month limit on repeats would work well to give a fair chance to everybody within a randomised system.
It is also a good idea to show language pairs or "multiple."
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
An example of what I was originally referring to is that, at the moment (1 p.m. EST, Saturday, January 7, 2006) a translator is currently being featured whom I have also seen featured at least three other times during the past two weeks.
| | | | | not even random | Jan 10, 2006 |
I think something is not working properly. I`ve been seeing the same face, Susan Wang, featured for the last 12 hours. Maybe it was not all the time, I`m not sure. But during these past 12 hours, everytime I check, there is Susan. Maybe the random system just stopped working. Anybody knows?
| | |
|
|
|
Fred Neild (X)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Great thread Robert | Jan 10, 2006 |
Robert,
I believe thanks to your thread we have all been checking the system. I have already noticed that some translators who became Platinum in Dec05 have already been featured.
I believe that a nonrandom system could be prepared, maybe including time zones. I don't care if I am featured once a year, at least I am. And it could be divided into Northern and Southern hemisphere, or something like that so I am not featured 3 a.m.
Fred
| | | | Fred Neild (X)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Walter Landesman wrote:
during these past 12 hours, everytime I check, there is Susan. Maybe the random system just stopped working. Anybody knows?
Walter,
Susan is still there
Fred
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Susan is still there! | Jan 10, 2006 |
Susan was there late last night when I logged off, and she is still featured this morning (as of 7:50 a.m. EST).
Thank you, Fred, for your compliment.
Best to all,
Bob
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Random selection of "Featured Translator"? | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
