New GDPR ... TRADOS-certification has become worthless as a marketing tool Thread poster: AndersonT (X)
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AndersonT (X) 
United States
Local time: 06:05
German to English
Hi everyone,
this is not really a technical issue (and might be a bit rant'ish), but I still felt that this issue sort of belongs into the TRADOS support forum.
Okay, so, in May, the new European General Data Protection Regulation came into effect. To my absolute horror/dismay, I have noticed that the link to my personal TRADOS certification page on the SDL website no longer shows any personally identifiable information.
Basically, it has become an empty pa... See more Hi everyone,
this is not really a technical issue (and might be a bit rant'ish), but I still felt that this issue sort of belongs into the TRADOS support forum.
Okay, so, in May, the new European General Data Protection Regulation came into effect. To my absolute horror/dismay, I have noticed that the link to my personal TRADOS certification page on the SDL website no longer shows any personally identifiable information.
Basically, it has become an empty page with a "Certified" logo.
I'm sorry guys, but this makes certification basically useless as a marketing tool. We are, unfortunately, an industry where false statements, stolen CVs and fudged credentials are a daily occurrence. Now, basically everyone can "glean" someone's certification link, and claim it is their's. There isn't even any anonymized info like a certificate number. Utterly pointless. This "credential" has basically become unverifiable to potential clients.
I have always taken some pride in being able to use TRADOS-certified as part of my marketing efforts. Since I am very much a "self-learner," the only reason to pay for courses and the certification fee was to get ... well ... verifiable certified.
I am fully aware that the new GDPR overshoots its objectives in many ways and is not very well thought-out in many respects. Gawd knows, I've translated enough new policy documents over the last couple weeks. With that being said, I think SDL is being overly cautious here. The link to one's certification page is a unique link, which means that I, the owner of the information, have to forward this link to people I want to "impress" with my certification. This means I consent to the publication of this information. If I don't want people to know it, all I have to do is not publish that link.
Until this is solved, I will no longer bother with purchasing SDL Trados certifications ... for what? I cannot prove to my prospective clients that I am really certified, because there is neither a real certificate I can show, nor is there a web page my prospective clients could visit to see that I am indeed certified.
What's the point anymore???
[Edited at 2018-06-28 13:22 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Was it worthwile before? | Jun 28, 2018 |
Honest, non rhetorical question.
As for the topic, you are certainly right. Are you sure this has to do with GDPR? If that's really the case, and SDL is taking things so seriously, then all they 'd need is your explicit consent to show your personal data...
BTW, you should probably also raise this on their own fora and possibly directly with their support.
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AndersonT (X)
United States
Local time: 06:05
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Mirko Mainardi wrote:
Honest, non rhetorical question.
Well ... as a "standalone" marketing measure it is hard to gauge how much benefit it did or did not realize. I did have various PMs of new clients at least nod into the direction that being certified gave them some level of confidence in choosing me. It's just one more little aspect showing your clients that you are serious about your business. Has anyone ever chosen me to be their vendor solely based on this certification? Probably not. It does, however, give you a bit of an edge with those clients that constantly work with large repetitive materials like automotive parts catalogs, etc.
As for the topic, you are certainly right. Are you sure this has to do with GDPR?
Yep, absolutely, they sent out a notification mail saying that this is the reason.
If that's really the case, and SDL is taking things so seriously, then all they 'd need is your explicit consent to show your personal data...
... exactly my thinking ... the whole "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" thing. What good is a "credential" or a "certification" that no one can verify. I wonder if the DIN ISO guys will go about this the same way, if so, I will be DIN ISO certified by tomorrow ...
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Roy Oestensen
Denmark
Local time: 12:05
Member (2010)
English to Norwegian (Bokmal)
+ ...
| Haven't experienced that not being Studio certified has lost me any jobs | Jun 28, 2018 |
Actually, I think it's not worth the bother to try being Studio certified these days. More and more agencies go for their own translation tool anyway, and so it doesn't help you much at all to be able to use Studio. To me it's a marketing tool benefiting SDL and not you that you fork out money to be certified. Not only that, but if you upgrade to a new version, it seems you must use more money to certify yourself again.
I did take a couple of the Studio courses for Studio 2017, but ... See more Actually, I think it's not worth the bother to try being Studio certified these days. More and more agencies go for their own translation tool anyway, and so it doesn't help you much at all to be able to use Studio. To me it's a marketing tool benefiting SDL and not you that you fork out money to be certified. Not only that, but if you upgrade to a new version, it seems you must use more money to certify yourself again.
I did take a couple of the Studio courses for Studio 2017, but I found that some of the questions were of such a nature that I was at a total disadvantage when trying to take them. For instance: What is the colour for locked segments or 100% segments? For a person who sees traffic lights as yellow, yellow, grey and not red, yellow, grey asking about colours is totally unfair. So to me the exam was a waste - there is no way I am able to answer such questions correctly.
But even not considering it - as I say, I have not yet seen any agency that require me to use Studio, even though I have a copy. At least it doesn't seem to be much of a selling tool for me as a translator.
Just a gimmick on the part of SDL I'd say. ▲ Collapse
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