ProZ.com Translation Forums

altruism | As for me

ahmadwadan.com — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:12:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: ahmadwadan.com
Post title: As for me

Kudoz participations give me a feeling that I leave good deeds behind me after I die.

It is something which I believe I'll need afterlife. So, I'd like to thank askers who help me doing that.

altruism | A feeling of being useful

Sanych_Msk — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:08:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Sanych_Msk
Post title: A feeling of being useful

[quote]David Hollywood wrote:

this is one of my main quandries ....I love the points when I get them (who doesn't) ... is it the prestige, is it the feeling of helping someone who needs the assistance or is it knowlwge-sharing ... or is it altruism (in my case it's a mixture) .... how do you feel on this? [/quote]

This situation about KudoZ system remindes me an old joke ...

A young artist was proud to organize the first ever personal exhibition of his paintings. After the event was over, some friends started to ask him about the exhibition: “Was it a success or not ?” The artist answered: “All in all, not bad, not bad ! Unfortunately I am still not able to find anyone to be interested to buy any of my pictures. But at least during the exhibition two of my pictures were stolen !”

So far as I see it, participation in KudoZ does not always guarantee you tangible benefits (translating jobs, money, etc.). But - it is a good practice, it makes you keep yourself busy and ... it may give you a feeling that you are at least of interest or useful to anyone !

altruism | disillusionment

Bilbo Baggins — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Bilbo Baggins
Post title: disillusionment

[quote]David Hollywood wrote:

this is one of my main quandries ....I love the points when I get them (who doesn't) ... is it the prestige, is it the feeling of helping someone who needs the assistance or is it knowlwge-sharing ... or is it altruism (in my case it's a mixture) .... how do you feel on this? [/quote]

The points are great (recognition, prestige), it's great to help people and share knowledge - but altrusim is a system that only works when there's little abuse. If an altruist perceives that what they give is not taken in the same spirit, then they tend to get disillusioned. I think this might explain why many great people of the early days of Proz are no longer KudoZ contributors.

altruism | Belated thanks are the best

Emma Goldsmith — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Emma Goldsmith
Post title: Belated thanks are the best

[quote]Christine Andersen wrote:
I have just sent an agree and THANKS to an answerer who was spot on with an answer, explanation and picture several years ago! It saved me setting up a question and waiting...
[/quote]

Yes, giving and receiving belated thanks several months or years later is always worth it. Very much appreciated on both sides.

Another thing I enjoy doing is getting Kudoz questions closed that have been lying open for months. As everyone probably knows, if an answer gets 2 agrees it is closed by the robot. So if you find an answer you know is right and add the 2nd agree, you almost always get profuse thanks back from the surprised answerer. Well worth it!

altruism | It's give and take

Christine Andersen — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:22:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: It's give and take

I answer more questions than I ask, but I use the glossaries and have found answers to a lot of things I might have asked about, if someone else had not asked first.

I have just sent an agree and THANKS to an answerer who was spot on with an answer, explanation and picture several years ago! It saved me setting up a question and waiting...

Would I do it anonymously? Maybe. But I do like to know who has provided the answers. Some people are much more reliable than others...

Apart from that, like Wordeffect, I enjoy the RLI and the pleasure of getting the daily digest each morning. You never know what strange or useful new expressions have turned up during the last 24 hours, and when I have time I join in the "game" and poke about in my dictionaries and references.

Escaping for a while from my own job and assuring myself I am not alone. I meet real and virtual friends in KudoZ.

I am not sure it is altruism in my case, or else it is richly repaid by other people's altruism too!
Thanks, everyone!

:-) :-) :-)

altruism | If you're not sure if it's altruism...

Nesrin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:53:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Nesrin
Post title: If you're not sure if it's altruism...

ask yourself if you would do it anonymously.

I did for a while offer similar kind of assistance anonymously on Yahoo Answers, and it did give me a warm fuzzy feeling when someone expressed their gratitude (even though there are points involved, but I didn't really care about them). After a while however I ordered myself to stop spending time there. This was my practical side telling me I'm not really getting anything out of it and I'm spending far too much time helping anonymous people anonymously, and occasionally even encountering rudeness and ingratitude.
But in general, I agree it's a mixture of feelings that has kept me around Kudoz.

altruism | RLI: Randomised Learning Initiative

Alison Sabedoria (X) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 09:16:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Alison Sabedoria (X)
Post title: RLI: Randomised Learning Initiative

Yes, it's a mix of motivations and feelings that prompts me to get involved, but also curiosity and my sheer love of discovering new words or ways of using them.

Where else would I have come across:
- the Rabbit-eared Comb Jelly (that doesn't yet have a common name in French)
- the heraldic use of "channe" (a Swiss jug with a lid)
- a barrel pawl with progressive recoil (of course!)
- an in-depth discussion about Maigret's collar and tie?

Yesterday it was bee pastures, today... ?

altruism | Mixture of everything

Yasutomo Kanazawa — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:51:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Yasutomo Kanazawa
Post title: Mixture of everything

[quote]David Hollywood wrote:

this is one of my main quandries ....I love the points when I get them (who doesn't) ... is it the prestige, is it the feeling of helping someone who needs the assistance or is it knowlwge-sharing ... or is it altruism (in my case it's a mixture) .... how do you feel on this? [/quote]

It's a mixture of everything you mentioned; who doesn't love the points when you get them, the feeling of helping someone who needs assistance but at the same time helping yourself, sharing knowledge with everybody else, plus altruism that you cannot turn a blind eye to a person who is at a loss, and being thanked for helping.

altruism | Altruism and game

Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Post title: Altruism and game

Kudoz is like a game of the stronger (answerers) and the weaker (askers). The latter assesses the former. A surprising world of linguistic learning. Many answers have been selected while the professionals of the subjects feel uneasy.

Soonthon Lupkitaro

altruism

David Hollywood — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:32:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: altruism
Poster: David Hollywood

this is one of my main quandries ....I love the points when I get them (who doesn't) ... is it the prestige, is it the feeling of helping someone who needs the assistance or is it knowlwge-sharing ... or is it altruism (in my case it's a mixture) .... how do you feel on this?