ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Heh

Dan Lucas — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 17:14:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: Heh

[quote]Michael Newton wrote:
I have pivoted to equity analysis. There is more work for me in the financial services industry than in translation.[/quote]
Oddly enough, I pivoted in the other direction! After a decade I (still) have no regrets, especially when I listen to old friends and former colleagues, most of whom stayed put, grousing about their situation. Obviously this depends a lot on location and exact role - it's a big industry.

Dan

[Edited at 2023-07-19 17:14 GMT]

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | .

Kay Denney — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 17:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Kay Denney
Post title: .

[quote]Michael Newton wrote:

I have pivoted to equity analysis. There is more work for me in the financial services industry than in translation. Besides, agencies are not interested in a translator's experience, they are interested in CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP. [/quote]

Good for you that you've found another way to earn your living.
Personally, my clients have mostly started working for me on the strength of my experience, and nobody has tried to negotiate me down since before Covid, so not everyone is interested in price only.

I'm pessimistic for the language services industry as a whole, it'll be wiped out in my lifetime, and linguists will be reduced to correcting machine output.

For those of us who consider that translation is a profession rather than an industry, the outlook is not nearly as bleak. Like Teresa, I only have a few more years to go before I retire, and for the time being my clients are sending me plenty of work. I've weeded out certain customers (those who were not pleasant and polite, who sent boring texts, or who paid late) and I've raised my rate for new customers. I'm also taking more time off this year, because I smashed through the ceiling for my status and will have to transfer to another status and pay far more tax if I do it again. I feel that my creative niche is the one field that machines are not yet capable of handling properly, and I'm confident I can work until retirement without any problems. Then I'll keep working only for my dearest clients, because I learn such a lot and I love it.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | future of language services industry

Michael Newton — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Michael Newton
Post title: future of language services industry

I have pivoted to equity analysis. There is more work for me in the financial services industry than in translation. Besides, agencies are not interested in a translator's experience, they are interested in CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Pessimistic

Angus Stewart — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 18:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Angus Stewart
Post title: Pessimistic

I left the profession last year due to the advent of machine translation leading to the business becoming unviable for me.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | My two cents

Felipe Tomasi — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:22:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Felipe Tomasi
Post title: My two cents

I believe that feelings about the future of the language services industry are determined by how each professional addresses it. It all depends on the skills you develop and the mindset you adopt, whether positive, negative, or neutral.
In my case, I regularly develop skills (whether AI-related or interpersonal) and take a positive, down-to-earth approach.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Predictions

Becca Resnik — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 14:52:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Becca Resnik
Post title: Predictions

The future of the language services industry? I have individual predictions that are each essentially optimistic, neutral, or pessimistic. What I anticipate overall is that either the neutral set or the pessimistic set will become reality.

My future in the language services industry? Nothing but optimistic! I continue to have more work than ever, my rates are above average (and I've successfully increased them in recent months), and my clients regularly sing my praises. To top it all off, I sincerely enjoy my work! Even if my pessimistic set of predictions comes true, I foresee that I will continue to have a strong steady workflow.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Pessimistic bordering on apocalyptic

The Shredder — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Pessimistic bordering on apocalyptic

I think the machines are already better than most translators.

While I don't think the machines will be as good as the best translators in the near future, I do worry that the world will think they're good enough.

Either way, they'll be quicker and cheaper.

It's over.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | I was optimistic, but...

Claudio Machado Junior — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Claudio Machado Junior
Post title: I was optimistic, but...

... but my best client asked recently if I would accept to "review" some "translations performed by DeepL" as an "experiment". Maybe we're doomed anyway. Or maybe I should become a farmer.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Live one day at a time and don't make predictions

expressisverbis — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:31:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: Live one day at a time and don't make predictions

As I said in another thread, the future of my profession doesn't scare me, because translators will always exist, just like any other profession.
What I am really afraid of is the way some people are using technology, in an abusive, dishonest and unprofessional way.
I consider myself optimistic. I'm sick of hearing whining, complaining and to some extent to see a certain anxiety about many things, although I try to understand and respect those feelings.
Live one day at a time and don't make predictions.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | I hope you're right, however...

Iulia Parvu — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:08:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Iulia Parvu
Post title: I hope you're right, however...

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

I’m optimistic by nature and I'm nearing the end of my career. I have no crystal ball and I’m no good at predictions, but I'm one of those people who always see the glass as half full and I don’t believe things will change dramatically during the remaining of my professional lifetime. If 40 years ago when I started translating someone would speak of computers, internet, CATs, MT, ChatGPT, bots and AI I know I’d say: “Huh, this MUST be science fiction!”. More than never, to survive in this industry translators will need to be knowledgeable, skilled, adaptable, strategic and resilient… [/quote]

The pace of technological advancement is exponential, and within a few years, it's possible that this profession could become obsolete. I don't consider myself pessimistic, but rather realistic. My hope is that creative translation and writing will remain relevant for a while longer, although I doubt they will endure for another 20 years, which is when I plan to retire.

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are: | Leaning towards optimistic in the short-run

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: Leaning towards optimistic in the short-run

I’m optimistic by nature and I'm nearing the end of my career. I have no crystal ball and I’m no good at predictions, but I'm one of those people who always see the glass as half full and I don’t believe things will change dramatically during the remaining of my professional lifetime. If 40 years ago when I started translating someone would speak of computers, internet, CATs, MT, ChatGPT, bots and AI I know I’d say: “Huh, this MUST be science fiction!”. More than never, to survive in this industry translators will need to be knowledgeable, skilled, adaptable, strategic and resilient…

Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:

ProZ.com Staff — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:10:05 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "My feelings about the future of the language services industry are:".

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