Ridiculous job system(s) Thread poster: Jeff Whittaker
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Jeff Whittaker 
United States
Local time: 12:14
Spanish to English
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I just received a job notification from an agency that posts their projects on-line. This most recent job is over 40,000 words long. Translators log into the system and are presented with a segment to translate. Apparently, you are supposed to finish your segment, then hit next and then you are given another segment (not necessarily the next sentence as other translators are also working at the same time). I do not know if you have access to the whole document or not or whether or not you can go... See more I just received a job notification from an agency that posts their projects on-line. This most recent job is over 40,000 words long. Translators log into the system and are presented with a segment to translate. Apparently, you are supposed to finish your segment, then hit next and then you are given another segment (not necessarily the next sentence as other translators are also working at the same time). I do not know if you have access to the whole document or not or whether or not you can go back and make changes, but once you hit next, your translation is entered into the TM. Who can work like that?
Also, there seem to be more and more "systems" popping up where you are expected to accept a job without first being able to view the document. Is it normal for translators to just accept jobs without evaluating them first? One site (I must have signed up long ago) keeps sending me job notifications (most of which are for jobs under $20 or in other words, way under my minimum fee) with minimal information about the project (legal, medical, 2,000 words, etc.) and before I can even open the e-mail, I get another e-mail notification informing me that some other translator has already snatched up the work. Insane. I keep thinking about deleting my name from their system, but it always gives me a good laugh to think of the poor sucker doing an $18.00 translation.
I'm afraid to think about what kind of system they will come up with next.
[Edited at 2011-04-23 02:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 12:14
Spanish to English
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| Destined for extinction | Apr 23, 2011 |
I receive the same kinds of notifications (it is always a nice touch when such agencies solicit your "friendship" on Facebook before they give you any work).
My thought is that the poor work produced under such a system will eventually catch up with these agencies, and that this will lead to its disappearance.
I hope that its demise is not unduly delayed.
[Edited at 2011-04-23 12:08 GMT]
| | | | | professional translators-cum-soothsayers can | Apr 23, 2011 |
Jeff Whittaker wrote:
Who can work like that?
Also, there seem to be more and more "systems" popping up where you are expected to accept a job without first being able to view the document. Is it normal for translators to just accept jobs without evaluating them first?
It appears there are now also translators with a diploma in soothsaying, because how else could one explain for example job postings like 'transcription into...'. These are jobs where often not even the project managers are able to tell what it is all about, quality of recording, dialect, etc. And yet they expect to get quotes and delivery dates based on zilch.
| | | | | agree and why laugh? | Apr 24, 2011 |
Jeff Whittaker wrote:
Apparently, you are supposed to finish your segment, then hit next and then you are given another segment (not necessarily the next sentence as other translators are also working at the same time). I do not know if you have access to the whole document or not or whether or not you can go back and make changes, but once you hit next, your translation is entered into the TM. Who can work like that?
I agree. That's terrible.
Done that in a couple of projects in a similar system. Some co-translators skim through the document and translate the easiest parts, e.g. segments with numbers, etc.
Jeff Whittaker wrote:
I keep thinking about deleting my name from their system, but it always gives me a good laugh to think of the poor sucker doing an $18.00 translation.
I am also always too late for similar small projects. Perhaps, 5-10 minutes late. If somebody earned $18.00 in 5-10 minutes, why laugh? It's $108.00-216.00 per hour.
[Edited at 2011-04-24 19:55 GMT]
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Romeo Mlinar
Portugal
Local time: 17:14
English to Serbian
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| It will last | Apr 24, 2011 |
Robert Forstag wrote:
My thought is that the poor work produced under such a system will eventually catch up with these agencies, and that this will lead to its disappearance.
The quality of such work is average to terrible. However, I'm not sure about its demise... The price is between moderate to cheap, and again higher than the lowest I've seen on this site.
The thing is – big clients (= the ones having money and reputation) don't choose such services. And they should not.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:14
English to German
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In memoriam | I am not sure if this kind of math will work here. | Apr 24, 2011 |
Mykhailo Voloshko wrote:
If somebody earned $18.00 in 5-10 minutes, why laugh? It's $108.00-216.00 per hour.
Even if the 100 words are written down in a few minutes, it might take an additional half an hour or longer to figure out what you are actually writing about. 
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Nicole Schnell wrote:
Even if the 100 words are written down in a few minutes, it might take an additional half an hour or longer to figure out what you are actually writing about.
I was always late for such small jobs. Even if I followed the link in the job notification almost immediately. Say, I was 5-10 minutes late. It means the person, who snatched the job first, spent 5-10 minutes to complete it. That was my math.
[Edited at 2011-04-24 22:09 GMT]
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:14
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam | It's just not worth the little ulcers in your stomach | Apr 24, 2011 |
Mykhailo Voloshko wrote:
Nicole Schnell wrote:
Even if the 100 words are written down in a few minutes, it might take an additional half an hour or longer to figure out what you are actually writing about.
I was always late for such small jobs. Even if I followed the link in the job notification almost immediately. Say, I was 5-10 minutes late. It means the person, who snatched the job first, spent 5-10 minutes to complete it. That was my math. [Edited at 2011-04-24 22:09 GMT]
I totally got rid of the habit of answering emails and what-not notifications at the drop of a hat. Take a number and stand in line. I even had to tell a new PM at a long-time agency client that I am not into this "first come, first serve" game, and things were set. I am not willing to have my office managed by any other persons, even if I was simply busy looking at funny videos on YouTube, painting my toe nails or picking my nose, for that matter. You are giving the wrong impression, you look needy. And therefore vulnerable. Never do that.
If it's urgent - give me a call. I am no vending machine.
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Nicole Schnell wrote:
I totally got rid of the habit of answering emails and what-not notifications at the drop of a hat. Take a number and stand in line. I even had to tell a new PM at a long-time agency client that I am not into this "first come, first serve" game, and things were set. I am not willing to have my office managed by any other persons, even if I was simply busy looking at funny videos on YouTube, painting my toe nails or picking my nose, for that matter. You are giving the wrong impression, you look needy. And therefore vulnerable. Never do that.
If it's urgent - give me a call. I am no vending machine.
I agree, it's no good looking needy. But in this case, you don't look needy, you don't look anything to a machine. As to me, I sometimes follow the links in the notifications, out of curiosity.
First, it was interesting to see how this new service works. Then I understood it's a rat race. Jeff described it well. If I were to translate my stuff, I would never rely on such systems.
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