| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Abolishing Kudoz points Thread poster: Colin Ryan (X)
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Oliver Walter 
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
German to English
+ ...
| I would prefer... | Oct 1, 2010 |
Rather than abolishing KudoZ points, I would like to be able to divide my 4 available points among the answerers. This has been discussed previously (but I can't find it in a search).
Oliver
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| One thing that needs improvement | Oct 1, 2010 |
ANy time I ask a question I usually get a suitable answer within the hour.
But the currrent system means that questions have to be left open for *days* before you can award points and move on.
I suggest that questions should be kept open for a couple of hours only.
I know this doesn't work when people in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia etc may all want to answer the question but from the point of view of the asker, they're usually ... See more ANy time I ask a question I usually get a suitable answer within the hour.
But the currrent system means that questions have to be left open for *days* before you can award points and move on.
I suggest that questions should be kept open for a couple of hours only.
I know this doesn't work when people in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia etc may all want to answer the question but from the point of view of the asker, they're usually in a hurry and can't wait long. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 05:43
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Tom in London wrote:
ANy time I ask a question I usually get a suitable answer within the hour.
But the currrent system means that questions have to be left open for *days* before you can award points and move on.
I suggest that questions should be kept open for a couple of hours only.
I know this doesn't work when people in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia etc may all want to answer the question but from the point of view of the asker, they're usually in a hurry and can't wait long.
Why on earth would any time frame of less than 24 hours constitute an improvement?
Here is an example:
I live at the Pacific Coast (happens to a lot of Californians, Oregonians and Washingtonians, too, the poor suckers.). The time difference to Germany is 9 hours. So, at 3:30 in the afternoon I run into a linguistic problem. Too bad, my East Coast client already went home and is having dinner. It is past midnight in Germany and the nation is snoozing. So, what precisely are you proposing? Aside from anything that solely suits you best?
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Nicole Schnell wrote:
stuff
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OK 24 hours would already be an improvement.
Sometimes I get a reminder days later to grade a question I had already forgotten about.
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 05:43
English to German
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In memoriam
Tom in London wrote:
Nicole Schnell wrote:
stuff
[
OK 24 hours would already be an improvement.
Sometimes I get a reminder days later to grade a question I had already forgotten about.
24 hours IS the rule.
Says the FAQ thing.
| | | | | I like earning points :) | Oct 1, 2010 |
Hi all!
I only joined the ProZ community last week, but I must say I check out the KudoZ questions in my language pair several times a day just to see if there's someone I can help
I think this system is fun, and the chance of getting points makes it even more so!
However I've read that your KudoZ score determines your ranking in the ProZ directory. Having only been here a week, obviously I can't c... See more Hi all!
I only joined the ProZ community last week, but I must say I check out the KudoZ questions in my language pair several times a day just to see if there's someone I can help
I think this system is fun, and the chance of getting points makes it even more so!
However I've read that your KudoZ score determines your ranking in the ProZ directory. Having only been here a week, obviously I can't compete with any one on that level. But having earned 16 KudoZ points in just a few days, I think it'd be great if ranking could be determined by, for instance, the percentage of points one earns per week / month.
Just so new members get a chance...
Cecile ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Forgive me... | Oct 1, 2010 |
Tom in London wrote:
Sometimes I get a reminder days later to grade a question I had already forgotten about.
,,, but the failings of your memory do not, in my humble opinion, constitute valid grounds for re-assessing a system feature
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Heinrich Pesch wrote:
The kudoz-system generates traffic to the site and that generates profit. So it is no use to suggest changes that would pull down traffic. Quality is not so important as money.
Regards
Heinrich
This is the only reason why points haven't been abolished yet and never will... proposing to abolish them just shows a great deal of naivety, IMHO... Kudoz are great at attracting traffic and Kudoz without points will attract a lot less traffic... traffic is money. And why do people answer Kudoz questions? Some are genuinely helpful, others just want to show how clever and smart they are, but most want to get to the top of the list because they really believe they'll get more jobs... take the points aways, and the Kudoz system will die...
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Textklick
Local time: 13:43
German to English
+ ...
In memoriam | Wishful thinking? | Oct 3, 2010 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
The kudoz-system generates traffic to the site and that generates profit. So it is no use to suggest changes that would pull down traffic. Quality is not so important as money.
Regards
Heinrich
I confess that I am not an SEO expert.
Nevertheless, I would put forward the hypothesis that if higher site traffic increases site visibility, then consequently the likelihood of all associated with Proz (by default - primarily translators) being found on the net will increase: assuming that individuals have added sensible keywords. etc.
Maybe someone would care to amplify?
Cheers
Chris
[Edited at 2010-10-03 18:22 GMT]
| | | | | blueboard is good - check it before you accept any job | Oct 3, 2010 |
ryancolm wrote:
I've grown to entirely distrust the blue board. A couple of agencies which I know for a fact are treating their freelances like dirt have been getting 5/5 for years now. This is why I haven't enabled WWA (although several people have asked me to do so so they can "recommend" me). If the blue board can't be trusted, how can WWA be trusted? In the end, I'm just like any other sole trader: how I deal with my client directly is what makes me stand out from the competition. Or not.
I would say 5/5 is not too bad, and it is at least an indication that the translators got paid (how much, that's another question). What do you think of an overall blueboard rating such as 1.9/5 and the fact that these posters have been banned from posting jobs on proz.com?
This information is especially vital if such a banned outsourcer contacts you for a new job, trying to disguise herself/himself by not contacting you through the proz.com system but through different emails but often still using the same company name, address, phone number, project managers etc.
The blueboard record will help you find the information you need to stay away from them.
Had I always checked the blueboard record, I could have prevented a very difficult experience. It happened to me once, but hopefully, will not happen to me again.
Cheers,
Bernhard
[Edited at 2010-10-03 20:21 GMT]
| | | | | kudoz points system is not juvenile | Oct 3, 2010 |
NR_Stedman wrote:
I would prefer a less traffic-orientated and more elitist site but understand the economic imperatives of those running ProZ. I prefer the more relaxed system of the word reference forum and find the points system a bit juvenile. But then I also don't like the blueboard very much either and the long list of dubious 5/5s. I would prefer an optional agency-Proz charter with agencies agreeing to respect it.
One reason I value Kudoz is that I am getting something out of it besides a good resource for difficult terms (glossaries).
As an answerer:
1. if my answer is chosen: The points. I am ranked in proz.com according to the points.
I believe that the best KudoZ contributors are the ones with a great point-answer ratio.
That should be reflected in the rankings, not just the points per se.
I put some honest research into the questions or post something with confidence, based on experience.
2. if my answer is not chosen:
I am not perfect and the worst thing that can happen is that I get some good feedback (among some silly feedback).
I like the interaction and often the friendly exchanges with other translators. I have met many translators and have later worked with them.
There a few things I don't like (2 come to mind):
1. not everybody has the same gracious, hard-working, friendly and altruistic attitude when it comes to using the KudoZ system. Yes, there are those who are out for points only, but look at their points-answer ratio to judge.
2. I don't like to be just used as a translator (=free service) by askers who never give anything back. They don't answer. They don't comment and they don't "do" forums.
However, they do choose answers and some of them enter them into the glossary (if they're not way too busy to do that). Not always a good thing.
Currently, I do not answer questions posted by askers-only/non-answerers.
Some of them have asked hundreds, a few even thousands of questions and have answered either none or just a few.
I did start a separate thread about that. To find it, look in the KudoZ forum.
All the best,
Bernhard
| | | | Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
French to English
+ ...
Textklick wrote:
Nevertheless, I would put forward the hypothesis that if higher site traffic increases site visibility, then consequently the likelihood of all associated with Proz (by default - primarily translators) being found on the net will increase: assuming that individuals have added sensible keywords. etc.
Maybe someone would care to amplify?
In general, it's more important that other sites LINK to a given page, not how many people visit it per se. (But there are some exceptions, e.g. Alexa does take visitor volume into account, and theirs and other similar data may well get fed into other search engines.)
Also, the major search engines assign page rank (and possibly other criteria that influence search engine ranking) per individual PAGE, not per site.
So... it's probably fair so say that there's a LOOSE connection between amount of traffic to the site generally and the chances of somebody landing at your profile. But the connection isn't that direct either.
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Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
French to English
+ ...
| On the subject of KudoZ | Oct 3, 2010 |
As I understand, points are only ever added, not deducted. If people could be penalised for giving duff answers (e.g. -1 point for an answer downvoted more than 3 times etc), maybe this would encourage people to put their brain in gear before posting.
That said:
- I think the system is very useful -- it just needs refining, not abolishing
- I don't agree with a limit of X questions a day: I think discouragement from abusing the system should be built in in some other way... See more As I understand, points are only ever added, not deducted. If people could be penalised for giving duff answers (e.g. -1 point for an answer downvoted more than 3 times etc), maybe this would encourage people to put their brain in gear before posting.
That said:
- I think the system is very useful -- it just needs refining, not abolishing
- I don't agree with a limit of X questions a day: I think discouragement from abusing the system should be built in in some other way
- I don't see that it's terribly bad that people have a slight personal motivation for posting GOOD answers ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Voting rights | Oct 4, 2010 |
My only concern of Kudoz points is a few annoying [ironic and impolite] replies/comments. My emotional barometer rises. I imagine we have a voting system to remove certain questions, answers or comments (as suggested by so many forum posters).
Soonthon Lupkitaro
| | | | | Interesting points | Oct 5, 2010 |
Textklick wrote:
To me, Kudoz was the door-opener to networking on Proz.com
Interesting comment & comparison with Twitter, Chris. To a lesser extent I suppose I can say the same - was never very keen on submitting answers (most questions reveal a very basic lack of understanding or research skills), but I do enjoy passive browsing of the traffic and some of the impressions I am able to collect that way. I assume some potential outsourcers do this occasionally to update their blacklists.
I think that abolishing Kudoz points would dig heavily at the very core of Proz and its expansion.
Perhaps. I rather doubt that, but I'm sure H & Co. see it differently as is their right, and I don't see the points as a Great Evil to be fought. On the contrary, if they inspire some rather venal behavior, that is useful too. I've come to appreciate such instruments for indirect psychological and professional evaluation
I do know from experience that a term discussion environment without points is a very, very different one. Better in some ways, just different in others. I enjoy the relaxed, supportive discussions I see on a certain very private community board, but I think that has more to do with the professional and personal character of the participants (many of whom were KudoZ pros in the early days) than it does with the issue of points or no points.
Points are harmless or have uses other than the obvious. And if they help drive a bit of traffic, improve general the visibility of the site and cover staff overhead, etc. all the better. The endless agonizing over "justice" in the system is quite beyond the point. And when I review questions from the archive, I don't care who got the points. I read the discussion, evaluate it in the context of other information I have found and make my own judgement. If I'm not capable of that I shouldn't be translating.
[Edited at 2010-10-05 09:14 GMT]
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