| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15] > | Let's improve ProZ.com! (Three things I would do to improve ProZ.com if I were in charge.) Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
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- A notification flag list for forum posters.
When my friends post something I might want to check the thread.
- A filter to hide irksome low-paid job offers from the screen,
not only from email notifications.
- Maybe some WAP functionality.
Currently, I don't use any mobile, but if I would, I would want as much as possible on WAP.
Harry
| | | | Andy Lemminger 
Canada
Local time: 11:19
Member (2002)
English to German
I have been frustrated with KudoZ lately and that's why I am not participating anymore.
Here are my suggestions:
- Colleagues whose areas of specialization do not comprise the area of a term question and its language pair should neither be allowed to answer nor should they be allowed to agree or disagree with an answer.
The first would drastically improve the quality of answers. The second would drastically improve the choice of the correct answers.
- Collea... See more I have been frustrated with KudoZ lately and that's why I am not participating anymore.
Here are my suggestions:
- Colleagues whose areas of specialization do not comprise the area of a term question and its language pair should neither be allowed to answer nor should they be allowed to agree or disagree with an answer.
The first would drastically improve the quality of answers. The second would drastically improve the choice of the correct answers.
- Colleagues who answered a question should not be able to agree or disagree with other answers of the same question. Comments about other answers should be limited to their answer text (which they are able to modify anyway).
First of all this should improve the way how we are treating each other. Some colleagues love to frequently disagree with all other answers posted and make that very clear. This results in unnecessary disputes. If there are different questions they should be judged by people who are unbiased, i.e. not the answerers themselves. It is arrogant to believe that other people are not able to judge the answers but only the answerer himself, e.g. by making foul remarks.
As a result this would also improve the professionalism of this site because it just looks ridiculous if grown-up professionals start to fight about their points.
- No KudoZ for the same answer with a longer explanation. I understand that it is more valuable to provide the correct term and in addition a small novel about its meaning. Nevertheless this distracts other people from participating. It should be enough to provide the correct answer, this is what KudoZ is about. Everybody can build on the correct answer by reposting it and adding articles from Wikipedia or somewhere else. Some people do this all the time and get rewarded for it. Therefore the same answer should be blocked.
- The asker should not be allowed to grade the answer. The points should instead be automatically awarded by the Agree/Disagree balance after two weeks. Reasons: a) The asker is not qualified to grade the question. If he were he didn't have to ask in the first place. b) It happens tons of times that the asker chooses the answer of a buddy or doesn't choose the answer of someone he doesn't like. On a professional site there is no room for such a childish behaviour.
[Bearbeitet am 2006-09-21 21:55] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kevin Pfeiffer (X)
Germany
Local time: 19:19
German to English
+ ...
| I would add the missing apostrophe | Sep 21, 2006 |
The translator's workplace
And then pass on my next two wishes to the person behind me.
[Edited at 2006-09-21 22:49]
| | | | | Is it my turn? | Sep 21, 2006 |
Firstly, as put so nicely by Endre:
Endre Both wrote:
Shift focus towards quality and professionalism. In particular:
- Recognise the value that experienced professionals bring to the site beyond their membership fee.
- Take a stronger stance against unprofessional behaviour, including patently false claims about qualifications and consistently erratic KudoZ contributions.
- Expand the identity verification scheme as suggested above
Secondly (and most importantly, from where I'm standing):
I'd still love to have a system for keeping track, maybe months later, of whatever interests me on the site, e.g.:
- old questions with ensuing discussions (which might be particularly interesting, funny, ridiculous, entertaining...),
- forum discussions and recommendations,
- which translators to keep in mind for future collaboration (with space for entering private comments),
- who to avoid at all costs (also with space),
etc. etc.
It seems I mean something like the bookmark tab suggested by Claudia Alvis, but where you can also take private notes.
Thirdly:
# Don't implement any of the changes suggested by Andy L. Sorry Andy, nothing personal. I just disagree with all four.
It's still an okay site, currently sinking, and if this is as bad as it gets, I'm sure I'll renew my membership. What frustrates me is that it has the potential to be so much better.
Ciao, C
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| Thanks Kevin. I've got five!!! | Sep 21, 2006 |
First of all, let me say that ProZ is a very useful site for me.
Some suggestions.
1) KOGs clean-up (not the first one to ask for it, I know, but the more, the merrier).
2) Since ProZ is recognized worldwide, it can be a useful tool to promote/advertise/create awareness/upgrade our profession in other sites, pages, newspapers, whatever. With the authors' authorization, some of the articles may be quoted outside the site. Is that possible? It is my perceptio... See more First of all, let me say that ProZ is a very useful site for me.
Some suggestions.
1) KOGs clean-up (not the first one to ask for it, I know, but the more, the merrier).
2) Since ProZ is recognized worldwide, it can be a useful tool to promote/advertise/create awareness/upgrade our profession in other sites, pages, newspapers, whatever. With the authors' authorization, some of the articles may be quoted outside the site. Is that possible? It is my perception that people in general don't know what it takes to be a reliable translator.
3) Easy-to-handle functions and - as George said above - make us feel it is the TRANSLATOR'S WORKPLACE, meaning translators come first.
4) Strict VIDding.
I pass my fifth on to the following colleague.
Claudia ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My three wishes... | Sep 21, 2006 |
1.
I don't agree with restricting the questions for members to 15. Sometimes, there's a really complicated text with no time to look up for the difficult terms (could be 18, 20 or more); in that case, asking peers is a great help but why restricting these? If we pay, I believe we can ask as many questions as we can. Only positive things can happen: we finish our translation on time, get interesting answers and peers obtain Kudoz points.
2.
A live chat. It'... See more 1.
I don't agree with restricting the questions for members to 15. Sometimes, there's a really complicated text with no time to look up for the difficult terms (could be 18, 20 or more); in that case, asking peers is a great help but why restricting these? If we pay, I believe we can ask as many questions as we can. Only positive things can happen: we finish our translation on time, get interesting answers and peers obtain Kudoz points.
2.
A live chat. It's nice to meet people and to write them an e-amil or try to contact them via Skype but sometimes you don't get answers from them, either they are not connected or they are not interested. With a live chat, you could talk and share things live with those who really want it.
3.
A way HOME! After clicking on some links, for example, when upgrading Kudoz points, when checking somone's profile, etc. you get to a one-way street and can't get back to the home page anymore. A link to the Home Page should be present everywhere, all around the site.
[Edited at 2006-09-21 23:51] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Harry Hermawan
Indonesia
Local time: 00:19
Member
English to Indonesian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
1. Help on small payments for translators as suggested by Henrik Pipoyan (9220). This would help me and others in my language pair a lot more.
2. Filter non-paying members, I see lots of non-paying members in my language pair (yet potential members) just letting their accounts idle. I want to see this resolved, as in, if they really want to belong, give them time constraints on becoming users on Proz.
3. It is nice to know who the winners are on jobs after closing of a... See more 1. Help on small payments for translators as suggested by Henrik Pipoyan (9220). This would help me and others in my language pair a lot more.
2. Filter non-paying members, I see lots of non-paying members in my language pair (yet potential members) just letting their accounts idle. I want to see this resolved, as in, if they really want to belong, give them time constraints on becoming users on Proz.
3. It is nice to know who the winners are on jobs after closing of a bid, as it present to others, lesson-learnt on how to win for projects in the future.
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Dear Henry,
For thousands of ProZians, your site has been an important tool for connecting with other language professionals and clients over the years. The fact that other sites try to mimic the best of what ProZ has to offer is testimony to your vision and resourcefulness. But the vastness of your site is sometimes dizzying, which has possibly resulted in some of the problems/concerns stated above and, regrettably, the departure of valued colleagues. I wonder, then, whether these ... See more Dear Henry,
For thousands of ProZians, your site has been an important tool for connecting with other language professionals and clients over the years. The fact that other sites try to mimic the best of what ProZ has to offer is testimony to your vision and resourcefulness. But the vastness of your site is sometimes dizzying, which has possibly resulted in some of the problems/concerns stated above and, regrettably, the departure of valued colleagues. I wonder, then, whether these developments are symptomatic of a temporary loss of focus vis-à-vis your mission statement or a temporary loss of control. I do believe, however, that a number of the suggestions above could be valuable in rectifying this drift. In that spirit, here are my two bits (and my apologies in advance for being repetitious):
1) Under “Years of full-time experience as a translator:” in our profile settings, give us the option of having this figure increase automatically upon renewal of membership.
2) Provide paying ProZians with an opportunity to participate in group policies. One option would be for collection, while another could be for Errors & Omission Insurance. In both cases they are expensive items for sole proprietors.
3) Kick out mala fide outsourcers well before they hit rock bottom on the BlueBoard.
HTH.
(revised word count = 212)
[Edited at 2006-09-22 02:41]
[Edited at 2006-09-22 02:41] ▲ Collapse
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| My three cents... | Sep 22, 2006 |
Hi Henry,
As mentioned to you at the Conference, I would love to have a 'Book Corner' or something alike, where translators can find information about books, dictionaries, glossaries, etc specially related to the profession. Information to be found could be name of the book, authors, language pairs (in case of dictionaries or glosaries), type of book, area of specialization, comments from other translators on this book, publishing house, etc. That was number 1.
2. As me... See more Hi Henry,
As mentioned to you at the Conference, I would love to have a 'Book Corner' or something alike, where translators can find information about books, dictionaries, glossaries, etc specially related to the profession. Information to be found could be name of the book, authors, language pairs (in case of dictionaries or glosaries), type of book, area of specialization, comments from other translators on this book, publishing house, etc. That was number 1.
2. As mentioned by other colleagues, I would consider focusing on quality, verified members, credentials and somehow drive outsourcers to quality and not only to low rates.
3. To be able to save topics, articles or any kind of information in my own profile, so i do not have to find it each time i want to read about it.
Again, thank you for making the site possible and be willing to improve it!
Magda =D ▲ Collapse
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1. Improve the forum search - it really needs some functions, like searching for a search string within a subject (for example, search for "text conversion" in the PDF subject within the translation software forum). Also, it would be good to add the title of the thread also, not just the title of the message, in the forum search results. It sure would allow us to not start multiple threads on the exact same question...
2. The ability to leave BlueBoard comments on payment issues for... See more 1. Improve the forum search - it really needs some functions, like searching for a search string within a subject (for example, search for "text conversion" in the PDF subject within the translation software forum). Also, it would be good to add the title of the thread also, not just the title of the message, in the forum search results. It sure would allow us to not start multiple threads on the exact same question...
2. The ability to leave BlueBoard comments on payment issues for all members, regardless of membership level or participation in site features. Blue Board entries are meant to help other users determine whether it's risky or not to work with an outsourcer - this information should not depend on the status of the person who posted it.
3. Allow people to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Good Ramadan, etc. In other words, not censor things that are truly inoffensive. Also, leave some room for off-topic threads where subjects unrelated to trasnaltion can be discussed - it would be like going on a coffee break with colleagues, where we could talk about the weather, about the news, etc. We all work on our own and don't have any live colleagues - this would help us unwind at the end of the day and discuss things with smart colleagues who have things to say and can offer insight. We all know that we don't really have a social life because we don't see people in our workdays - and we can get pretty darn lonely sometimes...
4. Not allow to post jobs by people who aren't signed in (with up to date contact info INCLUDING their address) and not allow to offer jobs through messaging to groups of people - that's what the job board is for.
5. Not for points questions would be great - and agreeing on what to put in the glossary as a group would help improve the quality of the KOG - and by extension, Wikiwords.
There's more, but I already put more than the three asked for - will post more if needed and allowed. This resumes the most important ones for now.
A quicky I just thought of: have somebody in all larger towns who can verify identities. I don't have a credit card under my name as I am simply added to my boyfriend's card (we know having too many cards can be unhealthy for our credit from the bank's point of view, in particular for a loan) and there is no alternative to check my ID. I sure would like to be able to display that I am who I say I am... Worse comes to worst, if this is too much of a hassle, ProZ could still accept ID photocopies by mail certified by a notary or, where possible, by an attorney. This would probably work well.
[Edited at 2006-09-22 04:23]
Oh, and I agree with Mariella: whatever we say on the forum should not be googlable. I don't like people spying on what I've said over the years. It will make me want to participate much less in the forum - or is that the point?
I also think that right now, ProZ should focus on the quality of the jobs posted, and not on increasing their quantity. I am sure you catch my drift...
And, before my post gets removed - it can happen at any time, right? - I strongly agree that rates should come from service providers. I have stopped looking at the job board a looooong time ago because I just could not ask for a rate - it was already set in stone by the outsourcer. Excuse me, but I provide the service and it's mine to negotiate. I will NEVER give up on this - even if it means finally leaving this site.
[Edited at 2006-09-22 05:20] ▲ Collapse
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1/ introduce rotation of moderators on a regular basis - to make the doors open for anybody who wants to try. I'd try three months term to start (or 6 months - not longer).
2/ provide at least one extra colour (profile page) for a change.
3/ consider to bring a Wallet back.
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It would also be nice to have a "Hall of Fame" as well as a "Black List" of agencies. The Hall of Fame for those agencies that get a huge amount of only 5-point answers in the Blue Board (high and quick payers, kind and patient people, etc.). The Black List for those agencies that obtain only 1 or 2 points with comments of the translators who have worked for them stating why they gave them such score. Then we can all know, without having to check the agencies one-by-one, if they never pay for a ... See more It would also be nice to have a "Hall of Fame" as well as a "Black List" of agencies. The Hall of Fame for those agencies that get a huge amount of only 5-point answers in the Blue Board (high and quick payers, kind and patient people, etc.). The Black List for those agencies that obtain only 1 or 2 points with comments of the translators who have worked for them stating why they gave them such score. Then we can all know, without having to check the agencies one-by-one, if they never pay for a job, if they usually commit fraud, if they take years in paying or if they change parts of the agreement with the translator, to mention a few. ▲ Collapse
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I find Gianfranco's suggestion about VID an excellent idea, but I want to point out a detail and ask a question or 2: currently there is an identity verification option. You can either go to a powow, meet a moderator and have your identity verified, or (and this is the point that I don't agree) pay $ 5.00 by using your c/card and your identity is instantaneously verified. So everyone who has 5 bucks to spend can get a VID, even a student or a Joe Schmoe with a debit card. Why not considering the... See more I find Gianfranco's suggestion about VID an excellent idea, but I want to point out a detail and ask a question or 2: currently there is an identity verification option. You can either go to a powow, meet a moderator and have your identity verified, or (and this is the point that I don't agree) pay $ 5.00 by using your c/card and your identity is instantaneously verified. So everyone who has 5 bucks to spend can get a VID, even a student or a Joe Schmoe with a debit card. Why not considering the background, the education or the experience of the Proz user that wants to get the VID (especially for the non platinum members. There are lots of colleagues who are non platinum but who are excellent translators, think of Gian, Giorgio Testa, pataflo or Sofiablu, just to mention a few of the EN>IT area). Why not introduce other options? I have never attended any powow in the past because there wasn't any in the area where I live, so what could be another alternative for those who can't spend time or/and money to go to a powow, and don't agree with the principle of paying the $ 5.00 fee?
2- Get rid of all the empty profiles: if you have an empty profile you have nothing about you to show or to say.
3- Block askers who use Proz just to translate lyrics ("what does Dragostea din Tei mean?"), letters ("how do you say Merry Christmas in Bulgarian?") or simple words that can be found in any dictionary ("how do you translate chick peas, flip flops or snowshoes in italian?"). Any Babelfish can do it AND it's is against rule # 2. Moderators should enforce this rule because there are too many questions like these around.
[Edited at 2006-09-22 07:01]
[Edited at 2006-09-22 07:02] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | bookmark tab | Sep 22, 2006 |
Claudia Alvis wrote:
1. A bookmark tab. A separate page where we can add our bookmarks from all over the site. Sometimes I find a particular thread very useful and I want to keep track of it without actually having to keep track of the emails. It would be very helpful if we could just bookmark not only threads or posts, but articles, KudoZ questions, members, jobs, etc. in the same space.
Claudia
I agree with you, Claudia.
Some weeks ago, I discovered some fellow students from university. I don't necessarily wish to create a "group" with them, because our interests do not match, but I'd certainly like to keep them bookmarked and follow their "proz" development and projects, or for prospect future collaborations.
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Hi, Henry, thanks for letting us non-members comment.
My first action would be to make it easier to join Proz. I would love to become a member but am being put off by the complexity of the process and by the additional costs incurred by having to pay in dollars. I would set up bank accounts worldwide, or at least in major countries, to allow members to pay in the currency they chose. My apologies if this exists and I'm just missing something!
I would also highlight, as ... See more Hi, Henry, thanks for letting us non-members comment.
My first action would be to make it easier to join Proz. I would love to become a member but am being put off by the complexity of the process and by the additional costs incurred by having to pay in dollars. I would set up bank accounts worldwide, or at least in major countries, to allow members to pay in the currency they chose. My apologies if this exists and I'm just missing something!
I would also highlight, as many others have said, the search for a translator function.
Sorry, let me just edit this as my last post was based on what appears to be a computer error, as I am now being offered the possibility of paying in euros via a wire transfer, which I couldn't before. However, the system still appears to me to be more complicated than necessary, especially for those who do not live in the euro zone.
[Edited at 2006-09-22 12:13] ▲ Collapse
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