Available on MSN or Yahoo Thread poster: Annika Hedqvist
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Annika Hedqvist 
Sweden
Local time: 23:24
Member (2008)
English to Swedish
+ ...
I have once before and again today run into a bureau that asks me to add them to my MSN or Yahoo Instant Messenger. First time it happened I simply said no and then lost contact with that potential client. I'm a beginner and I don't want to scare people away by not agreeing to their terms, so what I'm wondering is if this is a reasonable thing for a bureau to request.
My personal feeling is that I don't want to be constantly available and supervised this way. I answer quickly enough... See more I have once before and again today run into a bureau that asks me to add them to my MSN or Yahoo Instant Messenger. First time it happened I simply said no and then lost contact with that potential client. I'm a beginner and I don't want to scare people away by not agreeing to their terms, so what I'm wondering is if this is a reasonable thing for a bureau to request.
My personal feeling is that I don't want to be constantly available and supervised this way. I answer quickly enough to email that I don't see this as necessary, only an invasion of privacy. I use Yahoo IM or MSN for chatting with friends.
On top of it the email I got today seemed to be from a Chinese based bureau and the person who wrote it expressed himself this way: "pls pu ur name and language pair on ur nickname so that we can very identify u easily"
It doesn't inspire confidence...
What do you think about agreeing to be available on YIM or MSN? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 23:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| I'm always available | Oct 31, 2008 |
Annika Hedqvist wrote:
I have once before and again today run into a bureau that asks me to add them to my MSN or Yahoo Instant Messenger. ... My personal feeling is that I don't want to be constantly available and supervised this way. I answer quickly enough to email that I don't see this as necessary, only an invasion of privacy. I use Yahoo IM or MSN for chatting with friends.
It's your decision.
I'm always available on GoogleTalk, and I often get jobs from clients who message me before they even send me a mail. It also helps to build a personal relationship with clients.
These days, I don't accept invitations from anyone who hasn't e-mailed me first. I've had a few cases where I thought a person was a business contact and it turned out that they only wanted to chat because they thought I was from the other sex.
I also chat with friends, of course.
| | | | Merja Jauhiainen
Finland
Local time: 00:24
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
+ ...
| Agree with Annika | Oct 31, 2008 |
Annika Hedqvist wrote:
My personal feeling is that I don't want to be constantly available and supervised this way. I answer quickly enough to email that I don't see this as necessary
Yes, I agree with you, Annika. I've decided not to get into instant messaging with business contacts.
| | | | Rebecca Hendry
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:24
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
As Samuel says, it's entirely up to you. I use Skype and MSN to talk to some of my regular clients, and find it really useful - it's a quick, easy way of checking things, asking questions, etc...
The example you give of an agency asking you to edit your display name for their purposes seems a little over the top, however, and I don't think I'd bother with that. I use instant messaging programmes to chat with my friends and family too, and I don't want to have to be "Rebecca Hendry ... See more As Samuel says, it's entirely up to you. I use Skype and MSN to talk to some of my regular clients, and find it really useful - it's a quick, easy way of checking things, asking questions, etc...
The example you give of an agency asking you to edit your display name for their purposes seems a little over the top, however, and I don't think I'd bother with that. I use instant messaging programmes to chat with my friends and family too, and I don't want to have to be "Rebecca Hendry - Spanish to UK English" all the time. If an agency asked me to do that I would feel that it was a somewhat impersonal organisation that can't be bothered to check its records or learn the names of its collaborators (not to mention the terrible English!).
With regard to being "constantly available and supervised", I don't think you should worry about that - agencies have better things to do than check how many hours you are working/when you get up/how long you take over lunch based on when you sign in and out. Besides which, you can always "hide" by appearing offline if you don't want to talk to anyone..... ▲ Collapse
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Paula James
Spain
Local time: 23:24
French to English
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| not with unknown agencies | Oct 31, 2008 |
I only add clients I already have a good relationship with, I wouldn't dream of adding someone I hadn't worked with, or didn't have a good feeling about (with a message like that, for example!). And I agree about the language pair thing, even if they don't know they should be checking your details somewhere else to check you are the right person. I wouldn't like to add all kinds of people I don't know and then have them interrupt me for unimportant things, I'd make sure they actually have suit... See more I only add clients I already have a good relationship with, I wouldn't dream of adding someone I hadn't worked with, or didn't have a good feeling about (with a message like that, for example!). And I agree about the language pair thing, even if they don't know they should be checking your details somewhere else to check you are the right person. I wouldn't like to add all kinds of people I don't know and then have them interrupt me for unimportant things, I'd make sure they actually have suitable work for me first.
I use skype with some clients I already work with, and MSN for personal use, so I don't mix them. It is quite useful at times to get a quick answer to a query, rather than emails back and forwards, but sometimes can get a bit irritating when I'm trying to finish something and I get asked questions about past jobs, etc. If I'm really busy, or online for personal purposes rather than work I appear offline, as I did have one client who seemed to think nothing of starting conversations on Sunday morning/Friday night or other inappropriate times, when I had just logged on to do something else, or querying the fact that I wasn't logged on when I was working for them, but I think that's unusual. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ahmet Murati
Germany
Local time: 23:24
English to Albanian
+ ...
| Wel, for myself | Oct 31, 2008 |
I do use MSN messenger to communicate only with companies that I working for long term projects not for short ones.
| | | | Annika Hedqvist
Sweden
Local time: 23:24
Member (2008)
English to Swedish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks for your replies | Oct 31, 2008 |
I think it's a good idea that you should only add bureaus you already know. I'm glad to hear that so many of you think so.
In the end I think I'll try to avoid using IMs as much as possible, though. I just don't like being available like that, and I'd really want to avoid ending up in a situation like what Paula describes. If I only allow email and phone calls I will hopefully not be disturbed constantly because they take a little more effort. IM is just too easy.
Rebe... See more I think it's a good idea that you should only add bureaus you already know. I'm glad to hear that so many of you think so.
In the end I think I'll try to avoid using IMs as much as possible, though. I just don't like being available like that, and I'd really want to avoid ending up in a situation like what Paula describes. If I only allow email and phone calls I will hopefully not be disturbed constantly because they take a little more effort. IM is just too easy.
Rebecca, you had a good point about changing the nickname. I hadn't even thought about that...
It was good to hear your opinions. Thanks! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jana Zajicova
Czech Republic
Member (2007)
English to Czech
+ ...
| Skype tricks | Oct 31, 2008 |
I use Skype with many clients and find is practical. But I would definitely not change my username just to accomodate them. By the way, they can easily rename you in their list if they really insist on seeing your language pair(s) all the time. If I am not mistaken, the same can be done in Yahoo. I don't know about other IM applications. You might right-click a contact and check.
And you can use two Skype accounts simultaneously. I have never tried it but it sounds like a good optio... See more I use Skype with many clients and find is practical. But I would definitely not change my username just to accomodate them. By the way, they can easily rename you in their list if they really insist on seeing your language pair(s) all the time. If I am not mistaken, the same can be done in Yahoo. I don't know about other IM applications. You might right-click a contact and check.
And you can use two Skype accounts simultaneously. I have never tried it but it sounds like a good option for people who want to separate their business and personal contacts.
http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=59545&st=0&p=278169&#entry278169 ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 23:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Jana Zajicova wrote:
By the way, they can easily rename you in their list if they really insist on seeing your language pair(s) all the time. If I am not mistaken, the same can be done in Yahoo. I don't know about other IM applications.
I missed that part of the OP's post (about the agency asking her to change her nickname or display name). But you're right -- in GoogleTalk you can also change your contacts' display names.
In some IM programs, you can also sort them into categories. With Miranda IM, for example, which is a multiprotocol program, you can create many categories and then minimise the categories you don't need to see all the time.
What would be cool is if one could place a contact into more than one category so if a translator translates more than one language, you can put him in more than one category on your IM program.
If you want to use a protocol for both friends and business, why not get two user names? Then use the normal program for friends, and a multiprotocol program for business. For example, use MSN Messenger for friends, but use Psi or Miranda for business, even though both of these use a hotmail IM address.
| | | | | Create a business account | Nov 1, 2008 |
How about creating a separate account for the agencies you deal with? If you only add agencies and clients to this second account, you can keep clients and friends separated. You can have a 'professional' screen name as Rebecca suggests and have another one for private use. Also, it enables you to chat with friends and family without being available to your business contacts. The only downside of this is that you cannot log in to two accounts on the same computer at the same time, as far as I kn... See more How about creating a separate account for the agencies you deal with? If you only add agencies and clients to this second account, you can keep clients and friends separated. You can have a 'professional' screen name as Rebecca suggests and have another one for private use. Also, it enables you to chat with friends and family without being available to your business contacts. The only downside of this is that you cannot log in to two accounts on the same computer at the same time, as far as I know, so you cannot be available to friends and clients at the same time.
Edit: Sorry Samuel, hadn't fully read your post yet.
[Edited at 2008-11-01 14:38] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Annika Hedqvist
Sweden
Local time: 23:24
Member (2008)
English to Swedish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Two different MSN accounts and two different programs | Nov 2, 2008 |
These are good ideas. Thanks!
But solving this was really trickier than I thought.
It's impossible to be logged on with two MSN accounts ("messenger" and "live") in Live Messenger at the same time, like Marion said.
It also seems to be impossible to add a hotmail contact to my list of IM contacts if I'm using another program or even a multiprotocol program if I'm logged on with something else, for example AOL.
It's impossible to be logged on t... See more These are good ideas. Thanks!
But solving this was really trickier than I thought.
It's impossible to be logged on with two MSN accounts ("messenger" and "live") in Live Messenger at the same time, like Marion said.
It also seems to be impossible to add a hotmail contact to my list of IM contacts if I'm using another program or even a multiprotocol program if I'm logged on with something else, for example AOL.
It's impossible to be logged on to the same MSN account with two programs, for example Live Messenger and Miranda.
However, it doesn't seem to be impossible to be logged on to two different MSN accounts with two different programs. If I create a new account with "live" I can use my "hotmail" account in Live Messenger as usual, and I can use my "live" account in Miranda. At least they don't seem to be conflicting yet. And then I should be able to add business contacts who have MSN accounts to my "live" list in Miranda.
I'm not 100% sure it will work, yet, but I think it just might. ▲ Collapse
| | | | inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 23:24
French to German
+ ...
| I don't use instant messaging at all | Nov 5, 2008 |
I never felt the need for it. The only times I have been asked for an IM account was by some Asian agencies I would not have considered working for anyway due to the rates offered and doubts about their trustworthiness.
Sending an email is quick enough and as far as I am concerned it is nobody's business when I am actually working. Also, I prefer to check my emails when I feel like it and would hate to be interrupted when workinng on a difficult project.
Just my persona... See more I never felt the need for it. The only times I have been asked for an IM account was by some Asian agencies I would not have considered working for anyway due to the rates offered and doubts about their trustworthiness.
Sending an email is quick enough and as far as I am concerned it is nobody's business when I am actually working. Also, I prefer to check my emails when I feel like it and would hate to be interrupted when workinng on a difficult project.
Just my personal opinion of course... ▲ Collapse
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