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Dubious sample requests
Thread poster: shabda
shabda
shabda  Identity Verified
Bulgaria
Local time: 20:35
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
Oct 1, 2003

Namaste to everyone!

I address this especially to Proz.com staff.

Is it possible for you to modify job posting procedure so that when an outsourcer posts, he has to choose either “sample – none” or provide the sample text in the ad itself ?That way even if the sample is a bit longer, one at least knows the outsourcer is not fragmenting and distributing text to many people.

Thanks!
 
chance (X)
chance (X)
French to Chinese
+ ...
I think Emil’s suggestion is a good idea. Oct 1, 2003

Even if it is hardly believable for a normal agency, some agencies are doing it like this, unfortunately.

It is difficult to avoid this kind of behaviors, reacting as a single translator.

Emil Atanasov wrote:

Namaste to everyone!

I address this especially to Proz.com staff.

Is it possible for you to modify job posting procedure so that when an outsourcer posts, he has to choose either “sample – none” or provide the sample text in the ad itself ?That way even if the sample is a bit longer, one at least knows the outsourcer is not fragmenting and distributing text to many people.

Thanks!
 
CMJ_Trans (X)
CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 19:35
French to English
+ ...
let's not be naive Oct 1, 2003

This question has prompted me to do what I've been meaning to do for some time, namely query about how honest some potential "clients" are with their sampling practices. I ask because, a few months ago, I took part in a bidding process in which I was asked to check and correct a whole A4 page of already translated text and translate 2 short texts, each of about 1/2 page. I seem to remember there were at least 11 other bidders. I never heard from the "client" again. OK - maybe I wasn't up to his/... See more
This question has prompted me to do what I've been meaning to do for some time, namely query about how honest some potential "clients" are with their sampling practices. I ask because, a few months ago, I took part in a bidding process in which I was asked to check and correct a whole A4 page of already translated text and translate 2 short texts, each of about 1/2 page. I seem to remember there were at least 11 other bidders. I never heard from the "client" again. OK - maybe I wasn't up to his/her standards but it did get me thinking. If all 11 or 12 bidders each did a different part, then the "client" ended up getting the job for nothing. I'm not saying this is what happened but I did smell a rat at the time and consider the experiment as useful part of the learning process. Clients are of course interested in seeing a sample of your work, otherwise how can they judge but are we sure, by contrast, that samples are never used to obtain a freebie?
How can one protect against such abuse? ▲ Collapse
 
Ralf Lemster
Ralf Lemster  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 19:35
English to German
+ ...
Too easy to circumvent Oct 1, 2003

Hi Emil,
I appreciate the suggestion. However, given that under the current structure of the Jobs Area there are several possible channels of communication, this would be too easy to circumvent (ProZ.com simply cannot control an outsourcer's e-mail traffic).

The issue of "free riders" trying to (ab)use sample translations is certainly a valid one - we'll keep it in mind for the redesign of the Jobs Area (don't ask me about timing, though...).

Best regards, Ralf
 
shabda
shabda  Identity Verified
Bulgaria
Local time: 20:35
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I mean... Oct 1, 2003

Ralf Lemster wrote:

Hi Emil,
I appreciate the suggestion. However, given that under the current structure of the Jobs Area there are several possible channels of communication, this would be too easy to circumvent (ProZ.com simply cannot control an outsourcer's e-mail traffic).

The issue of "free riders" trying to (ab)use sample translations is certainly a valid one - we'll keep it in mind for the redesign of the Jobs Area (don't ask me about timing, though...).

Best regards, Ralf



Hi Ralf,


I mean that under "Sample text. Bidders must translate." the poster be given only two alternatives - enter sample text here ( it might be longer than conventional. I've read here in the forums discussed that 200-300 is all right for a sample. I would go along with more than that, but I have to know that everybody is translating the same.)or the other alternative - no sample is required. Thus, wherever else in the ad the outsourcer says or hints that he/she would like to have a sample translated, he/she will be saying "We want to cheat you."
 
sylvie malich (X)
sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 19:35
German to English
Excellent idea! Oct 1, 2003

Emil Atanasov wrote:
Is it possible for you to modify job posting procedure ... provide the sample text in the ad itself ? That way even if the sample is a bit longer, one at least knows the outsourcer is not fragmenting and distributing text to many people.


And not only that, you're killing two birds with one stone/getting two moquitos with one flyswatter (etc.):
in that we also instantly get an idea of the type of text so as to avoid unnecessary email traffic asking for a sample to rate the level of difficulty and such...

I mean it should be mandatory to provide an example of the text, for sample translation or not.



[Edited at 2003-10-01 16:12]
 


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