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Helping or enabling?
Thread poster: Robert Forstag
NataliaShevchuk
NataliaShevchuk  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:19
English to Russian
+ ...
Let's put it simpler Jun 7, 2016

It is called (bio)diversity. There are "producers", "predators", "prey", "symbionts", "parasites", "opportunists", "detritivores", etc., etc. As much as the food chain allows. Just get over it.


[Edited at 2016-06-07 17:07 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
Enabling Jun 8, 2016

Apparently I have an altruistic nature and tend to want to help people when I can, especially if it gives me the chance to 'shine'. Often in kudoz it is glaringly obvious that the person struggling to translate the text, which would evidently be better done by a native speaker, is doing so despite the fact that it is not their native language, and I tend to feel sorry for them. Nevertheless, like the scorpion in the old fable, I usually end up trying to at least throw them a bone.

H
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Apparently I have an altruistic nature and tend to want to help people when I can, especially if it gives me the chance to 'shine'. Often in kudoz it is glaringly obvious that the person struggling to translate the text, which would evidently be better done by a native speaker, is doing so despite the fact that it is not their native language, and I tend to feel sorry for them. Nevertheless, like the scorpion in the old fable, I usually end up trying to at least throw them a bone.

However, and this is something I do find irritating, site often rules preclude calling a spade a spade and telling people that they would be better sticking to the day job, whatever that may be. And once someone is already translating a text, it will almost certainly be a waste of time trying to convince them they shouldn't be doing it in the first place...
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Amy Stevens
Amy Stevens  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
It depends Jun 8, 2016

I've only been translating freelance for about 6 months. I completed my degree (in Translation) and worked in house for a while before going full time freelance. There are things that until you ask someone, you will never know.

For example, I recently asked about an acronym because how is one to know this until they've come across it? One very helpful comment provided a link to a very useful resource for acronyms used in medical text in my main language combination. Had he not told
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I've only been translating freelance for about 6 months. I completed my degree (in Translation) and worked in house for a while before going full time freelance. There are things that until you ask someone, you will never know.

For example, I recently asked about an acronym because how is one to know this until they've come across it? One very helpful comment provided a link to a very useful resource for acronyms used in medical text in my main language combination. Had he not told me, I may have never found out about it and I've searched on the internet for useful resources so it's not a case of just being lazy, I already have a fair few resources that I use but if it's not there, it's not there.

With experience you learn about different areas of specialization and resources but until you've worked a little bit, you wont have that knowledge.

That said, there is a clear distinction between being a new-comer and a professional, and being someone who just accepts whatever projects despite not being prepared for it, just for extra cash. For example, I don't accept projects which I think I wouldn't be able to handle or in areas which I'm not comfortable in because I want to only be able to offer quality. In medical translation, I can do that (although it may take me a little longer than a more experienced translator) but in... finance for example, I'd have no idea.

So to answer your question: I think it depends on the situation. If it's a professional who just needs pointing in the right direction about something they're otherwise equipped to handle then I would consider it helping.

I hope that when I have more experience, I will still help new-comers because I think that is one of the things that makes proz a community of translators and not just a jobs forum.
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Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 17:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@Amy Jun 8, 2016

i agree with all of your points. I also ask questions on Kudoz!

Best wishes. 😊


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:19
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Hmmm Jun 8, 2016

Robert Forstag wrote:

Question:

When individuals continually post Kudoz queries, and often accompany these queries by suggestions of their own that reveal not only blatant cluelessness as to the terms in question, but a general ignorance as to the fundamentals of the target language, do they really merit the assistance of qualified professionals?


I refer you to Samuel Murray's post at

http://www.proz.com/forum/marketing_for_translators/302833-prozcom_membership_yes_or_no-page2.html

This may help to partly explain the situation. Quote:

"It is absolutely forbidden to secretly team up with another translator in the same language combination and ask various questions on KudoZ and answering them and making sure that the two of you always give the points to each other, but I suspect it happens a lot."


 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:19
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Two know more then one Jun 8, 2016

See title. I rest my case.

 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 05:19
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
You can't enable Jun 8, 2016

If someone is in fact grossly incompetent in what they're doing, nothing you do in KudoZ will help them put together something decent. Even if they ask 20 questions in a day.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
Enable this... Jun 10, 2016

AmyLouise2201 wrote:

There are things that until you ask someone, you will never know.



Exactly! Never a truer word was spoke! I had to explain this to my tech guy several times yesterday after installing windows 10 on my new PC. The most basic things like search boxes had disappeared... ( I'm still not liking it)....


 
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