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To Plus or not to Plus?
Thread poster: Roy Williams
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 07:06
ProZ.com team
Point of order Apr 28, 2019

Just to respectfully point out, Mirko, that the group makes no claims to provide jobs or direct access to clients.

And never has done.

It is a forum, nothing more. If it has a USP it is the focus on mindset (from my point of view) and possibly the atmosphere.

(Edited to add: imho mindset and atmosphere suffuse the group and account for its slant, even if they are the explicit subject of few actual posts).

But as Sheila’s excellent contributi
... See more
Just to respectfully point out, Mirko, that the group makes no claims to provide jobs or direct access to clients.

And never has done.

It is a forum, nothing more. If it has a USP it is the focus on mindset (from my point of view) and possibly the atmosphere.

(Edited to add: imho mindset and atmosphere suffuse the group and account for its slant, even if they are the explicit subject of few actual posts).

But as Sheila’s excellent contribution proves, people get out of the group what they want. And in direct proportion to what they put in.

(Edited to add: in 2017 it was ProZ.com who first approached me with a view to partnering the project, a decision they renewed in 2018 and again in 2019, in the full knowledge that they already had this forum).
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 07:06
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
More re: TMM Apr 28, 2019

Sheila Wilson wrote:
Here are the latest 10 topics, in order and without omissions...


So, one could say it's a Facebook version of Lantra-L (and all similar translator mailing lists). A "forum" for translators, without subforums to group posts by subject.

I would probably participate a lot more actively (read and also write posts/replies) if it were an actual mailing list. I wonder how many others would be keen on joining a ProZ.com-based mailing list like that (e.g. hosted at Groups.io).

--
As you know, Facebook shows different content to different users, based on some algorithm. This is what I can see as the content from the past 24 hours:

1. A shared link to dailypost.co.uk about a fuzzy machine mistranslation (1 comment)
2. A shared link to bpconf.com about a translation conference (5 comments, of which 2 shown)
3. A post asking about finding jobs via translator associations (17 comments, of which 2 shown and 8 "more")
4. A shared link to thefreelancery.com about dealing with direct clients (6 comments, of which 2 shown)
5. A post asking about copywriting pricing (with stock image) (1 comment)
6. A post about someone struggling to get clients (with stock image) (29 comments, of which 2 shown and 14 "more")
7. A post asking for tips about going to conferences (with stock image) (18 comments, of which 2 shown and 6 "more")
8. A post telling people that the person passed an exam (with related image) (45 comments, of which 2 shown and 21 "more")
9. A shared link to concordia.ca about bilingualism (5 comments, of which 2 shown, none of which by original poster)
10. A post asking a question about payment from direct clients (with stock image) (14 comments, of which 2 shown and 7 "more")
11. A shared link to blog.zingword.com about freelance translator isolation (3 comments, of which 1 shown, none of which by original poster)
12. A post with a personal message from a ProZ.com staff member (with screenshot) (19 comments, of which 2 shown and 10 "more")
13. A shared link to bbc.com about children translator for their parents (no comments)



[Edited at 2019-04-28 12:36 GMT]


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 07:06
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
On getting jobs via non-job forums Apr 28, 2019

Mirko Mainardi wrote:
Just to have a basic idea, how many projects/clients did you get in the last year through that group?


I am or have been a member of many translator discussion groups and a member of a number of translator associations. Over the past two decades, I don't think I had gotten more than 10 jobs directly or indirectly via those forums. The value of a non-job forum does not lie in their ability to get you jobs. You may or may not have gotten jobs via ProZ.com's systems designed to get you jobs, but even if you had, it is unlikely that you had gotten any of them via ProZ.com's forums.

[Edited at 2019-04-28 12:34 GMT]


Andrew Morris
Sheila Wilson
Jorge Payan
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 06:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
@ Samuel and Mirko Apr 28, 2019

Samuel Murray wrote:
one could say it's a Facebook version of Lantra-L.

I put that into Google and came up with a ProZ.com discussion back in 2012, where the OP said:

I naïvely assumed everyone had heard of LANTRA!

Well, 7 years on I still hadn't heard of it! Whether it's similar to the FB group in question, I have no idea.

As you know, Facebook shows different content to different users, based on some algorithm. This is what I can see as the content from the past 24 hours:

1. A shared link to dailypost.co.uk about a fuzzy machine mistranslation (1 comment)
2. A shared link to bpconf.com about a translation conference (5 comments, of which 2 shown)
3. A post asking about finding jobs via translator associations (17 comments, of which 2 shown and 8 "more")
4. A shared link to thefreelancery.com about dealing with direct clients (6 comments, of which 2 shown)
5. A post asking about copywriting pricing (with stock image) (1 comment)
6. A post about someone struggling to get clients (with stock image) (29 comments, of which 2 shown and 14 "more")
7. A post asking for tips about going to conferences (with stock image) (18 comments, of which 2 shown and 6 "more")
8. A post telling people that the person passed an exam (with related image) (45 comments, of which 2 shown and 21 "more")
9. A shared link to concordia.ca about bilingualism (5 comments, of which 2 shown, none of which by original poster)
10. A post asking a question about payment from direct clients (with stock image) (14 comments, of which 2 shown and 7 "more")
11. A shared link to blog.zingword.com about freelance translator isolation (3 comments, of which 1 shown, none of which by original poster)
12. A post with a personal message from a ProZ.com staff member (with screenshot) (19 comments, of which 2 shown and 10 "more")
13. A shared link to bbc.com about children translator for their parents (no comments)

You assume too much about my level of such things , Samuel, which is surprising after you've been kind enough to help me out on several occasions by "translating" my IT problems into plain, geek-free English. I have no idea how Facebook works. I don't even have a single "friend"there -- and no, I don't want any, thanks . I thought everyone sees the same thing. I personally just use FB as another set of forums, much like the ProZ.com ones but in my case relating to translating, editing, local and Spain news and, at the moment, Brexit .

@ Mirko: I agree with what's been said by others about the group not having the aim of placing jobs. I can't recall any that have come my way explicitly from that source. But the group forges closer relationships between translators who can trust each other. Some of the other members are regular outsourcers, and we all need holiday relief from time to time, so who knows? But I'm getting good value from the group discussions.


Andrew Morris
Oleksandr Ivanov
 
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 07:06
ProZ.com team
Jobs Apr 28, 2019

Having said that TM is not directly about jobs, several of the people I outsource to are members (while there are several more who are not, and have not ever been on Facebook, so in no way is it a condition).

During the last two years I have – through the group – observed and got to know a few people whose views on translation seemed so positive and informed that I began to work with them, and they have since become 'regulars' that I frequently turn to.

Many people
... See more
Having said that TM is not directly about jobs, several of the people I outsource to are members (while there are several more who are not, and have not ever been on Facebook, so in no way is it a condition).

During the last two years I have – through the group – observed and got to know a few people whose views on translation seemed so positive and informed that I began to work with them, and they have since become 'regulars' that I frequently turn to.

Many people within the group have outsourced to others, or given work away, or collaborated with them on joint projects, because they have built up a relationship of trust and cooperation, rather than competition.

All this happens informally: not setting up an actual jobs page within TM was agreed with ProZ.com for "non-compete" reasons.

But if you set up a network, chances are they will network.

Meanwhile, I myself have, over the years, received work and recommendations from around a dozen people because of my social media activity – totally out of the blue, and totally unsolicited.

And of course that same activity led to the partnership with ProZ.com and ultimately to this appointment.

So while the provision of job opportunities has never been an explicit aim, there's nothing to say it can't happen, in a hundred different ways.
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Sheila Wilson
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:06
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Jobs Apr 30, 2019

Andrew Morris wrote:

Having said that TM is not directly about jobs, several of the people I outsource to are members (while there are several more who are not, and have not ever been on Facebook, so in no way is it a condition).

During the last two years I have – through the group – observed and got to know a few people whose views on translation seemed so positive and informed that I began to work with them, and they have since become 'regulars' that I frequently turn to.

Many people within the group have outsourced to others, or given work away, or collaborated with them on joint projects, because they have built up a relationship of trust and cooperation, rather than competition.

All this happens informally: not setting up an actual jobs page within TM was agreed with ProZ.com for "non-compete" reasons.

But if you set up a network, chances are they will network.

Meanwhile, I myself have, over the years, received work and recommendations from around a dozen people because of my social media activity – totally out of the blue, and totally unsolicited.

And of course that same activity led to the partnership with ProZ.com and ultimately to this appointment.

So while the provision of job opportunities has never been an explicit aim, there's nothing to say it can't happen, in a hundred different ways.


I have done all of the above via these discussion forums, without being a member of TMM. And I am continuing to do so.


Baran Keki
 
Sara Pacheco
Sara Pacheco  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 03:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
Translation Mastermind not useful or interesting at all, in my opinion Sep 2, 2019

Tom in London wrote:

OK so Translation MistressMind is not a good reason for paying more to get the "Plus" package.

However apart from Andrew's remarks, and as a matter of interest, I would still welcome opinions from anyone else (i.e. ***not Andrew***) of the thousands of people who apparently use TMM and who can respond to my question (which Andrew didn't address):

Precisely *what* extras does TMM offer in addition to what the Proz package already offers? (Please, not just general statements about how great TMM is).

[Edited at 2019-04-27 09:18 GMT]




Hi Tom,

I was on the Translation Mastermind group for about 2 years and I was really very disappointed. In my opinion, it is just another Facebook group, nothing different from the hundreds of Facebook groups that are there on the web, just useless or empty talk. It shouldn't be considered as an "additional feature" of the Plus package.

Today I posted a comment in that sense, and I was immediately removed from the group. I sent a message to the administrator, complaining about the undemocratic attitude, and he offered to reinstate me, but I didn't accept of course, it is now clear to me that nobody can dissent or express dissatisfaction in the group and my comment was most probably removed.

To sum up: the Plus package has some advantages and I will probably continue with it, but Mastermind is not definitely one of then and should no be offered as an additional feature of the Pus package.

Best,

Sara



[Editado a las 2019-09-02 17:21 GMT]


Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Natasha Ziada (X)
 
Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I would say "Plus" Sep 4, 2019

Here is my approach (I know most of you wont like it):

If you have a decent profile on Proz (which you should have) and Proz is the only platform you chose to market your services on, I would go for the highest subscription package possible, unless, of course, the price gap is huge (which it isn't). That simple.

Now, of course, I am not using most of the "privileged content" Plus package offers. In fact, when you already have a decent client base, you hardly ever use Pr
... See more
Here is my approach (I know most of you wont like it):

If you have a decent profile on Proz (which you should have) and Proz is the only platform you chose to market your services on, I would go for the highest subscription package possible, unless, of course, the price gap is huge (which it isn't). That simple.

Now, of course, I am not using most of the "privileged content" Plus package offers. In fact, when you already have a decent client base, you hardly ever use Proz, as you are almost always busy working.
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Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Sara Pacheco
 
Mihai Badea (X)
Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 07:06
English to Romanian
+ ...
An opinion Oct 23, 2019

[Edited out by author]

Still, what he does is very helpful to our profession. He challenges us to think, to see things from different perspectives.

What Andrew does is very valuable. Our profession is, in a way, under attack. With Google Translate, deceiving advertisement by technology providers and so on, we've almost lost confidence. Are we still useful, or should we change profession?

Andrew's message, as I understand it, is: do not give up. Let's stay s
... See more
[Edited out by author]

Still, what he does is very helpful to our profession. He challenges us to think, to see things from different perspectives.

What Andrew does is very valuable. Our profession is, in a way, under attack. With Google Translate, deceiving advertisement by technology providers and so on, we've almost lost confidence. Are we still useful, or should we change profession?

Andrew's message, as I understand it, is: do not give up. Let's stay strong, let's think how we can prove our value, how we can ensure we have the good life we all deserve.

Andrew is not a hero. Don't expect jobs from him, and don't expect him to fight the fights we all need to fight on our own. But you can have a bit of appreciation for what he does, can't you?

Andrew, in addition to being a translator, is also a coach. That rather new profession that teaches us how to help ourselves, how to confront the difficulties of our professional and personal lives in a more efficient and, when possible, pleasant way.

Being coached is not easy thing, but being the coach is neither.

I think Andrew deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least.


[Edited at 2019-10-24 20:43 GMT]
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Mihai Badea (X)
Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 07:06
English to Romanian
+ ...
What's the difference? Oct 24, 2019

By the way, is there any difference between the two ways of becoming a Translation Mastermind member (ProZ.com vs payment directly to Translation Mastermind)?

Take a look: https://translationmastermind.com/members/


 
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