Poll: Do you respond to crowdsourcing requests?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Feb 10, 2015

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you respond to crowdsourcing requests?".

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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:49
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Feb 10, 2015

I occasionally bung Wikipedia a tenner as I appreciate their efforts - does that count?

PS: Mea culpa. I understood "crowdfunding". In that case, my answer would usually be no - it takes me all my time to deal with my regular work.
I did translate a website free of charge a couple of years ago for a worthy cause (spinal injury research), but normally I'm too busy to entertain approaches for unpaid collaboration.

[Edited at 2015-02-10 10:00 GMT]

[Edited at 2015-02
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I occasionally bung Wikipedia a tenner as I appreciate their efforts - does that count?

PS: Mea culpa. I understood "crowdfunding". In that case, my answer would usually be no - it takes me all my time to deal with my regular work.
I did translate a website free of charge a couple of years ago for a worthy cause (spinal injury research), but normally I'm too busy to entertain approaches for unpaid collaboration.

[Edited at 2015-02-10 10:00 GMT]

[Edited at 2015-02-10 10:01 GMT]
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Tim Drayton
Tim Drayton  Identity Verified
Cyprus
Local time: 23:49
Turkish to English
+ ...
No Feb 10, 2015

Well, I have never received such a request, actually, but I wouldn't respond expect in a negative manner.

 
DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:49
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Other ... Feb 10, 2015

I don't think I've ever received such a request.
If I did I would treat every case on its merits, or lack thereof, and respond accordingly.

[Edited at 2015-02-10 10:21 GMT]


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Uh, hello? Feb 10, 2015

Translate something for free when I could be translating something for money?

Am I missing something?


 
Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:49
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
not by request... Feb 10, 2015

... but I've added one or two edits on Wikipedia, translated a couple of transcripts on a coursera course... not much, but I figured that I use and benefit from these free services and if something catches my attention and I'm not in a mad rush, then I should also contribute in some form.

The problem with actual calls for volunteers is that they a) often come from profit-making organisations looking for free labour and b) want my time at the most inconvenient moment.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:49
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I don't consider translating pro bono as crowdsourcing Feb 10, 2015

I don't remember ever seeing any crowdsourcing requests.

Possibly general invitations to contribute to sites such as 'MyMemory' - but I practically never have time to do so, and purely technically I do not know how to start.

If a translator works for Translators Without Borders or any other non-profit organisation to support the cause, taking on work and delivering it without charge, that is not crowdsourcing as I understand it. The only way it differs from professional
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I don't remember ever seeing any crowdsourcing requests.

Possibly general invitations to contribute to sites such as 'MyMemory' - but I practically never have time to do so, and purely technically I do not know how to start.

If a translator works for Translators Without Borders or any other non-profit organisation to support the cause, taking on work and delivering it without charge, that is not crowdsourcing as I understand it. The only way it differs from professional work is the payment (or agreement on non-payment).

Just as sitting on committees, serving as honorary treasurer etc. without fees is not 'crowd' work, but providing a personal service with personal responsibility.

I would probably not contribute to crowdsourcing if asked.
I take responsibility for my work, and a crowd cannot - nobody can be sure who fiddled with it last, or why.
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Helen Hagon
Helen Hagon  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:49
Member (2011)
Russian to English
+ ...
What is crowdsourcing? Feb 10, 2015

Please excuse my ignorance. I thought crowdsourcing meant those kinds of jobs where 100,000 words are required for the next day so the job is divided up among several translators (which incidentally I usually turn down as they usually come from dubious sources and I can't imagine how it is possible to ensure any kind of quality or continuity). Judging from other peoples' responses, though, I seem to have the wrong end of the stick...

 
Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 06:49
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
No Feb 10, 2015

And, I hardly receive these kinds of requests.

If I lived in an ideal world where I was independently wealthy and could recline on a velvet couch eating grapes and drinking champagne all day long dressed in a toga (ancient Roman kimono), I could entertain the thought of doing pro bono stuff for a good cause.

But, alas. Woe is me! Such is not the world. I have to slave like a whatsit on the wrong end of a chain gain to make a living. Sigh...

However,
I
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And, I hardly receive these kinds of requests.

If I lived in an ideal world where I was independently wealthy and could recline on a velvet couch eating grapes and drinking champagne all day long dressed in a toga (ancient Roman kimono), I could entertain the thought of doing pro bono stuff for a good cause.

But, alas. Woe is me! Such is not the world. I have to slave like a whatsit on the wrong end of a chain gain to make a living. Sigh...

However,
If this question refers to the definition that Helen's just given us, then I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole since the only foreseeable outcome of such an undertaking would be a total clustermess that I would not want to lend my name to. Sometimes the bar gets lowered too far you cannot limbo.
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Diana Coada (X)
Diana Coada (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:49
Portuguese to English
+ ...
This Feb 10, 2015

Tim Drayton wrote:

Well, I have never received such a request, actually, but I wouldn't respond except in a negative manner.


 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:49
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
No, of course not Feb 10, 2015

BTW: I have received a request once or twice.


[Edited at 2015-02-10 13:45 GMT]


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:49
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Ditto! Feb 10, 2015

Tim Drayton wrote:

Well, I have never received such a request, actually, but I wouldn't respond expect in a negative manner.


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:49
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
No Feb 10, 2015

I've received a few of these requests, but didn't even take the time to reply. Charity is a voluntary act/deed and shouldn't be solicited by companies that can easily afford to pay a decent rate.

 
Yvonne Gallagher
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 21:49
Member (2010)
French to English
+ ...
No Feb 10, 2015

it can be read in a few ways...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing


 
Mariel Varjão Azoubel
Mariel Varjão Azoubel  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:49
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Crowdsourcing... Feb 10, 2015

...doesn't necessarily mean for free. There a few agencies out there that work with crowdsourcing, but have turned it into a paid job. Usually it doesn't involve translating (it's something like checking breadcrumbs, or if a research's intent is adult or not) and it's fairly underpaid so... Yeah, it guess it would be kind of "for free" if you consider the amount they're willing to pay.

 


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