| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | ProZ.com forums increasingly being used for CAT support queries Thread poster: XXXphxxx (X)
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XXXphxxx (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
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Am I the only one who has noticed recently that the vast majority of forum topics seem to be covering CAT tools? I put my hand up. I have posted a few questions while trying to come to grips with SDL Studio 2009 and I am very grateful for the kind help, guidance and time generously offered by my ProZ colleagues. However, are these software businesses essentially relying on US, the translators, to provide THEIR Technical Support or are they monitoring the forums closely enough and providing valua... See more Am I the only one who has noticed recently that the vast majority of forum topics seem to be covering CAT tools? I put my hand up. I have posted a few questions while trying to come to grips with SDL Studio 2009 and I am very grateful for the kind help, guidance and time generously offered by my ProZ colleagues. However, are these software businesses essentially relying on US, the translators, to provide THEIR Technical Support or are they monitoring the forums closely enough and providing valuable help here and there for us to feel that that is sufficient? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Some thoughts on this | Jun 30, 2011 |
Hello Lisa,
I don't think that "these software businesses essentially are relying on US, the translators, to provide THEIR Technical Support".
One thing is, that if you sell tens or hundreds of thousands of licenses, you simply cannot provide free support on all issues because you would have no resources left for further development. Another thing is that many (and I dare to say most) posts in the Technical Forums are how-to questions. Many users ask questions first and read t... See more Hello Lisa,
I don't think that "these software businesses essentially are relying on US, the translators, to provide THEIR Technical Support".
One thing is, that if you sell tens or hundreds of thousands of licenses, you simply cannot provide free support on all issues because you would have no resources left for further development. Another thing is that many (and I dare to say most) posts in the Technical Forums are how-to questions. Many users ask questions first and read the help second. I certainly wouldn't expect the tech support guys to answer hundreds of how-to questions a day. ▲ Collapse
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Help not very 'helpful' | Jun 30, 2011 |
Stanislav Pokorny wrote:
Many users ask questions first and read the help second.
I, for one, have not found their 'Knowledge Base' and online help to be remotely helpful. I could give examples of many instances where I've searched their online help and not found any answers. Most of the time I find what I'm looking for by searching the ProZ SDL Trados forum. I personally only post questions on ProZ as a last resort, after having searched the tutorials and online help. I could be wrong but from memory (10+ years ago) Trados used to offer free support (at least starter support), there's nothing at all now. I wonder where they would be without ProZ members giving up their time to help others? The preponderance of CAT-related questions on the forum these days would indicate to me that they're not providing the service themselves.
| | | | Attila Piróth
France
Local time: 00:03
Member
English to Hungarian
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| RTFM - not applicable | Jun 30, 2011 |
Stanislav Pokorny wrote:
One thing is, that if you sell tens or hundreds of thousands of licenses, you simply cannot provide free support on all issues because you would have no resources left for further development. Another thing is that many (and I dare to say most) posts in the Technical Forums are how-to questions. Many users ask questions first and read the help second. I certainly wouldn't expect the tech support guys to answer hundreds of how-to questions a day.
No manual is included in Studio 2009. It is highly regrettable that providing one is not a priority for SDL. Something as detailed as the manual of Workbench would be most welcome.
The Help is no real alternative: the latter is useful only if you know what you are looking for. And in the absence of a manual I am not surprised that there are so many rather basic questions that pop up in the SDL forum. Paul from SDL spends quite a lot of time answering queries on the forum and helping people with their problems. (He is topped only by Jerzy, who has most probably been a blessing for most Trados users on ProZ.) I appreciate that - but I feel it would be way better if SDL spent the necessary time (and money) on compiling a detailed manual. It would certainly help support guys save a lot of time in the long run.
Trainings are not an alternative, either, but a complement.
Best,
Attila
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I thought your question was a more general one, but if you want to talk specifically about SDL, it's fine.
I, for one, have not found their 'Knowledge Base' and online help to be remotely helpful. I could give examples of many instances where I've searched their online help and not found any answers.
Speculation: perhaps you didn't search properly/correctly? I am quite sure their online help covers all the topics that are necessary to use SDL Trados Studio successfully.
Most of the time I find what I'm looking for by searching the ProZ SDL Trados forum. I personally only post questions on ProZ as a last resort, after having searched the tutorials and online help.
Me too (I tend to be the one providing answers). But we seem to be rather exceptional in this respect.
I could be wrong but from memory (10+ years ago) Trados used to offer free support (at least starter support), there's nothing at all now.
This is what usually happens along with the increasing numbers of licenses sold. If your software is good enough, you can provide free support for 20,000 licenses, but not to 100,000 licenses, let alone 500,000. BTW, SDL provide free support on installation and licensing issues and will continue to do so.
I wonder where they would be without ProZ members giving up their time to help others? The preponderance of CAT-related questions on the forum these days would indicate to me that they're not providing the service themselves.
Where would be the developers of other specialized software be without community-based support? Have a look at CAD software.
| | | | | RTFH - applicable indeed | Jun 30, 2011 |
Attila Piróth wrote:
No manual is included in Studio 2009. It is highly regrettable that providing one is not a priority for SDL. Something as detailed as the manual of Workbench would be most welcome.
Best,
Attila
Hi Attila,
with all due respect, I don't understand in what way could a PDF manual be better than the Help? You can read the help based on topics just as you would do with a manual. And the search options are far better in the Help than in a PDF manual. You may be perfectly right, but I simply don't understand for now.
BTW, is there a PDF manual for MS Office?
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Not SDL specific although they do dominate the forum | Jun 30, 2011 |
If you scroll down the list of topics currently being covered you will also be astonished how CAT tools dominate. Yes, this is partly because of their increased popularity but also because I think most people are finding that there is simply no technical support. Believe me, I quake each time I have to post a question on ProZ for fear of someone shouting me down for not having checked online help or searched to see if the question had already previously been posted. It really is a LAST resort an... See more If you scroll down the list of topics currently being covered you will also be astonished how CAT tools dominate. Yes, this is partly because of their increased popularity but also because I think most people are finding that there is simply no technical support. Believe me, I quake each time I have to post a question on ProZ for fear of someone shouting me down for not having checked online help or searched to see if the question had already previously been posted. It really is a LAST resort and a huge amount of time is expended beforehand trying to search the solution for the simplest operation. The absence of technical support is something blighting the entire software industry. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Attila Piróth
France
Local time: 00:03
Member
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Hi Stanislav,
HTML with all the hyperlinks that allow you to jump from one point of the document to another can be very useful,and it can often accelerate getting the required info in less time.
Linear reading has its advantages, too, I think. In a good textbook, the reader is not very frequently prompted to turn to page XX to understand a concept; instead, a short explanation may be given, and a comment "see more in Chapter X". The reader is better guided that way. ... See more Hi Stanislav,
HTML with all the hyperlinks that allow you to jump from one point of the document to another can be very useful,and it can often accelerate getting the required info in less time.
Linear reading has its advantages, too, I think. In a good textbook, the reader is not very frequently prompted to turn to page XX to understand a concept; instead, a short explanation may be given, and a comment "see more in Chapter X". The reader is better guided that way.
Another advantage is that the manual is independent of the software and even the computer. Probably not a typical case, but I learned a lot about Wordfast when I read the printed 100-page manual on a long train trip. If battery power is not an issue, doing the same is, of course, technically possible with the Help - but I think reading in a book(let) format can be much more convenient, pleasant etc. for quite a few people.
If the structure of the Help is such that it can readily be converted into a linear manual then what prevents SDL from doing it?
Best,
Attila ▲ Collapse
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Hi Attila,
please find my comments below:
Attila Piróth wrote:
Linear reading has its advantages, too, I think. In a good textbook, the reader is not very frequently prompted to turn to page XX to understand a concept; instead, a short explanation may be given, and a comment "see more in Chapter X". The reader is better guided that way.
I can see your point, Attila. However, I can read the Help linearly just as well.
Another advantage is that the manual is independent of the software and even the computer.
This may be a valid point under certain circumstances, but...:
Probably not a typical case, but I learned a lot about Wordfast when I read the printed 100-page manual on a long train trip. If battery power is not an issue, doing the same is, of course, technically possible with the Help - but I think reading in a book(let) format can be much more convenient, pleasant etc. for quite a few people.
Can you imagine printing a 700-page manual and dragging it with you on a trip? I would certainly never do that. I know a thousand better ways of training my muscles.
If the structure of the Help is such that it can readily be converted into a linear manual then what prevents SDL from doing it?
Agree. With DITA-based authoring tools, this shouldn't be a problem anymore.
[Upraveno: 2011-06-30 10:49 GMT]
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | SDL Studio 2009 for Dummies | Jun 30, 2011 |
@ Stanislav, Jerzy, Paul... There you go, you could make your millions It would sell like hot cakes.
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... this reminds me that Jerzy already has a manual of some sort for Studio (I think). I may be mistaken, but you may want to ask him.
Lisa Simpson wrote: @ Stanislav, Jerzy, Paul... There you go, you could make your millions It would sell like hot cakes.
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The answer to our prayers? | Jun 30, 2011 |
I expect Jerzy will be along soon... Shall we bet on it?
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Lisa Simpson wrote: I expect Jerzy will be along soon... Shall we bet on it?
I made a bet that I wouldn't bet anymore.
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Why has my title been changed? | Jun 30, 2011 |
I find it frustrating that titles are changed completely unilaterally without first running them past the topic starter (sometimes to include grammatical errors). My question was not "Where does support come from in the SDL Trados support forum?". It wasn't remotely that. It wasn't SDL Trados specific (initially) and the point of my question "ProZ becoming CAT support" was to question a) to what degree ProZ is providing the sole source of CAT support as the software providers are providing (next... See more I find it frustrating that titles are changed completely unilaterally without first running them past the topic starter (sometimes to include grammatical errors). My question was not "Where does support come from in the SDL Trados support forum?". It wasn't remotely that. It wasn't SDL Trados specific (initially) and the point of my question "ProZ becoming CAT support" was to question a) to what degree ProZ is providing the sole source of CAT support as the software providers are providing (next to) none of their own b) is CAT support dominating the forum? A completely different question to the one the title has now been changed to...
[Edited at 2011-06-30 12:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Attila Piróth wrote:
Hi Stanislav,
HTML with all the hyperlinks that allow you to jump from one point of the document to another can be very useful,and it can often accelerate getting the required info in less time.
Frankly, I never bother with the "interactive" help features that are included in most software packages nowadays. They are atrociously slow, the search is rubbish, and it's nigh impossible to find your way around them. Searching on the internet works better than the help, which is embarrassing for the authors of these help menus. A well-structured HTML manual would work better. I can Ctrl-F my way to the relevant parts all on my own, just give me something with a comprehensible structure.
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