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Poll: What percentage of your projects require the use of CAT tools?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
C. Mouton
C. Mouton  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:41
Member (2007)
English to French
100% but... Feb 11, 2011

I agree with Jana: 0% of my projects "require" a CAT tool, they all could be translated without, since they're mainly, txt or htm files.

However, 100% of my clients ask me to use a CAT tool for all jobs.


 
ktirk
ktirk
Finland
Local time: 22:41
English to Finnish
+ ...
Interesting polarization Feb 11, 2011

The most common answer (as of writing this) is 91-100% and the second most common is 0%. Is this indicative of a more general division in the translation community as to the question of technology?

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 21:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Feb 11, 2011

Define "require".
I like using Wordfast (classic, not the professional, since I prefer the simpler interface and limited features of the former). I don't use Trados. I don't really like other TM programs I've worked with, such as Deja Vu, but will jump through the hoops when I can be bothered.
I sometimes use an old version of Systran MT program, but more for fun than anything else (it translates "piña" (pineapple) as "fragmentation grenade")...

[Edited at 2011-02-11 15:37 GM
... See more
Define "require".
I like using Wordfast (classic, not the professional, since I prefer the simpler interface and limited features of the former). I don't use Trados. I don't really like other TM programs I've worked with, such as Deja Vu, but will jump through the hoops when I can be bothered.
I sometimes use an old version of Systran MT program, but more for fun than anything else (it translates "piña" (pineapple) as "fragmentation grenade")...

[Edited at 2011-02-11 15:37 GMT]

Seriously though, perhaps the asker is starting up as a translator and is looking for advice about CAT tools in general. In that case, it would depend on whether she has any prospective clients, and if they are agencies or not, and whether they stipulate a particular software package/translation suite. Most agencies ask for Trados, the industry “standard” (although too expensive and complicated for my liking). Wordfast is a cheaper (and for me, more user and pocket friendly) version with a certain degree of compatibility. I can’t really say much about other SW due to my limited experience. My advice is to make sure that any outlay made on software is going to be worthwhile and will pay for itself before long…

[Edited at 2011-02-11 15:45 GMT]
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Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:41
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Zero Feb 11, 2011

I've had my CAT tool for eight months and have not used it once.

 
Joy Gehner
Joy Gehner
United States
Local time: 13:41
French to English
+ ...
"requiring" CAT tool is all about rates Feb 11, 2011

It seems to me that clients and agencies that require CAT tools mostly do so to apply lower rates to so-called "matches", which I almost never accept. That is the downside of the rise of CAT, IMHO, the implication that a sentence plucked out of one context and used in another needs no modification and therefore no (or minimal) payment.

That said, I use WFPro for almost everything - it's a huge time saver that leaves me more space for the crucial final step of re-reading the transla
... See more
It seems to me that clients and agencies that require CAT tools mostly do so to apply lower rates to so-called "matches", which I almost never accept. That is the downside of the rise of CAT, IMHO, the implication that a sentence plucked out of one context and used in another needs no modification and therefore no (or minimal) payment.

That said, I use WFPro for almost everything - it's a huge time saver that leaves me more space for the crucial final step of re-reading the translation and honing it into real, smooth, natural English.
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Hilary Davies Shelby
Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 15:41
German to English
+ ...
Not required but... Feb 11, 2011

I put "0", because the clients I work with don't require it.

I do, however, use Wordfast a lot of the time, because I find it keeps me "on track". It "forces" me to translate methodically, line by line, rather than skipping around the text when a more interesting paragraph catches my eye, and it makes it almost impossible to miss a line of text, or to accidentally delete one.

And it's proved itself a godsend more than once when documents have become corrupted or Word ha
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I put "0", because the clients I work with don't require it.

I do, however, use Wordfast a lot of the time, because I find it keeps me "on track". It "forces" me to translate methodically, line by line, rather than skipping around the text when a more interesting paragraph catches my eye, and it makes it almost impossible to miss a line of text, or to accidentally delete one.

And it's proved itself a godsend more than once when documents have become corrupted or Word has eaten a translation. Just whip out the source text, create a new target text and Translate to Fuzzy, baby!
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Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:41
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Zero Feb 11, 2011

No CATS here, everything is done the old-fashioned way. Besides, my clients do not even know what CATS are, nor do I. The human brain works great if trained right.

 
Valeria Lagos Gordon Downie
Valeria Lagos Gordon Downie
Spain
Local time: 21:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
same as Michael Feb 11, 2011

Michael Harris wrote:

and even if it is not required, I use it anyway

same here.


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
Agree with Joy...and with Henry Feb 11, 2011

I think it would be interesting to conduct a survey of those who *do* use CAT regarding how much money they earn for an eight-hour day of work. Survey data would, of course, have to include language pair, experience, and country of residence.

In the end, does (for example) a US-based translator working from Spanish into English who regularly uses CAT earn as much, or more, than a peer with equal experience who does not use CAT.

Such a survey, properly constructed, might
... See more
I think it would be interesting to conduct a survey of those who *do* use CAT regarding how much money they earn for an eight-hour day of work. Survey data would, of course, have to include language pair, experience, and country of residence.

In the end, does (for example) a US-based translator working from Spanish into English who regularly uses CAT earn as much, or more, than a peer with equal experience who does not use CAT.

Such a survey, properly constructed, might yield useful data.
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Miguel Jimenez
Miguel Jimenez  Identity Verified
Germany
German to Spanish
+ ...
I also Feb 11, 2011

Carla Catolino wrote:

Like some others, I find it quite useful and so even if I am not asked to use a CAT tool, I use it anyways!


 
Laurent KRAULAND (X)
Laurent KRAULAND (X)  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:41
French to German
+ ...
CAT tools = discounts Feb 11, 2011

We all know the equation above and this is the reality we are facing when dealing with many agencies... and one of the reasons why I didn't bother to install a Windows VM on my iMac.

Serious clients know what a translator's work is worth and don't ask for sliding-scale rates for documents under 1,000 words.

From my rather new perspective, most jobs come in usual formats (be they Microsoft, Oracle or Apple ones). I am quite satisfied with this situation, as I have the o
... See more
We all know the equation above and this is the reality we are facing when dealing with many agencies... and one of the reasons why I didn't bother to install a Windows VM on my iMac.

Serious clients know what a translator's work is worth and don't ask for sliding-scale rates for documents under 1,000 words.

From my rather new perspective, most jobs come in usual formats (be they Microsoft, Oracle or Apple ones). I am quite satisfied with this situation, as I have the option of using a CAT tool or not.
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simon tanner
simon tanner  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 21:41
Italian to English
+ ...
not asked for, but used Feb 11, 2011

As others have said...
I am only asked to use them by about 10% of my customers, but I use them whenever I can, i.e. the only time I don't is when the file format for some reason makes it impossible or not worth the effort of converting into something CAT-friendly


 
Todd Field
Todd Field  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:41
Member
Portuguese to English
Use whenever possible Feb 11, 2011

I love my CAT tool. I work with it whenever I can, even when not required.

I like how it breaks the project down into manageable segments, provides terminology/context searches for quality control, etc.

I agree that the human brain is undeniably the most important tool governing translation quality, but... I do love the ease and the convenient working environment of CATs. It just feels neat, clean and comfortable to me.


 
Mike (de Oliveira) Brady
Mike (de Oliveira) Brady  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Member (2008)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
10% required - used 95% of the time Feb 11, 2011

I have several clients who require me to use a CAT tool, either because they provide a translation memory or wish to receive my translation memory for the project and/or uncleaned file.

Personally, I always use Wordfast Pro, whether asked or not, because I find the segmentation immensely useful and it time saving to have matching of identical terms and access to my glossary. Plus it is good for consistency. Jobs when I don't use it, are either too short or it is too complex to conve
... See more
I have several clients who require me to use a CAT tool, either because they provide a translation memory or wish to receive my translation memory for the project and/or uncleaned file.

Personally, I always use Wordfast Pro, whether asked or not, because I find the segmentation immensely useful and it time saving to have matching of identical terms and access to my glossary. Plus it is good for consistency. Jobs when I don't use it, are either too short or it is too complex to convert the document.

When agencies have requested a CAT, it is most often for TRADOS, but I've rarely had a problem persuading them to provide me with the TMX (translation memory exchange) format files that I can use with Wordfast.

Recently I had an agency ask if I would work with MemoQ, which I believe is free - but there is no Mac version.
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Mara Ballarini
Mara Ballarini  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 06:41
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
I understood require.. Feb 11, 2011

..as required by the client, and my answer was 71-90%, though it's more something like 70-80%. Having said that, I actually use them - and find them useful - 100% of the time.

 
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Poll: What percentage of your projects require the use of CAT tools?






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