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Why do some job posters restrict their jobs to ProZ.com members for the first 12 - 24 hours?
Thread poster: Angel Llacuna
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
Buying a privilege or just buying one's way in? And no innuendos?? Feb 16, 2018

José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:

writeaway wrote:

My only real objection is the way the marketing staff at Proz are trying to devalue/debase the translation ability of translators who don't pay. I suggest they look closely at how many now "non-members" used to be payers and ask themselves why so many people have stopped paying.


It's a matter of buying a privilege.

Envision this... a cinema, theater, stadium, whatever, sells supposedly expensive tickets with numbered seats. These paying "sponsors" will occupy their places and, say, 10 minutes before the event begins, they'll let in for $5 anyone who is outside, and wants to watch it. These latecomers may sit on any vacant seats they find. This doesn't imply they couldn't afford the full rate; they merely chose not to.

There is no innuendo anywhere that someone who is not a Proz (paying) member is by any means a worse or otherwise lesser qualified translator. Likewise, there is no inkling to a Proz paying member being a better or otherwise more qualified translator; evidence of this being the very existence of the PRO-tag program.



"Why would a job poster block or limit quoting by guest members?
Serious job posters generally prefer to get a small number of highly targeted quotes from professionals with a genuine interest in their projects.

ProZ.com has therefore provided outsourcers with a means of limiting quoting to members who meet certain criteria, including: ownership of a given CAT tool, possession of a credential, residence in a certain country, or payment status with ProZ.com.

With regard to payment status, a client may choose to restrict quoting to platinum members only, or
|(s)he may allow non-platinum members to express interest after a certain period of time (12 or 24 hours) has elapsed. "


Guest members is not the term used nowadays. Parts of this Proz text seems to stem from the days when we were all considered to be members once we signed up. Platinum members were those who paid, non-platinimum were members who didn't pay.

Terminology has changed. Now if you don't pay, you are not a member at all:

Restricted job What does this mean?
This job is restricted to ProZ.com members.

To gain access to member-only jobs, join ProZ.com


Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against any business trying to make money or increase profits. Proz is a business after all. I just don't agree with some of the marketing methods being used at present.


 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
For the record, I don't consider €100 to be a "measly" amount Feb 16, 2018

Sheila Wilson wrote:

Any professional who can't afford a measly €100 or so a year is clearly doing something wrong.


I'm not sure I'm doing anything wrong, but I don't consider €100 to be a measly amount. In any case, a measly €100 won't buy Proz membership nowadays.


 
Angel Llacuna
Angel Llacuna  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:12
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER
use a different filter Mar 6, 2018

Samuel Murray wrote:

Angel Llacuna wrote:
Why do some job providers restrict their offers to [paying] members of Proz.com until some certain hour?


Because that is the only option that ProZ.com offers to initially reduce the number of offers. .....


Proz.com could also use a different option that would not mean a discrimination against non-paying members :

ownership of a given CAT tool
possession of a credential
residence in a certain country
proven experience in a work field backed by references

[Edited at 2018-03-06 09:35 GMT]


 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 12:12
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
Some common sense Mar 6, 2018

Angel Llacuna wrote:
Proz.com could also use a different option that would not mean a discrimination against non-paying members :


It makes business sense for Proz to OFFER the possibility to restrict jobs to paying members.
After all, Proz is a business enterprise, it doesn't run on air. It depends on paying members and advertising to live.
And yet, Proz offers job posters the option to dismiss this requirement.

Angel Llacuna wrote:
ownership of a given CAT tool


In at least 80% of the cases, this is the stupidest option to reduce the number of applications.

Too many translation outsourcers don't have a clear idea on what CAT tools are, what they do, and/or how they work. Most have read some advertisement that led them to believe that nobody can translate properly without owning Trados.

In some cases - though definitely not so many - there are reasons for an outsourcer to require a specific CAT tool, because a team will be simultaneously working on the same project on the cloud. The best translation companies will provide portable licenses of their CAT tool to those translators who don't have it already.

Angel Llacuna wrote:
possession of a credential


This is a valid requirement ONLY when the translation is intended for some official/legal purpose in some country. And yet, it's not a matter of having ANY credential; it must match the specific credential(s) accepted by the entity that will ultimately receive the translation.

Some of the greatest translators I know don't have any credential whatsoever, other than their global fame. On the other hand, I've seen sloppy work from credential-holding translators, when pushed far away from their specialty areas.

Angel Llacuna wrote:
residence in a certain country


This is only meaningful when the translation content involves everyday local matters, like current events.

I have seen it being used for EN > PT translation work, requiring applicants to reside in China, in the hope of securing unusually low rates.

Angel Llacuna wrote:
proven experience in a work field backed by references


This won't work with Proz's system of "stonewalling" applicants who don't match the selection criteria. They can't embed the required evidence into their profiles.

References have become a tricky item. Too many translation agencies demand them absolutely, while their NDAs strictly forbid giving them as a reference later. There are agencies using their presumed right to demand references from applicants, in order to use these for their underhanded marketing procedures.


The whole point (and I haven't checked it) is how many times Proz requires a job poster to click somewhere, in order to waive the paying member and the 'must have Trados' requirements.


 
Angel Llacuna
Angel Llacuna  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:12
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER
closed thread Mar 6, 2018

Thanks for all your answers. We may close this thread.

 
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Why do some job posters restrict their jobs to ProZ.com members for the first 12 - 24 hours?






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