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.