Poll: Have you offered translation or technology consulting services to your clients?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Feb 3, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you offered translation or technology consulting services to your clients?".

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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:21
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes Feb 3, 2020

In the 1980s and early 1990s, I offered consulting services on the appropriate use of machine translation. I always claimed that its best use was for scanning large quantities of documents and identifying those that needed translation - for example, in government intelligence services and legal offices. I discouraged its use for postediting. I was accused of "holding a tight bushel" over the technology. Of course, all that has changed.

[Edited at 2020-02-03 08:34 GMT]


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:21
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No Feb 3, 2020

I'm not that tech-savvy...

Thayenga
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
No? Feb 3, 2020

I did recommend my direct clients to use a free CAT for routine papers, which worked like a charm.

Furthermore, I advised them about hiring dedicated specialists with decent foreign language skills instead of even best translators with some hands-on exp. One more victory)


Rita Utt
Jorge Payan
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:21
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Technology? Feb 3, 2020

Like most translators I have no knowledge whatsoever of the technology that goes into machine translation or CAT tools - or even of how my computer, my smartphone, or my router (etc.) actually works - or any of the software I use.

These days when people say "technology" they actually only mean gadgets, devices, and applications but they have no idea as to how those things work (the technology).

So for that reason I wouldn't dream of giving my clients advice about tec
... See more
Like most translators I have no knowledge whatsoever of the technology that goes into machine translation or CAT tools - or even of how my computer, my smartphone, or my router (etc.) actually works - or any of the software I use.

These days when people say "technology" they actually only mean gadgets, devices, and applications but they have no idea as to how those things work (the technology).

So for that reason I wouldn't dream of giving my clients advice about technology. It isn't my field.

[Edited at 2020-02-03 11:59 GMT]
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Anna Sarapuk
Angus Stewart
Christine Andersen
Xanthippe
 
Nikolay Novitskiy
Nikolay Novitskiy  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:21
Member (2018)
English to Russian
Yes, to direct clients Mar 24, 2020

I advise them how to manage quality control mostly. They are quite naive here, when compared to the agencies.

 


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Poll: Have you offered translation or technology consulting services to your clients?






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