Poll: Non-platinum members: Why aren't you Platinum? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Non-platinum members: Why aren't you Platinum?".
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
| | | | Channa Montijn 
Netherlands
Local time: 21:44
Member (2003)
English to Dutch
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| Why not rephrase the question? | Nov 24, 2005 |
To be or not to be platinum?
Just a suggestion of course -:))
I am not a platinum member because... etc etc (the answers provided in poll) and
Not applicable: I am a platinum member
| | | | Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 22:44
Member (2004)
English to Russian
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| Now, this is a real poll :) | Nov 24, 2005 |
I was a devil's advocate in the recent poll `for platinum members only', and I support the new poll wholeheartedly.
I'll try to convince any non-platinum member that the paid membership is worth the money. Still, first I want to hear their reasons to not go platinum.
| | | | | Can't afford it | Nov 24, 2005 |
My reply is very easy - it's toooooooo expencive. I'm starting as a freelancer and even the "cheapest" type of membership is beyond my financial abilities.
However I am sure I will invest in Platinum Membership as soon as I can. After all so many satisfied people can't be wrong
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Niina Lahokoski
Finland
Local time: 22:44
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
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| It's the price | Nov 24, 2005 |
I'm not a platinum member, because I'm still a student and I work only part-time, so I haven't got any extra money. IMHO, 120 euros + taxes and translaction fees is too much for any website membership, whereas 70-80 euros would be OK.
And anyway, I currently have quite enough work as it is - as much as I can do alongside the studies...
When I get my degree and start working full-time, then the platinum membership might be a good investment.
| | | | Eva Hadzik
Local time: 21:44
Italian to Polish
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| No work, no money, no Platinum | Nov 24, 2005 |
I wish I could be Platinum, but for now I'm not working too much and have other "more important things" to pay. Anyway I'm sure that being Platinum is worth the money as one of you said but... it has to wait a little bit longer!
| | | | | I have enough jobs as a non-platinum | Nov 25, 2005 |
As we all do, I started and continue at present as a non-platinum though sometimes think of becoming one. But to be honest, I am getting enough jobs (sometimes two at the same time)through this website just being a non-platinum member. Perhaps if I become Platinum I get too many jobs that I cannot even handle, or the situation doesn't change, I don't know...
That's also a bit of uncertainty we non-platinums have. Who guarantees us that by paying, our lives will change dramatically ... See more As we all do, I started and continue at present as a non-platinum though sometimes think of becoming one. But to be honest, I am getting enough jobs (sometimes two at the same time)through this website just being a non-platinum member. Perhaps if I become Platinum I get too many jobs that I cannot even handle, or the situation doesn't change, I don't know...
That's also a bit of uncertainty we non-platinums have. Who guarantees us that by paying, our lives will change dramatically or partially? It's this doubt we all have. You have access to different things: the blue board, being the translator of the day, publish polls, getting the list of addresses of companies, etc. However, apparently some of us are not interested in using the website (as a Platinum) at its maximum and with all the features it has.
On the other hand, PROZ guarantees that when a company is looking for a translator with our characteristics our names will appear on the first page, but with so many Platinums (and several people becoming so each day), even as Platinums I guess our names will be on the 5th or 10th page, not on the first one. It would be interesting to know the number of total translators subscribed on this site and the number of Platinums. If everybody becomes Platinum, then the special features and the preferences Platinum have will be gone. Everybody's quote for a project will be put on a first position, to name an example.
We are not Platinums I guess mostly because of the fact of paying an amount and not knowing if what we'll receive will be worth it. They say: People are afraid of the unknown and when money is envolved, then it's worse.
A final remark/suggestion: perhaps for a week or two PROZ can make us all non-platinums be platinum members to see the change? Probably that will convince us better to become one...
Just an extra thing: Very soon I am moving to Peru, my native country, a third world country where you don't get paid much in a job. At that time Platinum membership could simply be out of my reach. Paying that amount of money could be fine for European standards.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 02:23] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Rather Western European standards | Nov 25, 2005 |
Cristina Heraud-van Tol wrote:
Paying that amount of money could be fine for European standards.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 02:23]
Western European, Western. Europe is still divided and as someone, who lives almost on the "border", I can see the huge difference between West and East.
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John Walsh
Italy
Local time: 21:44
Italian to English
| My reasons for going plat? | Nov 25, 2005 |
I didn't go plat for more work, I went plat to have unlimited access to the BB and to support the site. I don't get much new work through Proz (even if agencies contact me through proz all the time asking if I'm available) but only because I'm too busy to take on anything else.
But there are many ways to support the site whether you're plat or not. That's the beauty of it. Even non-plats provide valuable input to make it so great.
"Very soon I am moving to Peru, my native coun... See more I didn't go plat for more work, I went plat to have unlimited access to the BB and to support the site. I don't get much new work through Proz (even if agencies contact me through proz all the time asking if I'm available) but only because I'm too busy to take on anything else.
But there are many ways to support the site whether you're plat or not. That's the beauty of it. Even non-plats provide valuable input to make it so great.
"Very soon I am moving to Peru, my native country, a third world country where you don't get paid much in a job. At that time Platinum membership could simply be out of my reach. Paying that amount of money could be fine for European standards."
And the cost of living is lower too. So you'll be earning more than your European colleagues (if you work through European agecies) unless you work for agecies based in Peru only.
It's hard to believe that a professional translator can't afford 10 Euro a month to go plat. But that's fine, that's their choice. Proz is set up so that even non-plats can get so much from the site. Personally, I would be very reluctant to outsource any work to a non-plat.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 11:56]
[Edited at 2005-11-25 11:58] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Besides providing customer-survey info, does it matter why someone is or is not Plat? | Nov 25, 2005 |
Imho, this 'poll' was asked as part of the current campaign to get more people to take out Platinum membership, nothing more and nothing less. There are good reasons why to and there are good reasons why not to. It's up to the individual. Some people see it as a guarantee for getting (more) work, others have plenty of work anyway and pay up for other reasons.
John Walsh wrote:
Personally, I would be very reluctant to outsource any work to a non-plat.
Then I'd say you would be missing out on some of the top translators on the site. Being Plat and being a good translator are totally unrelated imho.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 12:53]
| | | | | Wrong assumption, writeaway | Nov 25, 2005 |
writeaway wrote:
Imho, this 'poll' was asked as part of the current campaign to get more people to take out Platinum membership, nothing more and nothing less.
Just for clarification: I suggested this poll, not a staff member. It was my own idea, and I simply thought it would be interesting since there was a similiar poll recently asking Platinum members why they became Platinum. Nothing more and nothing less
| | | | | I stand corrected | Nov 25, 2005 |
Marion Schimmelpfennig wrote: writeaway wrote:
Imho, this 'poll' was asked as part of the current campaign to get more people to take out Platinum membership, nothing more and nothing less. Just for clarification: I suggested this poll, not a staff member. It was my own idea, and I simply thought it would be interesting since there was a similiar poll recently asking Platinum members why they became Platinum. Nothing more and nothing less
Since going Plat, being Plat etc etc has been mentioned so much recently, I assumed this was a continuation of the campaign, especially since it was stated that the poll was started by "Proz staff".
Thanks for enlightening us. 
[Edited at 2005-11-25 14:42]
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| Hi writeaway | Nov 25, 2005 |
writeaway wrote: ... I assumed this was a continuation of the campaign, especially since the poll was started by "Proz staff". Thanks for enlightening us.
Discussions about polls are always started by staff because it's automatic, every poll has a discussion forum.
Those who propose a poll can chose between having their name mentioned or not.
I think that it's interesting to have all kind of opinions, of course it is a personal decision but when it obeys to external reasons it can be useful to know what kind of situations other translators have to face.
Claudia
| | | | John Walsh
Italy
Local time: 21:44
Italian to English
writeaway wrote:
Then I'd say you would be missing out on some of the top translators on the site.
Yes, some of the top translators on the site are not plat. But if you're a plat then it can be assumed that you're a professional translator, or someone who bases much of their income on translating. And personally, if I had to choose between a plat and non-plat for assigning a translation, I would probably choose a plat. Why do you think most job posts are restricted to plats for the first 12 hours? So I'm not the only one.
Being Plat and being a good translator are totally unrelated imho.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 12:53]
I didn't say being a plat means you're a good translator. Being a good translator is not enough. Outsourcers want reliable professionals and often they are forced to assign traslations to people they don't know. Being a plat is just one extra indicator.
[Edited at 2005-11-25 19:22]
[Edited at 2005-11-25 19:23]
| | | | Ramona Ali
Local time: 03:44
Member (2004)
English to Malay
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| Platinum members can't see poll results | Nov 26, 2005 |
Hi Marion, there should be one more option for 'Not applicable - I'm Platinum' as someone suggested above because you need to participate in the poll to be able to view the results and by excluding this option, Platinum members cannot view the results.
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