New translation job announcements
TranslationDirectory.com
http://www.TranslationDirectory.com/translation_jobs.php
You can post your open translation projects free of charge at:
http://www.TranslationDirectory.com/post_your_translation_job.php
William Taylor
days ago and I got the following mail sent to me:
New Project on www.Translatorsbase.com #68690
Dear william taylor
New project matching your criteria was posted on TranslatorsBase.com.
Title : Japanese-English Alarm Clock Manual Translation
Languages : Japanese - English
Description : A quality native English-speaking translator is
required.
New : Now, you can own a professionally designed website where your
clients can obtain an instant quote for document translation. Log in
to your Translatorsbase.com account and click on "Translation Portals"
link to learn more.
Please, Click Here to view this project.
So, because I love alarm clocks so much I go to the site to apply for
the job.
Yet it appears that in order to apply for jobs I have to get a "full
membership" first. I'm not really sure about this because I'm not
entirely sure how this site works, but something seems fishy.
I don't really know if I want to shell out 129$ to have the
"privilage" of translating a few odd jobs about alarm clocks.
Is this a legitimate site or some kind of scam? If it`s a scam can we
ban them from posting on Honyaku or something?
Regards,
William Taylor
On Sep 27, 12:25 am, "TranslationDirectory.com"
Alan Siegrist
> Is this a legitimate site or some kind of scam? If it`s a scam can we
> ban them from posting on Honyaku or something?
I personally believed at first that this mail was simply spam, and if I were
still moderator would not have allowed it onto the mailing list to begin
with.
But now that I see that the scheme appears to be of even more nefarious in
nature, requiring up-front payments of $129.00 for information of dubious
value, so rather than spam I agree that it is more likely a scam.
I had told the current list ownership of my misgivings about this mail, but
they did not appreciate my input.
Regards,
Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA
Jon LeFlore
Nora Stevens Heath
> I received the same project announcement, and faced the same disappointment
> when I realized the limitations of my free account at Translatorsbase.com.
> Live and learn, I guess.
It's not a total loss--we learned that William Taylor loves alarm clocks.
;)
Happy Monday!
Nora
--
Nora Stevens Heath <no...@fumizuki.com>
J-E translations: http://www.fumizuki.com/
Michael
William Taylor writes:
I wouldn't consider this a scam. Look at Proz. I don't think anyone on this
list would consider Proz a scam. It offers a similar service. Rather than
charging the companies that want to have work done, it charges people who
want to do the work.
I had a membership at Translatorsbase at one point and received some real
job opportunities but didn't ever take any of them. As I recall, the
competition was more fierce than even Proz (and that is saying something)
and there wasn't ever anything on them that would have worked out.
Therefore, while I would say they have a legitimate business, I personally
do not feel their product is anywhere near what they are charging for it.
Couple of notes, I did pay for membership but it was considerably lower than
the price they are currently charging. There were 3 to 5 projects that came
through their site that caught my eye during the year I was a member (e.g.
number of Japanese to English projects through the site is extremely low)
Michael Fletcher
Alan Siegrist
> > > Is this a legitimate site or some kind of scam? If it`s a scam can we
> > > ban them from posting on Honyaku or something?
I wrote:
> > I personally believed at first that this mail was simply spam, and if I
> > were still moderator would not have allowed it onto the mailing list to
> > begin with.
> >
> > But now that I see that the scheme appears to be even more nefarious
> > in nature, requiring up-front payments of $129.00 for information of
> > dubious value, so rather than spam I agree that it is more likely a
scam.
> >
> > I had told the current list ownership of my misgivings about this mail,
> > but they did not appreciate my input.
And Michael Fletcher replies:
> I wouldn't consider this a scam. Look at Proz. I don't think anyone on
> this list would consider Proz a scam.
The spam messages from TranslationDirectory.com are nothing like Proz. Any
mentions of Proz on this list have been from legitimate translators and
Honyaku list members, not directly from the company behind Proz. The list
members who first found out about Proz did so on their own without any help
from the Honyaku list. Word of mouth is just fine by me.
If TranslationDirectory.com does provide a good service, then regular list
members can recommend it and tell the rest of us. The mailing list need not
serve as a conduit to help them in their business (scam or not).
I have no problem with legitimate list members mentioning any source of
work, including Proz or even TranslationDirectory.com if they wish, but why
exactly do we need to publicize TranslationDirectory.com whenever they feel
the need to send out these advertising/spam messages?
Are the list owners getting some sort of kickbacks in return for the free
advertising they are giving TranslationDirectory.com?
Michael Hendry
> Are the list owners getting some sort of kickbacks in return for the free
> advertising they are giving TranslationDirectory.com?
Give it a rest Alan. For God's sake, what a stupid thing to suggest!
And to say such a stupid thing immediately after one of our list members has
just told you he doesn't consider it a scam... The mind reels!
Michael Hendry, in Newcastle Australia
One of four moderators
Alan Siegrist
> From: "Alan Siegrist" <AlanFS...@Comcast.net>
>
> > Are the list owners getting some sort of kickbacks in return for the
> > free advertising they are giving TranslationDirectory.com?
>
> Give it a rest Alan. For God's sake, what a stupid thing to suggest!
OK, fine, the Honyaku list is now accepting regular commercial advertising
without question, and evidently without pay. So will we now have a policy of
allowing anyone that wishes to advertise here to do so for free? I bet
Proz.com or the others would jump at the chance for free advertising.
I don't know if TranslationDirectory.com is a scam or simply a company that
charges too much for services of little value, but that sounds an awful lot
like a scam to me.
I simply do not believe that the Honyaku List should aid and abet such a
business or scam.
Oh, well, it's your list so you can do what you like with it.
William Taylor
>without question, and evidently without pay. So will we now have a policy of
>allowing anyone that wishes to advertise here to do so for free? I bet
>Proz.com or the others would jump at the chance for free advertising.
>I don't know if TranslationDirectory.com is a scam or simply a company that
>charges too much for services of little value, but that sounds an awful lot
>like a scam to me.
>I simply do not believe that the Honyaku List should aid and abet such a
>business or scam.
That's kind of what I meant to say in my original post, but it was a
bit late at the time and I was feeling a bit sarcastic.
Very eloquently put, Alan.
Regards,
William Taylor
On Sep 30, 8:31 am, "Alan Siegrist" <AlanFSiegr...@Comcast.net> wrote:
> Michael Hendry writes:
Honyaku moderator
about the following question:
Do you want list minders to evaluate "help wanted" posts and make judgments
as to whether or not they should be posted?
This would mean that the personal criteria of the list minder who evaluated
that specific post would decide whether a post was reasonable or spam.
Note that if a list minder decides that a "help wanted" post was spam, it
would vanish and nobody would ever know what it said, or be able to
determine if that decision was valid or not.
My position as a list owner is that we really can't make those decisions on
behalf of the membership.
As an individual, I know that many people here accept jobs at what I
personally consider to be absurdly low rates. I suspect that many people
would consider my rates to also be absurdly low.
I have never received an inquiry via proz that was even worth replying to,
let alone accepting, and do not honestly expect to. Other people, however,
may have other criteria and other situations, and if the goal of Honyaku is
to disseminate information between people in the industry, then posting
these ads -- even if I personally consider most of them to be useless -- is
reasonable.
However, I have acceded to the majority vote in the past, and am willing to
do so again if any sort of a majority develops.
-----
Edward Lipsett, list minder
Mail to moderators: honya...@yahoogroups.com
Mail to owners: honyak...@yahoogroups.com
Jim Lockhart
On Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:03:12 -0700
Alan Siegrist wrote:
> I have no problem with legitimate list members mentioning any source of
> work, including Proz or even TranslationDirectory.com if they wish, but why
> exactly do we need to publicize TranslationDirectory.com whenever they feel
> the need to send out these advertising/spam messages?
I even get spam from TranslationDirectory.com to my website
address--which is all the more annoying for the unusualness of spam to
that address! I hope we won't see anything more from them on the list.
> Are the list owners getting some sort of kickbacks in return for the free
> advertising they are giving TranslationDirectory.com?
This is as ludicrous as it is gratuitous. I hope everyone will ignore
it. It doesn't even deserve (further) comment.
--Jim Lockhart
Hachioji, Tokyo, JPN
Alan Siegrist
> Do you want list minders to evaluate "help wanted" posts and make
> judgments as to whether or not they should be posted?
Yes, I am asking for a modicum of judgment on the part of the list minders.
This is not extreme, but my criteria in this case would run something like
this:
"I have a specific job available and am looking for a translator."
◎
"Call for resumes from xxx agency for possible work, no charge to register."
○
"You can pay to register on this site and we MIGHT, MAYBE have a job for you
sometime in the future."
×
Is this rocket science?
William Taylor
However, at times some discretion is needed to determine what kind of
posts are appropriate. This should not be the responsibility of only
the list minders, but the list participants as well, which is why I am
making this comment.
TranslationDirectory.com does not seem appropriate. There is a
distinction between a help wanted post and a for-fee service.
It seems that TranslationDirectory.com is the later and is simply
using Honyaku as a free advertisement platform. This is not
appropriate.
Regards,
William Taylor
On Sep 30, 9:44 am, Honyaku moderator <translat...@intercomltd.com>
wrote:
> Mail to owners: honyakuad...@yahoogroups.com
Edward Lipsett /t
> Is this rocket science?
"We have a million-character Japanese paper on rocket science due Thursday.
We will pay one yen per word. Interested parties please send CV to Joe
Bloe."
Who makes the decision?
Suppose it reads
"We have a 2000-character Japanese paper on rocket science due Thursday. We
will pay one yen per word."
Or
"We have a 2000-character Japanese paper on rocket science due Thursday. We
will pay five yen per word."
Or
"We have a 2000-character Japanese paper on rocket science due Thursday. We
will pay ten yen per word."
----------
Edward Lipsett, Intercom, Ltd.
translation€@intercomltd.com
Publishing: http://www.kurodahan.com
Translation & layout: http://www.intercomltd.com
Jim Lockhart
On Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:08:12 -0700 (PDT)
William Taylor wrote:
> TranslationDirectory.com does not seem appropriate. There is a
> distinction between a help wanted post and a for-fee service.
> It seems that TranslationDirectory.com is the later and is simply
> using Honyaku as a free advertisement platform. This is not
> appropriate.
I agree with this sentiment, and would imagine many others do. The
simple solution is to ban TranslationDirectory.com as a list member,
since it has become obvious what their purpose is in joining this list.
But to ask that the moderators screen every job offer(-like) message is
essentially asking them to screen every post to the list, which I think
is asking too much. It is also impracticable.
It's tiresome, too, that every move the minders and owners make (or
don't make) is used to grind an old ax. It's been ground so much that
it's a wonder there's still anything left of it.
Michael Hendry
> Yes, I am asking for a modicum of judgment on the part of the list
> minders.
Then you're getting more than you ask for. This company sends more emails
than you see. We don't allow some emails, we do allow others. We are doing
our job. In fact, to further satisfy myself of the validity of the site, I
have just now responded to one of the advertisements posted on the Website.
http://www.translationdirectory.com/translation_jobs.php
http://www.translationdirectory.com/translation_jobs/english_japanese_translation_jobs.php
http://www.translationdirectory.com/translation_jobs/japanese_english_translation_jobs.php
The response I received from the poster was "it is a valid posting." That
means money for someone who is successful. I don't think it would be fair to
the list membership to deny them the opportunity to earn money. These jobs
above can be responded to for free. The email addresses are right there.
It is free. If you want to pay them money for the opportunity to get more
job offers, then again, that is your right. It is not our right to deny you
that opportunity.
From: "William Taylor" <william...@gmail.com>
> TranslationDirectory.com does not seem appropriate. There is a
> distinction between a help wanted post and a for-fee service.
There are free "real" jobs posted there. See above.
Steven P. Venti
> some discretion is needed to determine what kind of posts are appropriate.
We, the list-minders, do not moderate posts. Neither do we ban people
because we don't agree with their opinions or how they express them.
Whenever I see a message about something that does not interest me, I
delete it. I strongly suggest that all list members adopt a similar
policy. That way, we can each draw our lines in the sand wherever we
please.
I wasn't always as laissez-faire about running the list as I am now. But
after becoming a list owner, it was quickly proven to me beyond a
reasonable doubt that my judgment is no better than anyone else's. If
there is anyone out there who thinks that their judgment is better than
other people's--or at the very least better than mine--I encourage them
to run for list owner in the next election.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Steven P. Venti, one of three list owners
spv...@bhk-limited.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Steven P. Venti
Sorry. I misspoke. As Michael just explained, and as I had forgotten, we
do in fact moderate certain posters.
So allow me to rephrase what I said before: We, the list-minders, much
prefer not to moderate posts.
Sorry for the confusion.
Alan Siegrist
> It is free. If you want to pay them money for the opportunity to get more
> job offers, then again, that is your right. It is not our right to deny
> you that opportunity.
Thank you for taking the trouble to go out of your way to check into this.
Would you mind explaining the difference between the free job postings and
the postings you have to pay to get?
Michael Hendry
> Thank you for taking the trouble to go out of your way to check into this.
> Would you mind explaining the difference between the free job postings and
> the postings you have to pay to get?
Sorry Alan, I have no idea of the difference. I have no connection with this
Website and I have no interest in applying for jobs posted there either. The
only information I have about this site charging money is coming from
posters here on Honyaku. In fact, until today I thought all jobs were free
to apply for.
Fred Uleman
In each case, you can make your own decisions. There is no need for the list administrators to intervene unless the same solicitation shows up with irritating frequency.
--
Fred Uleman, thinking this is a list for big boys and girls
The Wanderer
gotten crossed here. While the original site that started this thread
was TranslationDirectory.com, William was asking about
TranlatorsBase.com. The two appear, at least to me and to a who_is
search, to be separate entities. While I wouldn't consider
TranslatorsBase.com to be a scam, and I have never seen them directly
advertise to this list, the TranslationDirectory.com posts reek of
spam and usually wind up in my bin faster than viagra spam (which
automatically gets sent to the same bin).
FWIW
Matt
Carl Freire
>If someone is just looking for resumes, respond as you wish. If
>someone has a job looking for an actual translator, respond as you
>wish. If someone is inviting you to a website, respond as you wish.
>If you get to the website and find out they want money, respond as
>you wish.
>
>In each case, you can make your own decisions. There is no need for
>the list administrators to intervene unless the same solicitation
>shows up with irritating frequency.
Hear, hear!
CF
--
**********
Carl Freire
cfreire /[@]* ix.netcom.com
Tokyo, Japan
martha mcclintock
Joji Matsuo
No, I was confused too. One day we're talking about
TranslationDirectory.com, now its called TranslatorsBase.com, or so I
thought.
Times are changing but I can't adjust, or comprehend much of it.
Being curious, I read the testimonials, clicked through the profiles, and
read the feedback clients gave to the translator. "It was a pleasure working
with him", "He was very professional", "He paid immediately", "The software
on this site is well organized", etc., ad naseum...
Maybe I'm antiquated, but whatever the site is, is that how translators make
a living these days? Or maybe my question should be, do translators really
make money from these schemes?
Joji@Guess being away from the industry for 15 years is too long.
William Taylor
TranslationDirectory.com does in fact reek of viagra spam, with a hint
of naked celebrities and free smilely faces.
William
Malcolm James
wrote:
> Do you want list minders to evaluate "help wanted" posts and make
> judgments
> as to whether or not they should be posted?
One issue with the "help wanted" posts at issue is that they make no mention
of Japanese. You can't find out if they are relevant to the list without
following the links. More than anything, that's why they seem like spam and
inappropriate for Honyaku.
Maybe this could be resolved by a moderator asking the poster to refrain
from posting unless there are Japanese translation jobs available?
Malcolm
________________________________________________
Malcolm James
Japanese to English translation by native speakers
web: http://www.translation.co.jp
Richard Thieme
----- Original Message -----
送信者 : "Fred Uleman" <ful...@gmail.com>
宛先 : <hon...@googlegroups.com>
送信日時 : 2008年9月30日 11:36
件名 : Re: New translation job announcements
> If someone is just looking for resumes, respond as you wish. If someone
> has
> a job looking for an actual translator, respond as you wish. If someone is
> inviting you to a website, respond as you wish. If you get to the website
> and find out they want money, respond as you wish.
>
> In each case, you can make your own decisions. There is no need for the
> list
> administrators to intervene unless the same solicitation shows up with
> irritating frequency.
>
> --
Back in the days when people used paper directories, the grand creator of
the list Dan Kanagy dealt with a similar issue by restricting the postings
of that particular operation, I think to one posting every quarter months.
The point being that while we are all in business, the nature of honyaku
itself is of a volunteer activity, and the mix of directly using Honyaku as
a marketing resource with the volunteer nature of donating resources does
not combine very well.
http://honyaku-archive.org/posts/24690/?q=Kanagy%20profit
and
http://honyaku-archive.org/posts/40709/?q=Glenn%27s%20Guide
Regards,
Richard Thieme
Michael Hendry
> Maybe this could be resolved by a moderator asking the poster to refrain
> from posting unless there are Japanese translation jobs available?
I have done so in the past Malcolm. The poster has changed the emails they
are sending to the list to comply with my requests. There are Japanese jobs
there, and I assured myself today that at least one (another didn't reply)
is current.
From: "Richard Thieme" <rdth...@gol.com>
> Dan Kanagy dealt with a similar issue by restricting the postings
> of that particular operation, I think to one posting every quarter months.
Once every three months sounds liks an excellent suggestion.
Michael Hendry, in Newcastle Australia
One of four moderators
Hika
myself to talk about my experiences and my opinion and to leave others
to judge.
I made the subscription to translatorbase.com for one year, 2007-2008.
I put 20 quotes and I obtained one job of 5000 JPY with a private
person. As I lost in place of gaining, I didn't renew my subscription.
Meanwhile, I made other subscriptions, such as proz.com and
amelia.ne.jp both of which offer more than job opportunities
newsletters and are followed by professional outsaurcers.
But I think translatorbase.com is not to be thrown away for it offers
contacts with private persons and is open in difference with
translator.jp which is free but very closed in the narrow Japan.
However I don't have enough time to follow this list...
Mayumi from Rome
Adam Rice
calls on job offers before they are transmitted to the list. This is
mostly an accident of history, but here we are.
In case anyone's curious, I do evaluate every offer before it is
transmitted to the list, and I have rejected a few. My standards have
gotten laxer (I used to require street addresses on every submission,
but I gave up on that at some point).
I have rejected some offers that seemed like "help me with my
homework" projects, and at least one "translate my pet project for
free" request. I used to see "offers" that were actually people
advertising their own services, but I don't see these any more. I
corresponded with one person who expressed frustration at his
inability to recruit a translator. I suggested that he might have more
luck offering a higher rate. He was not receptive to that advice.
When I post an offer, I don't require any kind of volume or rate
information. However, I do reject offers that don't seem like serious
offers of interest to professionals, if that kind of information is
provided. This is not to cast aspersions on the list moderators (or
anyone else).
Adam Rice :: Austin TX USA :: adam...@8stars.org :: http://8stars.org