| Páginas no tópico: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10] > | New golden stars to acknowledge long term membership ('Canceled') Tópico cartaz: Enrique Cavalitto
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Parrot 
Espanha
Local time: 15:49
espanhol para inglês
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| Resolving redundancy | Mar 12, 2009 |
Why not the option to keep "Member 20XX" and dispense with the star OR use the star to say "Member since XXXX"?
Some may like the star. Others might prefer the blue (the yellow's kind of muddy). I'm in any case all for toggle.
| | | | Niraja Nanjundan (X)
Local time: 19:19
alemão para inglês
Viktoria Gimbe wrote:
It's OK to be distinguished from colleagues in places like the directory, but I think that in other parts of the site, like KudoZ and the forum, it would actually help if we all appeared equal.
I agree with Viktoria on this point, in fact I feel quite "embarrassed" with all this regalia being displayed in a public place like the forum. I think it's OK on profiles and in the directory, but as others have suggested there should be a toggle option.
| | | | | Even more fairy lights! | Mar 12, 2009 |
C'mon. ProZ is a meeting place for anyone(!) to visit and participate in. By all means, reward frequent visitors. Give them little flags to wave. A voucher for a free burger. Colourful balloons? Smashing! Feature them as "loafer of the month". Let them take part in fantastic competitions, and award even more ribbons and balloons. Brilliant! Great craic.
But what has this got to do with our profession?
"ProZ - the world's leading enabling and sourcing platform for langu... See more C'mon. ProZ is a meeting place for anyone(!) to visit and participate in. By all means, reward frequent visitors. Give them little flags to wave. A voucher for a free burger. Colourful balloons? Smashing! Feature them as "loafer of the month". Let them take part in fantastic competitions, and award even more ribbons and balloons. Brilliant! Great craic.
But what has this got to do with our profession?
"ProZ - the world's leading enabling and sourcing platform for language professionals."
Yeah, right! Easy to say.
Why not just remain a "meeting place"? Any "credentials" proffered by the site are ENTIRELY without value IMO. Please don't pretend otherwise.
Don't get me wrong. The site has its merits. It's a great fishing ground, for freelancers and outsourcers alike. It can be a very good resource once you know how to navigate. But any "seal of approval" from the place ain't worth the ribbon it's written on. Please don't even try to aspire to being a linguistic authority.
You're not.
IMO it boils down to whether ProZ wants to serve the industry or boast membership numbers.
I no longer fear it's the latter.
Cilian
[Edited at 2009-03-12 21:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | What's the reason? | Mar 12, 2009 |
One thing I'm curious about is WHY knowing whether a person I'm talking to (well, writing to) on the forums is a long time member even matters. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't really care - that information is about as relevant to me as my interlocutor's (err, intergrapher? this is getting silly...) shoe size, favorite color or BMI.
What matters (to me) is what they have to say (and sometimes how they say it) - I don't even care whether they're paid members or certified pros - the pur... See more One thing I'm curious about is WHY knowing whether a person I'm talking to (well, writing to) on the forums is a long time member even matters. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't really care - that information is about as relevant to me as my interlocutor's (err, intergrapher? this is getting silly...) shoe size, favorite color or BMI.
What matters (to me) is what they have to say (and sometimes how they say it) - I don't even care whether they're paid members or certified pros - the purpose of the forums is discussion (do correct me if I'm wrong), so I concentrate on the contents of the message, not on the symbols on the side of it.
Hell, now that I think about it, I would gladly switch forum display to the simplified mode similar to what I'm seeing below the text box I'm currently filling up with my musings (too bad it doesn't seem to be possible) - just an avatar/picture, name/nickname and the message is enough for me.
Oh, and if I wanted to encourage long term membership or reward existing supporters, I would probably give out discounts (I don't know, 1% membership fee discount for each consecutive year perhaps?) and not gold stars, but that's just me. ▲ Collapse
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Trudy Peters
Estados Unidos
Local time: 09:49
alemão para inglês
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| Totally agree with Krzysztof et al. | Mar 12, 2009 |
No yellow star for me, please!
| | | | JaneTranslates
Porto Rico
Local time: 09:49
espanhol para inglês
+ ...
| Me too, Amy. | Mar 12, 2009 |
Amy Duncan wrote: What can I say? I took a look, and I think it looks nice, but then again I tend to be a "visual" kind of person. 
It isn't something I need or asked for, but I think it's fun and kind of cool. Can the color change after 5 years, or 10, like eBay points?
When the rest of you opt out, I'll still be admiring my blue ribbon and gold star. Like the gal in the cosmetic ads, I'm worth it!
Jane
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finlândia
Local time: 16:49
Membro (2003)
finlandês para alemão
+ ...
Its the first medal I ever received. As a technical translator I do not have the chance to get public acknowledgement, that is reserved for the literary translators. But now I can sit and stare at my star. Great feeling!
Or could I get a smiley instead?
Regards
Heinrich
| | | | Paola Dentifrigi
Itália
Local time: 15:49
Membro (2003)
inglês para italiano
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| No star, please! | Mar 12, 2009 |
I woke up 6 a.m. this morning to read my translation ans seeing all those stars is making me dizzy.
Paola
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| THANKS BUT NO, THANKS | Mar 12, 2009 |
Cilian O'Tuama wrote:
More fairy lights!
Why not just remain a "meeting place"? Any "credentials" proffered by the site are ENTIRELY without value IMO. Please don't pretend otherwise.
Cilian
AMEN!
Here's to the good old times when we were TRUE professional translators helping and asking for help from our peers!
[Edited at 2009-03-12 07:14 GMT]
| | | | Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
Alemanha
Local time: 15:49
inglês para alemão
+ ...
It is amazing that this thread has led to more replies than the Google Ads and ProZ image? thread. Just wondering...
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Aniello Scognamiglio wrote:
It is amazing that this thread has led to more replies than the Google Ads and ProZ image? thread. Just wondering...
We all see the gold stars thing, whereas I (and I assume many others) have never seen any Google ads here (perhaps because I never log out from the site?). So I didn't comment on it.
| | | | Anne Brackenborough (X)
Alemanha
Local time: 15:49
alemão para inglês
| Ethics? Comment from busybody non-member | Mar 12, 2009 |
May I apologise in advance for the busybodying tone coming from a non-member, but is this star really in the interests of our customers? I know that those customers are not ProZ.com's customers, but it's a question of ethics.
Someone searching on this site for a translator will surely be more likely to trust those with ribbons, stars, ticks, badges (or whatever that P is), and all that paraphernalia. But do those symbols (especially this one) mean that they can trust that translator... See more May I apologise in advance for the busybodying tone coming from a non-member, but is this star really in the interests of our customers? I know that those customers are not ProZ.com's customers, but it's a question of ethics.
Someone searching on this site for a translator will surely be more likely to trust those with ribbons, stars, ticks, badges (or whatever that P is), and all that paraphernalia. But do those symbols (especially this one) mean that they can trust that translator any more? Isn't it, in fact, a little deceptive?
Let's say I join ProZ next week: I don't have a star. But perhaps I've been translating far longer than someone else on ProZ who does have one. Their star may give the false impression that they are more trustworthy/reliable than me, based on what?
OK, I'll admit that I'm a bit cynical and uncomfortable about all the other symbols, too, especially after that case with "Doctor" V, who, as I recall, had the ribbon and blue Member sign to match his doctor's lab coat. Customers are worried about being conned, and these symbols may wrongly allay those fears. I'm quite uncomfortable about that.
[Edited at 2009-03-12 07:59 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Christine Andersen
Dinamarca
Local time: 15:49
Membro (2003)
dinamarquês para inglês
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| C'mon, folks, only three years? | Mar 12, 2009 |
I'd give it for people who have been here for ten, but practically only Henry has got that far yet. Still, time flies - those stars would be popping out soon.
But three years - that's not even time to learn to use all the site features
Five as a compromise, if you must, but I think I'm going to opt out if I get the chance. I do try to live up to the Pro programme. I don't mind people knowing I think the... See more
| | | | | The proverbial thread? (accidental pun) | Mar 12, 2009 |
Aniello Scognamiglio wrote:
Amazing
It is amazing that this thread has led to more replies than the Google Ads and ProZ image? thread. Just wondering...
I think this silly star may be the proverbial thread that broke the camel's back. After so many suddenly appearing new features, ruleZ, policy changes, etc. etc., this latest unannounced, undiscussed, imposed 'feature' is simply one step too far. Imo, that explains the many replies.
As someone who has always selected the option to 'hide' my membership information, I am particularly incensed about the site overriding my personal preferences and simply plastering it next to my site name. Last night I re-selected the 'hide' button -but the star is still there.
So now we have blue ribbons, gold stars and red badges -all of which are totally meaningless in the real word but do 'highlight' those with paid membership. Naturally you have to keep up your paid membership or all these site symbols will vanish and you'll just be there as a mere translator.
Klaus Hermann wrote:
Opt me out, Scotty.
This is for professionals, right?
hmmmmmm
[Edited at 2009-03-12 08:32 GMT]
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Is three years really long term?
Maybe a star for every year, possible ranging in colour through the spectrum as time progresses, with a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow. And maybe a leprechaun as well.
[Edited at 2009-03-12 09:12 GMT]
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