Vom Thema belegte Seiten:   [1 2] >
Is ProZ deliberately skewing Blue Board feedback in favour of agencies?
Initiator des Themas: Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Tschechische Republik
Local time: 14:02
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
Mar 13, 2022

Over the last year or so, I've had several LWA entries with a low score rejected by ProZ staff for an alleged violation of rules in my feedback (being too "personal"). Until recently, I would have grudgingly agreed, but the response I got today looks totally unreasonable to me. My feedback with a score of 2 was: "Most jobs are very small and at low rates. User-unfriendly job portal. No job notifications. Paying via Paypal and Payoneer only, wire transfer only as an exception and for an extra fee... See more
Over the last year or so, I've had several LWA entries with a low score rejected by ProZ staff for an alleged violation of rules in my feedback (being too "personal"). Until recently, I would have grudgingly agreed, but the response I got today looks totally unreasonable to me. My feedback with a score of 2 was: "Most jobs are very small and at low rates. User-unfriendly job portal. No job notifications. Paying via Paypal and Payoneer only, wire transfer only as an exception and for an extra fee".
To me, this looks like bare facts. Nevertheless, this entry got rejected: "Please re-post, limiting your comment with your likelihood of working again, without including personal remarks such as 'jobs are very small and at low rates'". ProZ, are you serious?

[Edited at 2022-03-13 13:40 GMT]
Collapse


writeaway
Mikhail Kropotov
Zamira B.
P.L.F. Persio
polishedwords
Baran Keki
Emanuele Vacca
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 13:02
Mitglied (2008)
Italienisch > Englisch
Let's just say Mar 13, 2022

Q. Is ProZ deliberately skewing Blue Board feedback in favour of agencies?
A. Let's just say there have been problems. Most Prozians are very wary of the BlueBoard.


writeaway
Barbara Carrara
Geert Rombaut
Kay Denney
Adieu
Robert Forstag
Josephine Cassar
 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
I had one such experience a couple of years ago, trying to indicate the agency was a non-payer Mar 13, 2022

I tried to post the lowest rating for a small, basically one-man Belgian agency that never paid me the €1600 they owed me. The owner replied to Proz that he 'didn't remember'. Proz asked me for proof, so I sent the invoice. My comment was not allowed. The owner/agency is a paying participant of Proz. I don't remember if I was still a paying member at that point, but Proz definitely took his side.

Thomas T. Frost
Barbara Carrara
Geert Rombaut
Tretyak
Philip Lees
Adieu
Lina Semenets
 
Geert Rombaut
Geert Rombaut  Identity Verified
Mexiko
Mitglied (2021)
Spanisch > Niederländisch
+ ...
Feedback provided by ProZ disqualifies their own credibility Mar 13, 2022

'Most jobs are very small and at low rates' is a personal comment? You are just providing clear information that supports the rating you give. The Blueboard may be an initial reason to become a member of Proz.com, but it definitely isn't to renew a paying membership.

Barbara Carrara
writeaway
Adieu
Ventnai
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnien und Herzegowina
Local time: 14:02
Mitglied (2009)
Englisch > Kroatisch
+ ...
Never happened to me. Mar 13, 2022

My negative reviews were always accepted by ProZ. Moreover, their role in non-payment reports was always critical for me to eventually get paid. In my case, can’t remember a review ever being rejected.

I really don’t know how ProZ decides on this. But “no job notifications”, and “limited payment options” are not grounds for a 2, you should have stronger points for a 2, eg. closer to late, non-existent payments or some lies involved from the agency’s side.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Walter Landesman
Rui Domingues
Angie Garbarino
Philip Lees
Barbara Carrara
Paul Malone
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 08:02
Japanisch > Englisch
+ ...
Blue Board feedback Mar 13, 2022

I posted something like this several years ago and proz.com deleted it. I fought them showing several "personal" posts which had been accepted. They relented and reposted my comments. If you believe that proz.com is on the side of translators, you are seriously mistaken.

Tretyak
writeaway
Barbara Carrara
Adieu
Miranda Drew
Ventnai
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 08:02
Japanisch > Englisch
+ ...
Blue board feedback Mar 13, 2022

Another example of proz.com favoritism is several "important" agencies that are still allowed to post despite a plethora of LWA 1.

Tretyak
writeaway
Barbara Carrara
Adieu
Tom in London
 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australien
Local time: 22:02
Mitglied (2008)
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
Just to give you an idea how it works Mar 13, 2022

I made an entry about a bad payer 11 or 12 years ago. Last year, Proz.com staff contacted me asking to remove the entry because the company allegedly paid me in full. Bad luck for them that I kept both the original invoice and the correspondence so Proz.com reluctantly had to ask the agency at least to pay me the said invoice, but they did not change their mind and still asked me to change the BB entry. So, the answer is yes, they are clearly favouring agencies and we do not have much choice. Th... See more
I made an entry about a bad payer 11 or 12 years ago. Last year, Proz.com staff contacted me asking to remove the entry because the company allegedly paid me in full. Bad luck for them that I kept both the original invoice and the correspondence so Proz.com reluctantly had to ask the agency at least to pay me the said invoice, but they did not change their mind and still asked me to change the BB entry. So, the answer is yes, they are clearly favouring agencies and we do not have much choice. The agency was not even that ''important'' - some mediocre Eastern European agency. Apparently, my profile has more ''weight'' than their entire agency because they claimed they were losing business because of my entry but still, Proz.com immediately believed their allegations.Collapse


writeaway
Barbara Carrara
Adieu
Tom in London
Tatiana Lammers
Erzsébet Czopyk
Ventnai
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Niederlande
Local time: 14:02
Mitglied (2006)
Englisch > Afrikaans
+ ...
Wow, that is just not right Mar 13, 2022

Anton Konashenok wrote:
...personal remarks such as 'jobs are very small and at low rates'

It's not just you. "Jobs are very small and at low rates" is not a personal remark by any definition. Clearly something fishy is going on. Or, a moderator doesn't understand his job.


writeaway
Jennifer Levey
Geert Rombaut
Barbara Carrara
Philip Lees
Kay Denney
Adieu
 
Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italien
Local time: 14:02
Mitglied (2008)
Englisch > Italienisch
+ ...
Alternative solution Mar 13, 2022

Let's make the explanation optional.

If the 1st try is deemed "too personal", who cares, just slap the 1- or 2-star review or whatever, goodbye.

[Edited at 2022-03-14 00:06 GMT]


Baran Keki
Christine Andersen
Angie Garbarino
Erzsébet Czopyk
 
William Yang
William Yang
China
Local time: 20:02
Mitglied (2021)
Englisch > Chinesisch
+ ...
Never participate BB Mar 14, 2022

Sure "small" and "low" are personal, so you may publish the rates for the particular project.
Geert Rombaut wrote:

'Most jobs are very small and at low rates' is a personal comment? You are just providing clear information that supports the rating you give. The Blueboard may be an initial reason to become a member of Proz.com, but it definitely isn't to renew a paying membership.


 
William Yang
William Yang
China
Local time: 20:02
Mitglied (2021)
Englisch > Chinesisch
+ ...
I understand Mar 14, 2022

I understand proz may hesitate when balancing its stance between translators and agencies, but this is the place we work together to make it better.

So we need more communications from both sides in addition to the third party Proz on the purpose of better transparency and less misinformation but sometimes moderators do a bad job who may biase and have prejudice. The forums are not the place dominated by only those so-called celebrities.

[Edited at 2022-03-14 01:28 GMT]


 
Baran Keki
Baran Keki  Identity Verified
Türkei
Local time: 15:02
Mitglied
Englisch > Türkisch
Losing business? Mar 14, 2022

Vanda Nissen wrote:
they claimed they were losing business because of my entry but still, Proz.com immediately believed their allegations.

Why would an agency lose business because of low ratings on Proz? Do their end clients check them out on (or even visit) Proz? I thought Blueboard was only for translators. I mean, if you give them a low rating on Google reviews or Glassdoor, that's understandable, but Proz?


Tom in London
Jorge Payan
Laura Kingdon
 
Oriol Vives (X)
Oriol Vives (X)  Identity Verified
Spanien
Local time: 14:02
Englisch > Katalanisch
+ ...
They let you publish this post? Lucky. Mar 14, 2022

I had a similar issue not too long ago and they wouldn't even let me publish a post like the one you are posting now.

In fact, at that time, any time I tried to post anything at all they would forbid it ipso facto just because it was mine. Much like censorship, if you ask me. They even removed my Certified Proz Network as retaliation.

They seem to fail to understand that sometimes the Blue Board is, for the lonely outsourcers, the only way to put some sort of tin
... See more
I had a similar issue not too long ago and they wouldn't even let me publish a post like the one you are posting now.

In fact, at that time, any time I tried to post anything at all they would forbid it ipso facto just because it was mine. Much like censorship, if you ask me. They even removed my Certified Proz Network as retaliation.

They seem to fail to understand that sometimes the Blue Board is, for the lonely outsourcers, the only way to put some sort of tiny pressure in the non-paying agency. That, and a place to vent too from the harshness of the world.
Collapse


Barbara Carrara
Adieu
P.L.F. Persio
Tretyak
Christopher Schröder
Tatiana Lammers
 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australien
Local time: 22:02
Mitglied (2008)
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
I have no idea Mar 15, 2022

Baran Keki wrote:

Why would an agency lose business because of low ratings on Proz? Do their end clients check them out on (or even visit) Proz? I thought Blueboard was only for translators. I mean, if you give them a low rating on Google reviews or Glassdoor, that's understandable, but Proz?


That is what they told Proz.com. I do not know and to be perfectly honest, I could not care less why they wanted to remove it, the important thing here was that it was ME who had to present all the evidence decades later, not the other way around.


Barbara Carrara
Baran Keki
writeaway
 
Vom Thema belegte Seiten:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Is ProZ deliberately skewing Blue Board feedback in favour of agencies?







Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »