| Vom Thema belegte Seiten: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | Abusing the "homework/test question" option Initiator des Themas: Catherine Bolton
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it was clearly a case of abuse. Twenty questions, each containing a line of the test, were posted in a short period of time. I pointed out to the poster that KudoZ are supposed to be a terminological help, not a tool to get an entire text (even a test!) translated, and to read the KudoZ rules. The poster ignored every single comment (and there were a few) and kept posting. I then contacted the moderator, who at 16.26 wrote to me that she had stopped the abuse. Now, we can kid ourselves, but thes... See more it was clearly a case of abuse. Twenty questions, each containing a line of the test, were posted in a short period of time. I pointed out to the poster that KudoZ are supposed to be a terminological help, not a tool to get an entire text (even a test!) translated, and to read the KudoZ rules. The poster ignored every single comment (and there were a few) and kept posting. I then contacted the moderator, who at 16.26 wrote to me that she had stopped the abuse. Now, we can kid ourselves, but these cases of abuse are always very clear to the professional. The asker was totally incompetent. Next time I will squash such questions with no qualms whatsoever.
Giovanni
[Edited at 2004-06-03 08:21] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Catherine Bolton 
Local time: 16:03
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
THEMENSTARTER In stillem Gedenken | Thanks, Giovanni | Jun 3, 2004 |
You're absolutely right. Next time, no forum posting to address what is indeed a problem here, i.e. a loophole I think needs to be closed by setting a limit on the number of "test/homework" questions.
I'll be right there with you to help squash the questions.
| | | | Sarah Ponting
Italien
Local time: 16:03
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Bravo, Giovanni | Jun 3, 2004 |
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL wrote:
The asker was totally incompetent. Next time I will to squash such questions with no qualms.
And I'll do exactly the same, which is obviously what we should have done yesterday.
Sarah
[Edited at 2004-06-03 06:58]
| | | | | Thanks for the posting... | Jun 3, 2004 |
Thanks for posting this topic, CBolton. I made a similar posting a couple of months ago and also received the "Golden Rule" response. (Who's Golden Rule is that, anyway?) I have also stopped receiving KudoZ questions directly into my mailbox. I have literally been able to piece together an entire text by linking the questions together! How about last week's KudoZ inquiry- POMODORO! Was I the only one bemused? Now I know the "Golden Rule" tells me to just skip a question that I find absurd,... See more Thanks for posting this topic, CBolton. I made a similar posting a couple of months ago and also received the "Golden Rule" response. (Who's Golden Rule is that, anyway?) I have also stopped receiving KudoZ questions directly into my mailbox. I have literally been able to piece together an entire text by linking the questions together! How about last week's KudoZ inquiry- POMODORO! Was I the only one bemused? Now I know the "Golden Rule" tells me to just skip a question that I find absurd, but I must admit that it galls me just seeing it posted!
Jennifer ▲ Collapse
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Textklick
Local time: 15:03
Deutsch > Englisch
+ ...
In stillem Gedenken | Countering abuse with magnum force | Jun 3, 2004 |
I agree with Ian:
"If you ask me, the golden KudoZ rule should be "Respect your colleagues". And that means not wasting their time by trying to trick them into doing all your work for them."
My practice is to answer a few questions if I believe I can be of assistance.
Should such questions become tediously repetitive - to the extent of suggesting that the translator in question has desperately seized a job without bothering to look at it first - then I swi... See more I agree with Ian:
"If you ask me, the golden KudoZ rule should be "Respect your colleagues". And that means not wasting their time by trying to trick them into doing all your work for them."
My practice is to answer a few questions if I believe I can be of assistance.
Should such questions become tediously repetitive - to the extent of suggesting that the translator in question has desperately seized a job without bothering to look at it first - then I switch off and go back to work.
I seem to remember an American actor named Eastwood once saying "..a man's gotta know his limitations". ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Hats off to Textklick | Jun 3, 2004 |
Perfect...
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Textklick wrote:
I seem to remember an American actor named Eastwood once saying "..a man's gotta know his limitations".
yes, right... but, obviously, many so-called "translators" not only do not know their limitations, but are taking the proverbial p***.
Giovanni
| | | | Angela Arnone
Local time: 16:03
Mitglied (2004)
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Contacting the moderator | Jun 3, 2004 |
I'm afraid I don't understand how this statement can be made. I know what is in my mailbox and it did contain polite complaints.
When I read them, I took what I feel to be adequate measures and I am waiting for the asker to contact me.
I'm not quite sure what public holidays or whatever have to do with this situation - moderators aren't paid public officials and they do what they can when they can.
I check the site everyday unless I am away from home and unable to acces... See more I'm afraid I don't understand how this statement can be made. I know what is in my mailbox and it did contain polite complaints.
When I read them, I took what I feel to be adequate measures and I am waiting for the asker to contact me.
I'm not quite sure what public holidays or whatever have to do with this situation - moderators aren't paid public officials and they do what they can when they can.
I check the site everyday unless I am away from home and unable to access a computer, but in that case, other moderators are informed and stand in for me.
Why did the "newbie" not contact the moderator? How did the newbie know the moderator was not at the computer (I was by the time the complaint arose) if s/he didn't contact the moderator?
There is certainly more than one issue being raised here in what seems to be a multiple agenda.
Have a good day everyone.
Angela
cbolton wrote:
I did not contact our moderator, nor did anyone else, probably because of this very reason.
.....
It is unfortunate that a newbie should feel that way.
[Edited at 2004-06-03 09:11] ▲ Collapse
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| Wot me? Never! | Jun 3, 2004 |
I see it like this. (I think):
If the askers declare their agenda (i.e. a test done on the back of experienced people), then we have the option of answering or not.
So there is really no excuse for feeling abused by such dishonesty- they are only cheating themselves and will have short lived success. Any quality agency is going to kick their arse onto the next planet when the full job gets delivered. Hell mend them.
But it is cheating for sure if the asker does not decla... See more I see it like this. (I think):
If the askers declare their agenda (i.e. a test done on the back of experienced people), then we have the option of answering or not.
So there is really no excuse for feeling abused by such dishonesty- they are only cheating themselves and will have short lived success. Any quality agency is going to kick their arse onto the next planet when the full job gets delivered. Hell mend them.
But it is cheating for sure if the asker does not declare their agenda and I suspect there is plenty of this still going on.
In such a case, instead of moaning about it, the experienced people have the option of playing them at their own game- tie them in knots or give deliberately misleading or ambiguous answers. Serve them bloody right!
Disclaimer:
I am NOT a moderator. Please therefore do not assume that I would (n)ever dream of participating in such skullduggery be it authorized by the site owner or sanctioned by my fellow non-moderators or not. I am only commenting as a passionate KrudoZ participant. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Catherine Bolton
Local time: 16:03
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
THEMENSTARTER In stillem Gedenken | About contacting the moderator | Jun 3, 2004 |
Angela,
I can't speak for the newbie, obviously, but when she saw my "cut it out awready" comments to the asker for several questions, not to mention Giovanni's, she decided to write to me to ask what to do.
I suggested contacting the moderator OR posting a forum. She wrote back to say that she was new and was afraid of raising a ruckus -- and subjecting herself to an onslaught. As we can see, this would indeed have happened.
As you ARE a volunteer and I happen to know that you... See more Angela,
I can't speak for the newbie, obviously, but when she saw my "cut it out awready" comments to the asker for several questions, not to mention Giovanni's, she decided to write to me to ask what to do.
I suggested contacting the moderator OR posting a forum. She wrote back to say that she was new and was afraid of raising a ruckus -- and subjecting herself to an onslaught. As we can see, this would indeed have happened.
As you ARE a volunteer and I happen to know that you live in Italy, where yesterday was a national holiday, I did not feel it was appropriate to contact you. Had I lived in another country and not even known it was an Italian holiday, I would have. Mea culpa. People DO use holidays to relax, so why shouldn't you? Especially given your recent forum about the flood of e-mails you receive, gratitude and lack thereof, and given also that this is a particularly thorny and rather unpleasant issue anyway.
Moreover, despite all the comments to the asker on this particular occasion - we're not talking about ONE question but more like 15 or 20, minutes apart - you did not step in, so it seemed logical that you were not around (again, it was a holiday).
Yes, there are several issues at stake here, the biggest one being the atmosphere that has made a newbie feel uncomfortable posting. I suppose I could post a whole new forum on that one, but I can't see much point.
And TBH, I had hoped to hear Henry's opinion on limiting the number of "test/homework" questions that can be posted. Though people have the right to ask questions, the name of the site DOES happen to be "Proz", which means "professionals". ▲ Collapse
| | | | | About contacting the moderator... | Jun 3, 2004 |
living in England, I had completely forgotten about the holiday in Italy... I realised that after contacting Angela. It was up to Angela to intervene or not. I'm sorry that she receives hundreds of mails, but this is the moderator's job and nobody is forcing Angela to do it. When I noticed the abuse, I wrote to the asker and then contacted the moderator. The moderator's job is on a voluntary basis, so we cannot always expect a swift intervention or solution to the problems. I'm aware of this. Ma... See more living in England, I had completely forgotten about the holiday in Italy... I realised that after contacting Angela. It was up to Angela to intervene or not. I'm sorry that she receives hundreds of mails, but this is the moderator's job and nobody is forcing Angela to do it. When I noticed the abuse, I wrote to the asker and then contacted the moderator. The moderator's job is on a voluntary basis, so we cannot always expect a swift intervention or solution to the problems. I'm aware of this. Maybe next time I'll squash the questions straightaway...
Giovanni ▲ Collapse
| | | | IanW (X)
Local time: 16:03
Deutsch > Englisch
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| Use vs. abuse | Jun 3, 2004 |
Personally, I don't think that ProZ should provide a dictionary service to people trying to get their homework done, but that's just my opinion. I'm not going to try to force it down anybody's throat and I'm quite happy to accept the situation if the majority is in favour of it.
However, there is a world of difference between using the system and abusing it - between asking a couple of questions and systematically posting a translation line by line.
And the "If you don'... See more Personally, I don't think that ProZ should provide a dictionary service to people trying to get their homework done, but that's just my opinion. I'm not going to try to force it down anybody's throat and I'm quite happy to accept the situation if the majority is in favour of it.
However, there is a world of difference between using the system and abusing it - between asking a couple of questions and systematically posting a translation line by line.
And the "If you don't like it, just ignore it" approach simply doesn't wash. I'm not obliged to take my afternoon stroll in the local park, but I am perfectly entitled to be annoyed if there is dog crap everywhere.
[Edited at 2004-06-03 10:19] ▲ Collapse
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Sarah Ponting
Italien
Local time: 16:03
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Agree with Ian | Jun 3, 2004 |
Ian Winick wrote:
And the "If you don't like it, just ignore it" approach simply doesn't wash. I'm not obliged to take my afternoon stroll in the local park, but I am perfectly entitled to be annoyed if there is dog crap everywhere.
Couldn't have put it better myself
Sarah
| | | | | I second that! | Jun 3, 2004 |
Sarah Ponting wrote:
Ian Winick wrote:
And the "If you don't like it, just ignore it" approach simply doesn't wash. I'm not obliged to take my afternoon stroll in the local park, but I am perfectly entitled to be annoyed if there is dog crap everywhere.
Couldn't have put it better myself
Sarah
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[Edited at 2004-06-13 15:11]
| | | | | Vom Thema belegte Seiten: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Abusing the "homework/test question" option | Wordfast Pro |
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