Pools making progress, calls starting to come in for interpreter pool
Thread poster: Mike Donlin
Mike Donlin
Mike Donlin
Local time: 19:34
SITE STAFF
Oct 5, 2017

ProZ.com Pools continue to make progress. There are screened pools for interpreters, subtitlers and game localizers. We are working on pools for pharmaceutical translators, literary translators and project managers. More pools to come, and more to do for the existing pools, so please continue to share your suggestions.

Pools are available at: https://www.proz.com/pools

Call volume has
... See more
ProZ.com Pools continue to make progress. There are screened pools for interpreters, subtitlers and game localizers. We are working on pools for pharmaceutical translators, literary translators and project managers. More pools to come, and more to do for the existing pools, so please continue to share your suggestions.

Pools are available at: https://www.proz.com/pools

Call volume has jumped for the interpreters working with our partner Boostlingo. This week, for example, we have already seen over 500 calls. We are excited to watch this grow and should have some more improvements and invitations to more interpreters shortly.

Thank you to our Plus subscribers (by the way there are now almost 4,500 of you), who have made pools and other new services possible.

Mike

[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2017-10-06 03:22 GMT]
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Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 07:34
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Just curious Oct 6, 2017

I applied to and was approved for the game localization pool, but I was under the impression that I would receive a notification and didn't receive any until I checked today. Was I just off-base?

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Penalised Oct 6, 2017

Presumably anyone who is not in those pools misses out?

 
Michael Wetzel
Michael Wetzel  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 00:34
German to English
Request for improvement Oct 6, 2017

Could you please place a gigantic asterisk after the word "screened" and then add some fine print explaining exactly what this screening process does and does not involve?

And from the economic perspective of a freelancer:
The bigger the pool of readily visible potential translators and the less specific the client's ideas about what (who) they need, the more translations (and translators) look like commodities to be bought primarily on the basis of price. After name and tagli
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Could you please place a gigantic asterisk after the word "screened" and then add some fine print explaining exactly what this screening process does and does not involve?

And from the economic perspective of a freelancer:
The bigger the pool of readily visible potential translators and the less specific the client's ideas about what (who) they need, the more translations (and translators) look like commodities to be bought primarily on the basis of price. After name and tagline, price is also conveniently displayed as the third most prominent item (more prominent than things like language combination or specific field within the "pool"). How is this feature good for freelancers?
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Mirko Mainardi
Mirko Mainardi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 00:34
Member
English to Italian
Concerns Oct 6, 2017

I share Tom's and Michael's concerns.

 
Mike Donlin
Mike Donlin
Local time: 19:34
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Game localization notification Oct 6, 2017

Lincoln Hui wrote:

I applied to and was approved for the game localization pool, but I was under the impression that I would receive a notification and didn't receive any until I checked today. Was I just off-base?


Hi Lincoln,

Yes, you should have received a message on profile activation. Since I have been sending those individually, it could have been human error. I hope you've received a few contacts from that pool.

Mike


 
Mike Donlin
Mike Donlin
Local time: 19:34
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Progress, screening, rates and missing out Oct 6, 2017

Hi Tom, Michael, Mirko -

Thank you for your feedback on the post (and pools).

One goal for pools is to provide more exposure and opportunities at ProZ.com for freelancers. As pools evolve, we hope to provide more of them in more specialties so that less "miss out".

I'll note the point on the big asterisk. Presently, we are screening with three levels of commercial viability: unscreened, apparent and confirmed. It is explained in a mouseover next to each
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Hi Tom, Michael, Mirko -

Thank you for your feedback on the post (and pools).

One goal for pools is to provide more exposure and opportunities at ProZ.com for freelancers. As pools evolve, we hope to provide more of them in more specialties so that less "miss out".

I'll note the point on the big asterisk. Presently, we are screening with three levels of commercial viability: unscreened, apparent and confirmed. It is explained in a mouseover next to each language pair. Credentials, invoices, feedback (WWA) and previous screening from CPN have been used to screen. We have not confirmed many in any pool yet and reserve the right to change the screening level for someone based on new information.

Correct, we are displaying rates prominently in the pool. That is one of the features that will make pools a little different from the directory and other profiles. We hope it eliminates unnecessary conversations with outsourcers whose rates a freelancer may not accept.

We are listening and learning from every new pool and every interaction with the pool, so please keep the conversation going.

Mike
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Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Out of the pool Oct 6, 2017

So it's all about rates, huh? The conversation with outsourcers should be about quality, not price. But hey, I'm only a translator.

Anyway I don't want to be in a pool. I'm a Groucho Marx kind of guy.

But I'm concerned that these pools give certain translators (who have to pay more) an unfair advantage over the others who are not in the pool.

Tell me I'm wrong.

[Edited at 2017-10-06 15:09 GMT]


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 19:34
SITE FOUNDER
Part of the idea is that Pools can be "bolted on" to other platforms Oct 6, 2017

Hi all,

Part of the impetus behind pools is the opportunity to connect them, programmatically, with other networks and platforms. (This is what we were talking about when we referred to "external channels" in last year's Plus rollout).

One could think of it in terms of "bolting on" a pool to another platform or network, so that users of that platform or network (Boostlingo's LSP customers, in this case)
... See more
Hi all,

Part of the impetus behind pools is the opportunity to connect them, programmatically, with other networks and platforms. (This is what we were talking about when we referred to "external channels" in last year's Plus rollout).

One could think of it in terms of "bolting on" a pool to another platform or network, so that users of that platform or network (Boostlingo's LSP customers, in this case) get convenient access to a certain sort of service (interpreting, in this case). Obviously, in order to make services available at a click from another platform -- when there is no back-and-forth negotiating -- you need to be able to put a price on the service. Also, among the expectations of most potential partners is that there will be a reasonable level of commercial screening done in advance and that there will be feedback, both positive and negative, on service providers, on an ongoing basis.

Payment is another issue; under the bolt-on approach payment is made via ProZ.com. So additional information is needed there.

To be clear, "bolting on" is not the only purpose of Pools; they also serve as a convenient way to browse for specific sorts of talent right here at ProZ.com.

We understand that because of the requirements to set a specific rate, to agree to accept positive/negative feedback, to provide identity and payment information and so on (in some cases), Pools may not be for everyone. For those who are ok with those requirements, though, we welcome your input on their further direction. How can Pools be improved? What Pool would you like to see added? Who should we be approaching as potential partners?
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Pools making progress, calls starting to come in for interpreter pool






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