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Is this a joke or a mistake?
Thread poster: Tom in London
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Aug 24, 2011

I've just received this message:

"we are searching somebody who can translate for us from Italian to English and from English to Italian. We pay 0.02 cent/word."

Apart from the execrable English, surely there must be some way of preventing such "offers" from being sent to Proz.com members?

Isn't there a rule somewhere about this?

[Edited at 2011-08-24 13:37 GMT]


 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
Such jobs are also posted Aug 24, 2011

Such jobs are also posted and emails are sent out. So I can't imagine there is any rule against it.


It seems to me there were past forum discussions asking Proz to prohibit jobs being posted that list bottom-feeder rates. No such steps have ever been taken afaik.

[Edited at 2011-08-24 13:46 GMT]


 
#JuliaC#
#JuliaC#  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:56
German to Italian
+ ...
I sometimes see... Aug 24, 2011

these job offers. And I notice that, if the rate is under the standard, they highlight the fact.

I don't know if there's a rule preventing these offers from being sent to us... however, you're lucky, someone last week offered me 0,01 USD for a very difficult translation. They're still waiting for my answer.


 
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
Member (2006)
English to Polish
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
The rule Aug 24, 2011

Tom in London wrote:

Isn't there a rule somewhere about this?


I guess that the name of the rule is: "demand and supply"


 
Russell Jones
Russell Jones  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
Italian to English
Reported Aug 24, 2011

Hi Tom

I had one too - and reported it - more in hope than expectation, since it is difficult to see that any rules have been infringed.

This is a new profile and it is rather galling to think that someone can register just for the purpose of canvassing for slave rates.


 
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 23:56
English to Polish
+ ...
Ditto. Aug 24, 2011

Stanislaw Czech wrote:

Tom in London wrote:

Isn't there a rule somewhere about this?


I guess that the name of the rule is: "demand and supply"


And I'm glad that somebody finally has found the courage to openly raise concerns about the problem that we've all been secretly munching on: low rates and the presence thereof in proz-advertised offers. This is a much needed topic, one we've been waiting for for years.

[Edited at 2011-08-24 15:26 GMT]


 
Rachel Fell
Rachel Fell  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
French to English
+ ...
Spam Aug 24, 2011

I reported it as Spam, and I notice it was a "reply to..." a Hotmail address. I see the sender still has a Proz profile, though...

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
Spam Aug 24, 2011

Rachel Fell wrote:

I reported it as Spam


Ah I didn't think of that. CLearly it's spam since at least 3 of us have received it and it has wasted our time.


 
Trudy Peters
Trudy Peters  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:56
German to English
+ ...
The way it's worded... Aug 24, 2011

it would actually be 2/100 of a cent

 
Alexander Onishko
Alexander Onishko  Identity Verified
Russian to English
+ ...
* Aug 24, 2011

Tom in London wrote:

I've just received this message:

"we are searching somebody who can translate for us from Italian to English and from English to Italian. We pay 0.02 cent/word."

Apart from the execrable English, surely there must be some way of preventing such "offers" from being sent to Proz.com members?

Isn't there a rule somewhere about this?

[Edited at 2011-08-24 13:37 GMT]


Free market, sir! They have full right to send you such offers. Of course, you have equally full right to refuse or just ignore


 
Alexander Onishko
Alexander Onishko  Identity Verified
Russian to English
+ ...
* Aug 24, 2011

Krzysztof Kajetanowicz wrote:

Stanislaw Czech wrote:

Tom in London wrote:

Isn't there a rule somewhere about this?


I guess that the name of the rule is: "demand and supply"


And I'm glad that somebody finally has found the courage to openly raise concerns about the problem that we've all been secretly munching on: low rates and the presence thereof in proz-advertised offers. This is a much needed topic, one we've been waiting for for years.

[Edited at 2011-08-24 15:26 GMT]


Hi, Krzysztof In fact such topics appear on Proz quite often.


 
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 23:56
English to Polish
+ ...
Alex Aug 24, 2011

I was trying to be sarcastic

 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:56
Spanish to English
+ ...
It's the DNA... Aug 24, 2011

The basic reason for the continued conveyance of such offers through this website is twofold:

1.
As Alexander suggests, we function in a free market in which there are people willing to work for such rates.

2.
The proz.com Jobs Board primarily caters to those willing to pay only the lowest rates for translation. I know this is true for Spanish-English, in both directions. It is apparently also true for Italian-English. I daresay it is also the case for any o
... See more
The basic reason for the continued conveyance of such offers through this website is twofold:

1.
As Alexander suggests, we function in a free market in which there are people willing to work for such rates.

2.
The proz.com Jobs Board primarily caters to those willing to pay only the lowest rates for translation. I know this is true for Spanish-English, in both directions. It is apparently also true for Italian-English. I daresay it is also the case for any other number of combinations. It would be interesting if others would weigh in on this.

As I wrote in a post last year (see link below) I really don't see this changing, for two related reasons: 1. This site's function as a bargain basement of translation services is one of its principle attractions for many outsourcers; and 2.) some of those within that large segment of those with dubious credentials who use the site regularly (i.e., members and potential members, and buyers and potential buyers of the expensive CAT programs advertised here) are happy to accept such offers.

In general, I look at it as part of the downside of the site having clearly opted to define itself as open and inclusive. Thus, other than for the purpose of emotional venting, I don't see much point in an extended discussion about it. It is part of proz.com's DNA. It is as simple as that.

http://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_job_systems/176923-facing_facts:_coming_to_terms_with_the_limitations_of_the_jobs_board.html)
[Note: For some reason, this link leads back to the list of recent posts (even when the address is pasted into the browser). Strange. Anyway, I'd be happy to send a copy of the text of this earlier post to anyone interested.]

[Edited at 2011-08-24 17:58 GMT]
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Michele Fauble
Michele Fauble  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:56
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
+ ...
Peanuts Aug 24, 2011

Some are offering to pay peanuts because they're only interested in what peanuts will buy.

 
Russell Jones
Russell Jones  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:56
Italian to English
Official response Aug 24, 2011

Russell Jones wrote:

I had one too - and reported it - more in hope than expectation, since it is difficult to see that any rules have been infringed.


Staff have confirmed: "This is not out of line with site rules and therefore can't be forbidden"


 
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Is this a joke or a mistake?







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