ProZ.com Newsletter: March 2008

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ProZ.com Newsletter
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(1) New profile format created for translation companies
(2) New Connect release: Improved vendor management
(3) Site member Claudia Iglesias wins international prize
(4) Contest #6 ("Relationships"): your top language pair now in finals
(5) Dreaded words from clients
(6) Networking via KudoZ - consider participating in your areas
(7) Process for collecting client feedback (WWA) to be improved
(8) Upcoming powwows: Moscow, Poznań, Beijing, Santiago, Berlin
(9) New article: 'Keeping as much as you can' (in France)


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(1) New ProZ.com profile format created for translation agencies / companies
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A new profile format has been created specifically for translation agencies using ProZ.com. Compared to the traditional ProZ.com profile format, which was made with freelance translators in mind, the new display configuration has more of the fields that companies need, without the fields that are not applicable. For example, it is now possible to list the locations of multiple offices, or the roles of various staff members.

The page is simpler, and native language and other information that is not applicable to companies has been removed.

Since you have designated "company / agency as your profile type, your profile is now displayed in the new agency format. To view your profile, go to: http://www.proz.com/profile/0 To edit it, log in and go to: http://www.proz.com/quick_profile For more details and discussion, see this forum thread: http://www.proz.com/topic/100121

We look forward to your input in improving this new configuration!

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(2) Connect - March release: Enhanced vendor management, social networking
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Connect is ProZ.com's next-generation platform for finding, qualifying, and managing data about language professionals. Access to the Connect platform is included as one of the benefits of corporate membership. (You are a corporate member.)

New Connect features are released on a monthly basis. In addition to usability enhancements, improvements made in March to the platform include:

* A new vendor management dashboard
* Status tracking for private vendors
* Improved browsing of private vendors

As a corporate member, you enjoy full access to these new features. For details, see: http://www.proz.com/employers/news?press_type=updates&doc_id=10

Would you like a vendor management feature that was not released? Please let the site team know - after all, it is their mission to build into Connect everything you need to run your production back office. Feedback and suggestions are requested by phone or a support ticket: http://www.proz.com/support

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(3) Site member and moderator Claudia Iglesias wins international spelling prize
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Longtime member and moderator Claudia Iglesias http://www.proz.com/profile/17379 took part in an international spelling contest organized by Télé-Québec, la Dictée des Amériques, and she won the Senior prize in Chile.

Claudia earned a trip to Quebec and the right to take part in the final dictation on March 15, as part of the festivities celebrating the city’s 400th anniversary. In this event broadcasted on TV5 Claudia won the third (bronze) price in the senior category for countries not having French as official language.

You can see a video of Claudia accepting her trophy at http://picasaweb.google.fr/pablo.i9lesias/VideoDictEDesAmeriques/photo?authkey=CzZOatR6zeA#5182906457647400338

Congratulations, Claudia, we are proud of you!

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(4) Contest #6 ("Relationships"): your top language pair pair now in final round voting
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In Contest #6 ("Relationships"), competition in the your top language pair pair is now in the final voting stage. You are invited to review your colleagues' translations and vote for the best: http://www.proz.com/contests

Please note that voting in ProZ.com contests is open to all site users. Only members can submit entries.

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(5) Dreaded words from clients
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As a freelancer, are there certain words that you hate to hear a prospective client utter? According to a recent quick poll, the word "urgent" turns off a full 45% of ProZ.com translators. Also cited as cause for concern, paradoxically, were words like "straightforward" and "easy".

Read and contribute to the discussion here: http://www.proz.com/topic/99974

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(6) Networking via KudoZ - consider participating in your niche areas
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In a recent quick poll discussion, member Iza Szczypka let out one of the "secrets" of KudoZ: the networking! "Why is networking not mentioned?", she wrote. "So many new friendships, often evolving from on-line to direct personal contact, so many jobs transferred between us..."

It's true: participating in KudoZ is one of the best way to network at ProZ.com. Of course, it is also a great way to stay on top of the terminology in your fields, and a good way to improve your position in the directory.

If your KudoZ notifications are current set to "off", consider turning on questions notifications just in your top pair and top ("specialty") fields of expertise. Doing so is as easy as clicking here now: http://www.proz.com/?sp=subscribe_kudoz_combination

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(7) Process for collecting positive client reviews ("WWA") to be improved; 3600 translators now using
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Several years ago a means was made available for ProZ.com users to request from their clients a form of feedback that could optionally be shown, for marketing purposes, in profiles. This feedback system--referred to as 'WWA' ("Willing to Work Again")--is now being used by over 3600 ProZ.com translators.

In light of the popularity of this system, steps are being taken to make the process of collecting and displaying WWA feedback more convenient. A new page (to be released this week) will serve to:

* Make the process of requesting WWA feedback from clients more efficient.
* Make it possible for clients (who sometimes receive multiple WWA requests) to make entries for several freelancers at once without visiting each profile.
* Allow clients to pro-actively leave positive feedback for translators. (Those who receive such feedback have the option of displaying the feedback in their profiles; in the meantime, it is held for only the translator to see.)

For more information go to: http://www.proz.com/topic/100940

Notes: The WWA client feedback system is intended as a marketing tool for translators who wish to use it. Only positive feedback is possible. Use of WWA features is optional and it is possible to opt out of using ProZ.com's feedback systems (WWA and the Blue Board) entirely.

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Translator Group buy is going on now at www.proz.com/tgb
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(8) Upcoming powwows: Moscow, Poznań, Beijing, Nijmegen, Santiago, Berlin
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ProZ.com powwows are informal meetings among translators and interpreters living in a given area.

If you have not been to a powwow yet, feel free to attend one in your area. Bring a friend, too. In almost all cases, there is no fee - just pay for your own coffee or meal.

Here is a list of powwows scheduled for the next two months:

April
1: Moscow (42 members) http://proz.com/pw/1885
12: Long Beach, CA, US (12) http://proz.com/pw/1850
12: Louisville, Ky, US (6) http://proz.com/pw/1768
12: Poznań, Poland (28) http://proz.com/pw/1822
19: Beijing (51) http://proz.com/pw/1876
20: Lille, France (6) http://proz.com/pw/1901
25: La Plata, Argentina (7) http://proz.com/pw/1897
26: Nijmegen, Nether. (29) http://proz.com/pw/1813
26: Santiago, Chile (30) http://proz.com/pw/1879
26: Nottingham, UK (11) http://proz.com/pw/1888
26: London (1) http://proz.com/pw/1903
27: Bretagne, France (20) http://proz.com/pw/1859

May
3: Berlin (93) http://proz.com/pw/1664
5: St. Julians, Malta (1) http://proz.com/pw/1871
10: Granada, Spain (20) http://proz.com/pw/1841
17: Abu Dhabi, UAE (2) http://proz.com/pw/1889
18: Cambiano, Italy (13) http://proz.com/pw/1744
27: Modi'in, Israel (12) http://proz.com/pw/1874
31: Samara, Russia (3) http://proz.com/pw/1898

For more powwows, or to propose a new one near you, go to: http://www.proz.com/powwows

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WoprdFast group buy going on now at http://www.proz.com/tgb/139
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(9) New article: 'Keeping as much as you can' (in France)
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Member N.M. Eklund has contributed an article on the topic of
"French Business Expenses: Keeping as much as you can".

She begins with: "As much as we would all love to just concentrate on the translation aspect of our business, the administrative side is a necessary evil we should all master..."

The article, which would appear to be good reading for freelancers living and doing business in France, includes a thorough business expenses checklist. If you are interested, see: http://www.proz.com/doc/1645

Maybe you have special knowledge of this type (tax issues in your country, for example?) that would be useful for other translators... if so, consider posting an article in the ProZ.com knowledgebase. This is great way to share information, build your network and, if you are interested, also to promote yourself. For submission guidelines, see: http://www.proz.com/translation-articles/pages/Submission-Guidelines



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