| 话题中的页数: < [1 2] | Why haven't I upgraded to Platinum membership? 论题张贴者: Jianjun Zhang
|
|---|
| Come on Ruxi | Mar 27, 2005 |
Moderators are all doing a great service to Proz. Whether a platinum or a non-platinum member, none should doubt their sincerity. My good friends Ralf Lemster, Claudia Iglesias, Kim Metzger et al are all great. Please wipe off any suspicions as to their motives from your mind.
In my particular case, the moment I am able to pay in rupees the price expressed in dollars to a proz representative in India, I will become a platinum member. At that time the advatages will far outweigh the disadva... See more Moderators are all doing a great service to Proz. Whether a platinum or a non-platinum member, none should doubt their sincerity. My good friends Ralf Lemster, Claudia Iglesias, Kim Metzger et al are all great. Please wipe off any suspicions as to their motives from your mind.
In my particular case, the moment I am able to pay in rupees the price expressed in dollars to a proz representative in India, I will become a platinum member. At that time the advatages will far outweigh the disadvantages.
Regards,
N.Raghavan ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ruxi
German德语译成Romanian罗马尼亚语
+ ...
I would have liked to delete my posting, but the edit function probably only works for a short time.
Everybody seem to have seen only the part of it regarding the managers.
I am sorry, I have been hurt by some of them and this is why I have such a feeling.
Gianfranco happens to be one the ones whom I admire, for being wise and moderating well a forum.
Somebody asked me if I know what volunteer work means. Yes, I know, I have done plenty of it. In my country it was usual t... See more I would have liked to delete my posting, but the edit function probably only works for a short time.
Everybody seem to have seen only the part of it regarding the managers.
I am sorry, I have been hurt by some of them and this is why I have such a feeling.
Gianfranco happens to be one the ones whom I admire, for being wise and moderating well a forum.
Somebody asked me if I know what volunteer work means. Yes, I know, I have done plenty of it. In my country it was usual to do it in certain times.
And I love to do things for free in order to help people, but in another way.It is only I could not accept to hurt people defeating some rules here which are not right.And I could not be a leader I any sense (chief, moderator, or something else).
In my life and work I sometimes ignored rules of my chiefs in order to help people. I was officialy punished by my chiefs, but private they have told me they admire my attitude and respected me more. The people I helped sometimes were grateful to me, but the most important think for me was the way I felt when making people happy.
I gave a lot in my life, for free and with love.
I do not know who and what made the site to create some rules. Some people may have mistaken, but there is no need for others to pay for them.I am sure it could work perfectly with less rules.
I am sorry once again for the sentences regarding the moderators.
As I said I tried to help the site in other ways.
Jerzy: it was not me being unfair on KudoZ. Not me.
As about the Platinum: 100 Euro is in my country too a monthly wage for many of the people.
Also in Germany it is a lot of many when you have no income and no job. I am not only complaining, I am fighting to get work but I gave up looking for translation jobs.Nothing could help find translation jobs in this world, if there aren't any for certain languages.No profile, no marketing, no nothing.
Ruxi ▲ Collapse
| | | | gianfranco 
巴西
Local time: 00:12
正式会员 (自2001)
English英语译成Italian意大利语
+ ...
| Sorry. Still a bit off the initial topic | Mar 27, 2005 |
------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, this is a digression from the initial topic.
I will go back to the initial topic in the next posting.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruxi wrote:
...
I would have liked to delete my posting, but the edit function probably only works for a short time.
Ruxi, you can edit your posting in any moment. I quoted them in my answer to have the relevant parts exactly as you wrote them.
Ruxi wrote:
...
Everybody seem to have seen only the part of it regarding the managers.
For what I'm concerned, I entered the discussion to give a correct view about that point only.
The thread was actually about the Platinum membership and its perceived value or cost in some countries and this digression will stop after this posting.
Ruxi wrote:
I am sorry, I have been hurt by some of them and this is why I have such a feeling.
If you have been "hurt" by a site Moderator please write to Support and ask for the site staff to investigate. If anyone is being unfair to you they will be called to report in front of the Moderators' team. We apply to ourselves a written code of conduct and we exchange within the team advice and 'criticism'.
Believe me, you would not believe how hard we discuss and disagree on many issues. And we are not tender with ourselves in case of mistakes...
Ruxi wrote:
...
I do not know who and what made the site to create some rules. Some people may have mistaken, but there is no need for others to pay for them.I am sure it could work perfectly with less rules.
Please, take the forum rules http://www.proz.com/forumrules
as an example of the rules that you so much dislike. Read them. Read them more than once. And if you find any of them unfair or unreasonable, open a discussion in the Forum dedicated to the Forum itself (not here).
Any rule is subject to change, and we have added, removed and reworded them as we went along. A new incident may prompt the site to change something, to prevent similar cases. This is the method that we have used to put together the current set of rules(see for example the (#6) No advertising, or (#9) No harassing side messages, etc.)
In any case, the rules do not affect anyone from using and enjoy the forums. Please, go around on the Internet, as somebody told you in a past discussion, and see for yourself the difference between these forums and others.
In ProZ.com we strongly discourage and remove all common nuisances, including spam and advertising, but we also strive to create an athmosphere of respect and cooperation, the great majority of the members appreciate, and we are quite proud of the results.
Ruxi wrote:
...
I am sorry once again for the sentences regarding the moderators.
...
Apologies noted. Thank you. No prolem. But please, see above.
You are still complaining about having been mistreated. I advised you how to proceed to remedy your problem, solving and clarifying any possible pending issue you may have.
----------------------------------------------------
END OF THE OFF-TOPICAL DIGRESSION
----------------------------------------------------
Gianfranco
[Edited at 2005-03-27 23:05]
| | | | gianfranco
巴西
Local time: 00:12
正式会员 (自2001)
English英语译成Italian意大利语
+ ...
| ProZ.com as a marketing tool | Mar 27, 2005 |
And now we are back on topic. ProZ.com and its real or perceived value as a marketing tool.
The opinion expressed here are not only answers to Ruxi, although I'm taking her words as a prompt, but also for all members who intend to use ProZ.com as a marketing tool, free or paid.
Ruxi wrote:
...
As about the Platinum: 100 Euro is in my country too a monthly wage for many of the people. Also in Germany it is a lot of many when you have no income and no job.
The site is mostly free to use. The only areas where we have some restrictions currently are:
Directories (more visibility is given to paying members)
Jobs area (some priority is given to paying members)
Blueboard (but some degree of access is given to everybody)
All the rest of the site is free to use, and not differentiated(at the moment), but all restricted parts can be accessed anyway.
It is a policy of ProZ.com to grant a free membership and free use of the site to everybody. Note that ProZ.com is not a public service or a charity, or a subsidized organization, with all that this entails, it is therefore fair to give some advantage to paying members who support the site's financial viability.
Finally, a paid membership is not particularly expensive and it can be seen as a business expense. You seem to have an issue with investing in your business, but probably you have purchased other business tools, a computer, an Internet connection, software, business cards, dictionaries and surely much more to set up your workplace.
Nowadays a single dictionary can set us back 150 EUR or more (luckily not all of them are so expensive), and yet we purchase them, if we work in a specialized field. We need all our tools, dictionarie, and a reliable computer to provide a good service.
You must consider a membership in ProZ.as a business expense (deductable), and a marketing investment, at par with all others. It is up to you, with your free business judgement, to evaluate if ProZ.com membership is worth its cost or not.
You have made your choices buying some hardware products rather than some others available on the market, and you have made choices in software, so you can make your choices in marketing strategy too. Please note that the Internet is not the only way to get work, and ProZ.com is a good place to be if you look for translation work via the Internet. It is not if you dedicate your attention to other business channels.
Ruxi wrote:
...
I am not only complaining, I am fighting to get work but I gave up looking for translation jobs.Nothing could help find translation jobs in this world, if there aren't any for certain languages.No profile, no marketing, no nothing.
...
There is plenty of reading material, shared experiences, tips, and generally good advice in ProZ.com, in the Forums, in the HowTos section, and on the Internet in general.
Have your read, digested and applied some of the valuable advice shared by our colleagues? And still nothing seems to work for you?
In that case, I have some more detailed questions for you:
No, don't answer here. These are questions to which you have to answer to yourself, and perhaps act urgently in some direction...
Who knows what services you can provide? How do you market your services?
Internet is only one of many channels. I suspect, indirectly, that you are not exploiting all of them in full because you are not exploiting the possibilities offered for free in ProZ.com.
Where do you advertise? Have you got some kind of web presence?
You can have here a profile, plus a simple and small but entirely free web space (10 MB), and a full blown and very sophisticated hosting service, if you are a Platinum member, at an unbeatable price.
Have you worked on completing your ProZ.com profile?
This is free, but I believe that in your profile there is some space for improvement.
Have you put some samples of your work in your Portfolio?
A convenient space to showcase significant samples of your work.
Have you written an article for the HowTos section?
Yet another way to showcase your expertise or to circulate your name. Networking and being indexed by a search engine puts your name in evidence.
Consider having name and picture in your profile
And talking about name, you are free to show your real name or not. It is again a free choice, but a name and a picture may give a different image of you to the perspective customer. In my opinion, it works better than a nickname and an impersonal or almost empty page. Every detail makes a difference.
* * * *
In short, if you are not getting results, you may be doing something wrong. Question yourself and change something. You can find more about marketing your services in Forums and HowTos.
Have a nice Easter weekend
Gianfranco
[Edited at 2005-03-27 22:20]
| | |
|
|
|
Edda Emery (X)
Local time: 13:12
German德语译成English英语
+ ...
| Interesting and thought-provoking thread | Mar 28, 2005 |
I have read the posts in this thread with great interest. Some points I'd like to make in response to several of the postings:
· I joined about a week ago and immediately joined as a Platinum Member, because it seemed that the benefits outweighed the cost. We often lose sight of the fact that some countries and professionals in these countries have huge odds to face in competing in the international arena. The first post by Jianjun, for example, once again made me realise just how luck... See more I have read the posts in this thread with great interest. Some points I'd like to make in response to several of the postings:
· I joined about a week ago and immediately joined as a Platinum Member, because it seemed that the benefits outweighed the cost. We often lose sight of the fact that some countries and professionals in these countries have huge odds to face in competing in the international arena. The first post by Jianjun, for example, once again made me realise just how lucky many of us are. Living in a country where easy access to banking facilities, to mention just one example, it is almost inconceivable that it is not the norm! Yet, I have come across some of these problems when travelling, and know from first-hand experience how frustrating they can be.
· Since joining, I have not had a job through ProZ as yet. But the resources I have had access to and have found because of joining have already made my membership worthwhile. On the other hand, if this membership would have equalled my monthly salary, as seems the case in both China and India (and many other countries, no doubt), I do think I would have given it a lot more consideration before joining.
· Freelance translating can be a very lonely business! This site allows us to be part of a collective whole, which can discuss and bounce problems (in terminology or the day-to-day business issues) off one another to the benefit of all. Simply by reading through past for a posts, some issues that I had a problem solving, have been solved for me!
· I agree with NancyLynn, that we need to contribute in this world to reap the benefits. Of course, most of us are on this site to access additional work, but the benefits also include the support and respect of the greater ProZ community.
· I have learned a lot through the posts about how the site works. The fact that moderators contribute their valuable time for the benefit of the greater ProZ community is truly admirable and I would like to thank them for this great site! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mark Xiang
Local time: 11:12
English英语译成Chinese汉语
+ ...
| Pay attention to your wording | Mar 28, 2005 |
Jerzy Czopik wrote:
your reasons are selfish reasons.
Jerzy
I think your above comment is against the rules of Proz forum.
I quote some of them below:
5. No shouting
"Shouting" is considered impolite and is discouraged; lower case should be used unless there is a reason to capitalize.
6. No advertising
All forms of commercial solicitation are prohibited. Mention of any product or service will be permitted only to the extent it is necessary in the course of a discussion.
7. Professionalism
The use of profanity, obscenities, or objectionable language is prohibited.
8. No attacks
Personal attacks on groups or individuals, discussing the personal behavior of other members or inhibiting any person in any way from enjoying the service, is prohibited.
13. No misrepresentation
Impersonating others or using assumed identities is prohibited. Commenting on others' behalf, without permission ('Jenny thinks...'), is also not allowed.
Mark
| | | | | Other Platinum benefits | Mar 28, 2005 |
In addition to the BlueBoard, Platinum members also receive free web hosting. My previous provider charged me $10 a month just for my website. $10 x 12 months = $120. Thus, for the same price, I can have a website and enjoy all the other benefits of being a platinum member.
Jianjun: Congratulations on your excellent knowledge of the English language!
Jianjun and Narasimhan: You both have great websites! Do you get free web hosting as part of your internet service?
... See more In addition to the BlueBoard, Platinum members also receive free web hosting. My previous provider charged me $10 a month just for my website. $10 x 12 months = $120. Thus, for the same price, I can have a website and enjoy all the other benefits of being a platinum member.
Jianjun: Congratulations on your excellent knowledge of the English language!
Jianjun and Narasimhan: You both have great websites! Do you get free web hosting as part of your internet service?
Ruxi: I have read your posts in both English and German. You are talented and extremely passionate about this profession. Have you considered creating a website in order to help you get jobs and earn more money?
I also like reading and participating in the forum postings and I occasionally make heavy use of the search glossaries (yes, these are free for non-paying members, but keeping a website up and running costs money and I am willing to pay a modest amount to ensure the continuation of a service I enjoy).
Review the list of additional benefits offered to Platinum members. If you can find added value in these other benefits (such as the web hosting service and BlueBoard in my case), then you can consider any job opportunities you acquire as an added bonus of membership.
Maybe we could create a DONATE feature where Platinum members could each donate small amounts of money to a fund to help those in need obtain Platinum membership, making it possible for these members to earn membership by participating in KudoZ, translating parts of the site, sharing their expertise through articles, glossaries, etc. As a community, we can all help each other even though we are competitors.
[Edited at 2005-03-28 04:29] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Edda Emery (X)
Local time: 13:12
German德语译成English英语
+ ...
| Like the donations idea | Mar 28, 2005 |
Good idea, Jeff. Basic members without a Platinum membership could motivate their reasons for requesting a "sponsored" Platinum membership, and their contributions could be "judged" by colleages with a Platinum membership, so we could chose who we would want to sponsor?
| | |
|
|
|
Jianjun Zhang
英国
Local time: 04:12
English英语译成Chinese汉语
+ ...
主题发起人
Hi, Edda thanks for your understanding and kind words. And thanks for your visit to website and the donation idea, Jeff. My site is hosted at about $ 45 a year including 200M server space, 5 email accounts and a domain name. Very low price indeed compared with prices overseas. But this is just what we can afford to pay in China. If I could pay for Proz, I'll use the free web space provided here, because I also want to use database which is not available on my present site.
Henry, t... See more Hi, Edda thanks for your understanding and kind words. And thanks for your visit to website and the donation idea, Jeff. My site is hosted at about $ 45 a year including 200M server space, 5 email accounts and a domain name. Very low price indeed compared with prices overseas. But this is just what we can afford to pay in China. If I could pay for Proz, I'll use the free web space provided here, because I also want to use database which is not available on my present site.
Henry, the site founder wrote to me asking about payment in China and I replied. I hope they may one day help us Chinese translators get better access to Proz and hence international translation arena.
I just noticed Mark from China also joined this thread, and hope he will bring us more insights. What do you think Mark? ▲ Collapse
| | | | annaba
Local time: 05:12
English英语译成Italian意大利语
+ ...
| "keeping critisising but not doing anything to get things better." | Mar 28, 2005 |
I agree most of all with this statement made by Jerzy:
"What I don´t like very much, is keeping critisising but not doing anything to get things better"
Are there any things you do not like in Proz? Express it politely and you will not be " censored". Bring some proposes and you will help making the service better.
For myself, I love Proz. I don't see it as a "perfect being" (many people are permanently working for a better Proz) - but I find it is the best site for translator... See more I agree most of all with this statement made by Jerzy:
"What I don´t like very much, is keeping critisising but not doing anything to get things better"
Are there any things you do not like in Proz? Express it politely and you will not be " censored". Bring some proposes and you will help making the service better.
For myself, I love Proz. I don't see it as a "perfect being" (many people are permanently working for a better Proz) - but I find it is the best site for translators on the net. Clear, fair, human. And I will be happy to support it as soon as some more money will get in.
I think we should all be aware of how much work is behind Proz. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
芬兰
Local time: 06:12
正式会员 (自2003)
Finnish芬兰语译成German德语
+ ...
| Rather fair system | Mar 28, 2005 |
There are some freelance directories which let you registrate free, but when you get a job notification your have first to pay up in order to see it and get a chance to answer to the outsourcer. So Proz.com is comparatively fair.
All users have the same chances, even if platinum members have some small advantage, in case the outsourcer restricts his offer to those. Most ads are for potential jobs or of the style "updating our database". For those it does not matter of one is paying member ... See more There are some freelance directories which let you registrate free, but when you get a job notification your have first to pay up in order to see it and get a chance to answer to the outsourcer. So Proz.com is comparatively fair.
All users have the same chances, even if platinum members have some small advantage, in case the outsourcer restricts his offer to those. Most ads are for potential jobs or of the style "updating our database". For those it does not matter of one is paying member or not. Why somebody does not get jobs in the German to Romanian field is nobody's fault, there must be plenty of opportunities.
To Ruxi: Please go and view your profile page. How credible do you think your claim is about your language combinations? Perhaps you should remove all but the German-Romanian combination? And put up a personal webpage? Webhosting is included in the platinum package, before that I paid more for web hosting per year than for Proz-membership.
Regards
Heinrich
[Edited at 2005-03-28 17:10] ▲ Collapse
| | | | VBaby
Local time: 04:12
English英语译成French法语
+ ...
| My objection to premium membership | Mar 31, 2005 |
As a non-paying member of this site for close to four years, I guess I should list a few reasons of my own for not going "Platinum". Price by itself is not a barrier. I do incur larger business expenses from time to time.
At the most basic level, I don't pay because I don't have to. I get access to the features most useful to me (glossaries, ask the pros, job postings) for free and can finance occasional Blue Board queries through Browniz. I see it as no different from not paying fo... See more As a non-paying member of this site for close to four years, I guess I should list a few reasons of my own for not going "Platinum". Price by itself is not a barrier. I do incur larger business expenses from time to time.
At the most basic level, I don't pay because I don't have to. I get access to the features most useful to me (glossaries, ask the pros, job postings) for free and can finance occasional Blue Board queries through Browniz. I see it as no different from not paying for Google, Yahoo!, dozens of online news sites and dictionaries, Firefox or Opera. This is how the Internet took off and the way most people have grown to use it and depend on it. I don't feel any more "selfish" using Proz at no expense than endlessly querying Google (BTW, I need Google every day, I can go without Proz for months). Of course, it's a conundrum for people building Web-based businesses and trying to finance content creation, but innovative and sustainable business models are found every day to accommodate this "free" paradigm.
I just don't think Platinum memberships are the right way to go. As long as most of the site stays free, premium memberships will be a hard sell. With the exception of the free hosting mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the premium features don't look irresistible by themselves. For the record, I received a 6-month Platinum membership last year as part of a CAT group buy, but didn't register noticeable benefits and didn't renew it once it expired. Therefore, I think most Platinum members pay the fee out of a sense of obligation, belonging, or "noblesse oblige", which is entirely to their credit. (All members, including non paying, add value through KudoZ, answering outsourcer RFPs, forums, etc, as has been noted already.)
What I object to is that Platinum is not billed as simply a support membership scheme, but that it implicitly grants a recognition of "professional" value in exchange for plain cash. The greater implied worth of paying members expresses itself in listings and most prominently in restricted job postings (i.e. delayed for non paying members). Outsourcers are encouraged in effect to restrict their search to a pre-screened field of freelancers and one inescapable reason for that (apart from avoiding the hassle of combing through too many bids) has to be that, somehow, these translators are better than the rest. Yet, anyone can spend the $120 and style themselves as a platinum translator. It just seems like an unfortunate "mélange des genres" to me.
What would the alternatives be? The most radical would of course be to shut off free riders and restrict the site to paying members, with prices adapted to local conditions worldwide. It's a business decision for the owners to make. Donations are also a good idea. One form of payment I find acceptable personally is the idea of buying credits that can be used to pay for each use of a certain feature - the Spanish daily El Mundo has this option, you can pay something like 5 or 10 euros and read 50 restricted articles whenever you want. Somehow it's less forbidding than shelling out a three-figure yearly subscription.
I also wonder about advertising. Clearly, this site has a very focused and active audience, yet the choice of advertisers is very narrow (mainly house ads and CAT publishers). Ads are also very discreet in the newsletter. Canvassing of members for permission marketing purposes hasn't been done to my knowledge. Yet, beyond CAT tools, site users take as a whole must spend huge sums on other software, computer hardware, home networking equipment, Internet access, travel (probably)... I'm sure there's a big untapped advertising base out there.
A final word of praise for the owners and members. Someone must be doing something right. Three years ago, among the feuds and vendettas, I thought this site might run out of control and be taken over by wannabe translators, KudoZ crazies, recriminators, and self-appointed vigilantes, and lose all credibility in the process. Instead, it has become more civilised, more useful and more professional. Bravo to all concerned! ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Robert Donahue (X)
Russian俄语译成English英语
+ ...
| Amen sister! : ) | Apr 2, 2005 |
Patricia Posadas wrote:
You may find it hard to believe, Ruxi, but they do!
I won't go into judging why you find it is so unlikely, perhaps you never heard of voluntary work.
This is just a proof of how generous they are, so if I were you I would say a big "Thank you" instead of suspecting such great people who work for free and make this site possible... I wouldn't like any of them to be discouraged by your statements.
THANKS DEAR MODERATORS ALL OVER THE PLANET!!
I have had nothing but positive experiences as far as dealing with moderators go. In my experience, they are very professional and extremely responsive. The fact that they receive no financial consideration for their professionalism only enhances my esteem for them. This was also one of the many reasons that I chose to go platinum.
Best of luck to all of you,
Rob
| | | | | A word in defence of platinum membership and selfish reasons | Apr 3, 2005 |
VBaby wrote:
I don't feel any more "selfish" using Proz at no expense than endlessly querying Google (BTW, I need Google every day, I can go without Proz for months). Of course, it's a conundrum for people building Web-based businesses and trying to finance content creation, but innovative and sustainable business models are found every day to accommodate this "free" paradigm.
I don't see why you should feel selfish. Being able to use Proz.com for free is a feature quite intentionally available here for people like you. You have every right to use this website for free (as most of us did at some point).
I just don't think Platinum memberships are the right way to go. As long as most of the site stays free, premium memberships will be a hard sell. With the exception of the free hosting mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the premium features don't look irresistible by themselves. Therefore, I think most Platinum members pay the fee out of a sense of obligation, belonging, or "noblesse oblige", which is entirely to their credit.
On your first point, i think the large number of existing platinum members suggests otherwise. As for "noblesse oblige" - I think you're wrong. People are by nature interested primarily in themselves and their own benefit. Platinum members buy a service from Proz.com which they believe is worth their hard-earned cash. Having been a Platinum member for a while now I know that to me personally it's worth a lot more than the money I pay for it now. I don't think Henry & Co are relying on our generousity or gratitude when writing their business plan for 2006, they are relying on the fact that we are willing to pay for the service they provide.
To put it rather crudely, yes, my reasons are "selfish reasons" and I think people running this website don't do so out of the kindness of their hearts either. In the words of Adam Smith “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”
I am grateful to Proz staff for running this website and should I get the chance to meet any of them in person, I'll be sure to say "Thank you", something I regularly do in forums and support tickets. I get the impression that they are also grateful to me (and thousands of others like me) for doing business with them. It's a very normal and pleasant business relationship.
What I object to is that Platinum is not billed as simply a support membership scheme, but that it implicitly grants a recognition of "professional" value in exchange for plain cash. The greater implied worth of paying members expresses itself in listings and most prominently in restricted job postings (i.e. delayed for non paying members). Outsourcers are encouraged in effect to restrict their search to a pre-screened field of freelancers and one inescapable reason for that (apart from avoiding the hassle of combing through too many bids) has to be that, somehow, these translators are better than the rest. Yet, anyone can spend the $120 and style themselves as a platinum translator. It just seems like an unfortunate "mélange des genres" to me.
It is not billed as a support membership scheme because then we would be in that "noblesse oblige" situation which you mention and I reckon Henry & Co don't want to be relying on our "benevolence" As for implied professionalism, first of all I think paying for membership of the top translator site on the net shows that you are serious about translation and also acts as a mechanism to encourage people to buy membership.
What would the alternatives be? The most radical would of course be to shut off free riders and restrict the site to paying members, with prices adapted to local conditions worldwide.
Given much of your post, I find this comment ironic to say the least. I think free membership is actually a great marketing tool, which allows you to show people what they are buying. Also, some people buy platinum membership to separate themselves from "the rest"...if "the rest" didn't exist...
| | | | Jianjun Zhang
英国
Local time: 04:12
English英语译成Chinese汉语
+ ...
主题发起人 | At last I got it! | Sep 17, 2005 |
Hey my colleagues,
Now after help from other Prozers and my efforts. I became a platinum member. I'll try to sort out how translators in China can circumvent forex restrictions legally and purchase a membership at proz.com when I am available for writing an article.
Thanks to all of you that care!
Cheers!
| | | | | 话题中的页数: < [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 » Why haven't I upgraded to Platinum membership? | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
