Poll: Does the low-cost sector in translation business worry you? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Does the low-cost sector in translation business worry you?".
This poll was originally submitted by Wolfgang Vogt. View the poll results »
| | | | | No, I’m not worried at all! | Jul 15, 2018 |
As long as my clients keep coming back and paying my rates.
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 09:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| There have always been multiple markets in translation | Jul 15, 2018 |
I would be worried if I were a supplier in that low-end market. They must be threatened terribly by the free MT programs. There will be less and less translation work available to them. PEMT will fill their days instead, and my one short experience of that was not fun.
But there's still a market for crafted translations. In fact, the difference between the two markets is becoming far clearer, and that's good news. We just have to make sure we position ourselves carefully. I think th... See more I would be worried if I were a supplier in that low-end market. They must be threatened terribly by the free MT programs. There will be less and less translation work available to them. PEMT will fill their days instead, and my one short experience of that was not fun.
But there's still a market for crafted translations. In fact, the difference between the two markets is becoming far clearer, and that's good news. We just have to make sure we position ourselves carefully. I think the fence-sitters will inevitably slide down to the low-end market. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | No worries for quality providers | Jul 15, 2018 |
There are enough end clients who cannot afford to damage their public image just to save 0.001 % of their budget
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Debora d'Amato (X)
Italy
Local time: 10:06
English to Italian
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| A little bit | Jul 15, 2018 |
Agencies most worry me. They surely know better than me how to move in the market offering low-cost translations (this doesn't mean they're works are bad ones); it means there are translators willing to accept moderate wages and this consequently keep many other translators out.
That only concerns me.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 05:06
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| In a way, due to influence | Jul 15, 2018 |
Yes, there has always been at least two distinct translation markets. The "peanut" market is not ours, nad theoretically should not affect ours. However, the advent of TMs, MTs, post-editing, discounts for repetitions/fuzzies, and the increase of the peanut market all over the world, when we all thought it would stick to the third world, end up affecting all of us, unfortunately.
I've already had many regular clients start talking about post-editing and discounts for repetitions, many tim... See more Yes, there has always been at least two distinct translation markets. The "peanut" market is not ours, nad theoretically should not affect ours. However, the advent of TMs, MTs, post-editing, discounts for repetitions/fuzzies, and the increase of the peanut market all over the world, when we all thought it would stick to the third world, end up affecting all of us, unfortunately.
I've already had many regular clients start talking about post-editing and discounts for repetitions, many times. I'm resisting as much as I can, and I'm participating in as many forums as I can, trying to teach the newbies how to negotiate their prices and their future. But it doesn't work with savage capitalism + rat race.
No matter how much we resist, the "other" market is taking space, little by little, and we're gradually being defeated.
I think we will resist until we die, but I wouldn't advise my children to become translators. ▲ Collapse
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
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| needs meet wants | Jul 15, 2018 |
Low entry barriers make a big revolving "dog eats dog" bottom-feeders' market, dumping the prices.
High standards make a tiny highflyers' conservatory market, securing their number and quality.
Middle market is but the medium (in all senses), which separates the two.
Besides, in every category there're low, mid, and high substrata, making it even funnier and more dynamic.
Considering the mythical average rates, my direct clients pay me in upper-middle segmen... See more Low entry barriers make a big revolving "dog eats dog" bottom-feeders' market, dumping the prices.
High standards make a tiny highflyers' conservatory market, securing their number and quality.
Middle market is but the medium (in all senses), which separates the two.
Besides, in every category there're low, mid, and high substrata, making it even funnier and more dynamic.
Considering the mythical average rates, my direct clients pay me in upper-middle segment, the project will end in some 2025 (with prolongation), there're virtually no competitors for me, and I diversify my income sources too. It's ok. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 10:06
German to English
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| Dropping rates | Jul 15, 2018 |
Two of my clients have started to lower their rates and use CAT tools to their favour. They say it's due to pressure from the end client. Needless to say, I'm working with them less but it worries me that it could spread and my other clients could do the same. And this is in a market which is actually performing well at the moment.
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| New to the field | Jul 15, 2018 |
Yes it does worry me. It's definitely helpful to hear from people who are veterans with a long view. I wonder how those much earlier in this process think about it? The field appears to be changing...but it's reassuring to hear that there are two defined fields...also I'm hoping that as it evolves there will still be ways to do this as a primary occupation...being so new to all this I will have to trust in myself, get help and advice from others, and wait and see.
| | | | Luiz Barucke
Brazil
Local time: 05:06
Spanish to Portuguese
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| MTPE worries me | Jul 16, 2018 |
It's increasing the number of machine translation post edition (MTPE) offers I receive everyday. I haven't accepted any so far, but I took a look at some of them... target content was a disaster and the best approach would be just deleting and translating everything again. But rates are not the same.
I don't believe MT will be able to do the whole work in the future, but it will be more common considering all investment being made. If rates offered for MTPE jobs were the same as tho... See more It's increasing the number of machine translation post edition (MTPE) offers I receive everyday. I haven't accepted any so far, but I took a look at some of them... target content was a disaster and the best approach would be just deleting and translating everything again. But rates are not the same.
I don't believe MT will be able to do the whole work in the future, but it will be more common considering all investment being made. If rates offered for MTPE jobs were the same as those offered to translate, no problem. But obviously that's not the intention of those who offer it. ▲ Collapse
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I have recently been offered rates that were the norm 40 and 50 years ago. Some clients have told me they can no longer afford my rates (rates that they used to pay without blinking an eye).
While I still have all the work I can handle, I fear for the future of the profession.
| | | | Andre Lisboa
Brazil
Local time: 05:06
Portuguese to English
+ ...
We are facing huge developments in technology. As a result, many repetitive jobs will be extinct, but many new ones created. It´s going to affect the translation market for sure, in a very near future. Companies and people are getting more practical and want fast results. TM´s, MT´s and post editing tools are here to stay, whether we like it or not. This technology is responsible for low rates, as well as translators who accept any proposal, at any cost, agencies that pay very low rates (with... See more We are facing huge developments in technology. As a result, many repetitive jobs will be extinct, but many new ones created. It´s going to affect the translation market for sure, in a very near future. Companies and people are getting more practical and want fast results. TM´s, MT´s and post editing tools are here to stay, whether we like it or not. This technology is responsible for low rates, as well as translators who accept any proposal, at any cost, agencies that pay very low rates (with many translators accepting them) and the increasing number of linguists, making the market more and more competitive. Soon these machines will achieve an 85, maybe 90% accuracy rate and translators will have the task to fill in this 10, 15% gap by proofreading, instead of doing the whole translation.
It´s inevitable. The same has happened in other areas. Banks, for instance. With the advent of the ATM´s, many bank tellers were replaced by machines. I was one of them. In the past, the bank I worked had 120 employees and now it has 15. It´s an illustration, using just one case. In the US, they are already trying self-driving trucks. How many truck drivers will lose their jobs? It´s the tendency in the capitalist world, using machines to lower costs and increase profits. We, as translators, are going to have to adapt to these changes. One day, it will affect all of us, even those who are claiming here they are not worried about it. Recently, my biggest client required me to start using a TM. The 50.000 average words I used to translate every month for them will now be down to about 35.000, with fuzzy matches and so. Those who adapt to changes in technology will succeed. I believe there will always be some work to do. Probably different, though.
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 10:06
French to English
| Creative input | Jul 16, 2018 |
Since I specialise in texts with creative input, I don't think so. It'll be a long time before machines can handle poetic devices and puns properly.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| But it's the rate per hour and what it buys that really matters | Jul 16, 2018 |
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I have recently been offered rates that were the norm 40 and 50 years ago.
I can well imagine that being the case. I wasn't a translator back in those days but wasn't it all about reading from a piece of paper and then typing out a translation? I remember not even having an electric typewriter when I started work in the '70s, let alone a word processor. Any errors that couldn't be corrected with an eraser (and anything more than a single character change was likely to wear a hole in the paper) and that piece of paper would hit the bin and you'd start typing again from the top. Research in those days must have involved - at the very least - leafing through dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.; at worst it would have involved a trip to the library and/or some phone calls. Of course, a second text could be very similar to the first, but it would all have to be typed out from the start - no clicking "accept this segment" and going straight to the next sentence!
So I would have thought that a per-word rate from back then might still apply, as you'd be able to process the words so much faster with our computerised environment with access to so much information at the touch of a button. No writing out envelopes, sticking stamps on, and going to the post box either, or trips to the bank to pay in clients' cheques. So as long as your standard of living hasn't fallen (as in "one's" rather than yours personally, Muriel  ) I'd say you're doing all right - even if the per-word rate doesn't seem great compared with years ago.
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