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Tightening up restrictions on job posters, to match those placed on job bidders
Thread poster: writeaway
Andrea Pinto (X)
Andrea Pinto (X)  Identity Verified

Local time: 21:44
Dear All… Apr 23, 2007

This is great news! I just wanted to say, thank you all for your time and effort.
Best,
Andrea
 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 16:44
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
A simple solution for all involved May 10, 2007

Henry wrote:
It sounds as though you have never posted a job here, Viktoria. Lots of info is required in the form... and when shortcuts are taken in spite of those requirements, moderators tend to be on the case.

Of course no system can be perfect and it is true that some posters do not provide enough information for quoters to make informed decisions. But then, how well a job is specified is one of the things some members take into consideration when deciding whether or not to quote.


Proz could add to the job page an "Ask job poster" button, similar to the "Ask asker" button on Kudoz pages. I'm assuming the job poster is about as eager to find an adequate translator as the Kudoz asker for an adequate answer.

This button would open a field for anyone to ask a SHORT question to the job poster. I guess 128-256 chars should be enough. Some sample questions I envisage could be:

- Do you want Brazilian or European Portuguese?
- Will you accept WordFast instead of the Trados you demand?
- Is the source PDF file "graphic" (=scanned) or "standard" (="distilled").
- What is the subject?
- Do you specifically need a male or female voice for this recording?
- Can you pay via [Paypal|Ikobo|Moneygram|Western Union] as well?
- In what version of PageMaker are the source files?
- You need a certified translation valid in which country?
... and so on.

They should cover things that the job poster might have simply overlooked, in spite of them being relevant for a translator to decide if s/he is adequate for the job.


IMHO this button should be available to all (viz. paying and non-paying) users, as the answers might be useful to everyone. However the questions and answers would only appear on the job page after the job poster has replied, and if they ever choose do so. The reason is to prevent derogatory false questions like "You @#$%^&! How do you expect to get a decent translation for such low rates?" or "When are you gonna pay what you owe me from the last job?" from showing up on the job page.

This solution should improve things for:
- job posters, who will receive applications from more specifically suitable candidates;
- applicants, who won't waste time applying for jobs they are unable to handle;
- moderators, whose intervention won't be required so often.

My 2¢. I hope to have placed it in the proper forum.

[]s
Jose'
 
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Tightening up restrictions on job posters, to match those placed on job bidders






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