This document describes some of the terminology used at ProZ.com.

(Note that because site terminology has evolved over time, the terms below may not yet be used consistently throughout the entire site. If you come across site text that does not match this terminology, please let site staff know by submitting a support request.)

Note: Localization teams should not translate KudoZ, Blue Board, LWA, WWA, ProZ.com, ProZ.com Connect, or VID.

agency: See "translation company".

Blue Board: A database of outsourcers with ProZ.com users' expressed likelihoods of working again with them. A risk management tool for evaluating outsourcers. (In English, Blue Board should be two words, both capitalized.)

Blue Board average entry level: An aggregate figure representing the average LWA expressed for a single outsourcer by service providers.

Blue Board comment: Part of a Blue Board entry. Comments should be limited in scope to explanation/grounds for the LWA; they should not include general statements concerning an outsourcer. (Example: "They are rude" is not allowed. "They were rude to me" is allowed, from the standpoint that it explains why the service provider may not work with an outsourcer again.)

Blue Board entry: A service provider makes an "entry" to the Blue Board expressing his or her likelihood of working again with a given outsourcer. (Terms like "rating", "review", etc., are misleading and should be avoided.) An entry is comprised of an LWA (required) and a comment (optional).

Blue Board LWA: Likelihood of Working Again (with a given outsourcer.) A number from 1 to 5 that refers to the numerical portion of an entry, with 1 being the least likely and 5 being the most likely. LWA entries may be accompanied by a short text from the entry provider which comments on their likelihood of working again with that outsourcer.

Blue Board poster: A service provider or outsourcer who makes an entry or reply.

Blue Board record: A page of entries/LWA's made concerning a single outsourcer. Records are accessible using URLs of this format: http://www.proz.com/bb/# Blue Board records are regularly added to the database; if no Blue Board record exists for a given outsourcer, any ProZ.com user may add information which will be used to create the record.

Blue Board reply: When an entry is made, the corresponding outsourcer is given an opportunity to make a one-line "reply."

browniz: Points awarded for contributions to the ProZ.com community. It should be spelled like any other noun, only capitalized when grammar requires it, and without a captial "Z".

client (or "end client"): The final customer who is paying for the language service. Often, clients pay agencies for translation work, who then outsource that work to freelancers.

directory: An organized listing of some ProZ.com user profiles. Different types of directories at ProZ.com include the freelancer directory, agency directory, and team directories.

freelancer: A language service provider who works in an individual, freelance capacity.

Glossary-building KudoZ or "GBK": A terminology system designed to enable the ProZ.com community to collaborate on finding the best translation of a given term into a given language, and to incorporate the term and its translation into an authoritative glossary which will be made available openly under the Creative Commons "by" license ("CC-by"). A secondary purpose of this format is to provide opportunities for KudoZ participation (along with the associated benefits of networking, learning and professional differentiation), in pairs and fields in which few questions are currently asked.

interpreter: A language service provider who mediates between speakers of different languages. (Compare with "translator".)

Join ProZ.com: - Become a ProZ.com member (formerly "go platinum" or "upgrade")

KudoZ: ProZ.com's terms help network. It should be spelled consistently with a capital "K" and "Z".

KudoZ asker: Often referred to on the site simply as "asker". A person in need of translation assistance who posts a term or phrase, providing context and the desired target language.

KudoZ answerer: Often referred to on the site simply as "answerer". Any site user who provides an answer to a KudoZ question.

KudoZ editor: A site user who has been given the right to perform some editing actions on KudoZ questions.

KudoZ peer comment: A comment made by a site user concerning agreement or disagreement with a translation suggested by a peer. Peer comments can fall in three different categories: "Agree", "Disagree" and "Neutral". Peer comments must be based on linguistic considerations, and these considerations must be provided in the case of disagree or neutral comments. This is the only valid way to comment on a KudoZ answer.

KudoZ reference comment: Information added by a site user to a KudoZ question which is not an answer, but which may enrich the linguistic value of the question. This area is accessed with the "Post reference" button on each individual question, and should be used to provide information which is not in itself an answer, but which may be helpful to either the asker or other answerers. The information submitted in this way will not be subject to consideration as "most helpful", and points will not be received.

language service provider: A general term for translators, interpreters, editors, and anyone else who provides language-related services.

outsourcer: An umbrella term that includes agencies, companies, clients, individuals and any other entity that buys translation services. Anyone who has posted a job is considered an outsourcer (in that context).

profile: A page provided to each registered user for the purpose of describing themselves and their services.

profile mail: A web-based form reached through a ProZ.com profile that allows sending email to the member without disclosing the member's email address.

ProZ.com: The name of the site should always be spelled this way. It should also not be shortened to "ProZ". When used in a URL, such as [pre]http://proz.com[/pre], an all lowercase spelling is acceptable.

ProZ.com Connect: An initiative at ProZ.com to take marketing of members' translation services to a new level in order to help seek out the most desirable language companies and end clients around the world, and to guide them more effectively in the options available for locating the specialists they need at ProZ.com.

ProZ.com member:: A site user with a current paid membership subscription at ProZ.com. Often referred to on the site simply as a member.

ProZ.com messaging: A private messaging feature allowing members to send each other short messages via the site. When the recipient next loads a page at ProZ.com, he or she will be notified of and can read the new message. It should not be referred to as "instant messaging", because the messages are not received instantly.

ProZ.com user, site user, user: Anyone who uses ProZ.com.

ProZ.com non-member, visitor or guest:A site user who is not a ProZ.com member.

quote: An estimate and application submitted by a language service provider in response to a job posting. "Quote" has replaced the deprecated term "bid", and should be used in its place in all cases. (Bid has auction-related connotations that can give the mistaken impression of a downward pressure on rates).

rates: The prices language service providers generally charge for their work. Rates might be per word or page based on a count of the source or the target document, or they might be hourly fees. Service providers generally charge different rates for different services (e.g. checking/editing is generally cheaper than translating).

register: Create a login account and profile at ProZ.com

registered user, registrant: A ProZ.com user with a login account and profile

translation company: A company that accepts language jobs from end clients and either translates them using in-house translators or outsources them to freelance translators. Translation companies generally accept jobs in many language pairs and fields, in contrast to freelancers, who tend to specialize.

translator: A language service provider who translates written messages from one language to another.

VID: Verified identity. Registered users are "VIDed", and a mark appears next to their name in various places on the site, when it can be reasonably assured that the name in the profile is the profile owner's real name. The method used to make this determination is described when the VID mark is clicked.