May 19, 2010

TDABids.com prepares launch of new feature to be announced on Facebook

TDABids.com is preparing the launch of a new feature on its site unlike anything else available in the language services industry currently. To be one of the first ones to find out about what TDABids.com is up to, click on our "Like it" button to become a fan of TDABids.com's page on Facebook.

TDABids.com

(Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.)

April 6, 2010

Good advice; wish I knew the source

I miss bibliographies. I always dreaded doing them in college. (I never took very good notes and tended to rely on my memory to write most of my papers, and as a result, I was forced to go back and re-read the material to draft my bibliography.)
Today—more and more—it is surprising how quickly information can be detached from its source. It is alarmingly difficult to find an original source for much of the information published. It would seem that given how simple it is to create a hyperlink, everything we read could be linked back to its source but the opposite holds true.
In a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, columnist David Brooks refers to the findings of a study which concluded that joining a group that meets even just once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your income. Wow, right? The one line reference was cited, tagged and tweeted over and over again. When I searched for the study, all I came up with was more tweets and tags of the same line. I, like most people, am thrilled to read that my happiness isn’t linked to the amount of money I earn. But I would like to read the study, at least know where it was published. Perhaps there is a downside to joining a group or an exception to the rule. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t doubt Brooks did his homework nor do I doubt the validity of the basic argument. (I came across this particular column through a link someone posted on my kids’ playgroup message board—we meet once a week!)
I think the advice is good: join a group that meets once a week… and not online (the last bit is my own advice and while it is most likely in line with the original study, I can be sure because as I said, I haven’t found it). And, please, if you have the link or any information as to where the study was published, post it here!

Learn a tongue twister: It's good for your health

Feeling tongue tied? Or are you just waiting for a translation job to download? Maybe you know someone you would like to impress? (Rattling off a tongue twister in that person's native language would be so much more interesting than the perfunctory ‘Where’s the nearest rest room?’). With 2932 entries in 109 languages, the site (http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/index.htm) will give you sufficient material to get started with a new hobby in what is most referred to as the oral equivalent to juggling.
And, it’s good for you –really. According to a study which appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “Adults with hobbies that exercise their brains — such as reading, jigsaw puzzles or chess — are two and a half times less likely to have Alzheimer's disease.” Exercise your brain!

February 1, 2010

TDABids.com News: Unlimited access to ratings and reviews for hundreds of language professionals

- Read unbiased reviews on hundreds of translators;
- View language professionals’ ratings before hiring;
- Ratings and reviews written by experienced project managers;
- Get reliable feedback on 2,000 language professionals in proprietary database.

Most consumers read product reviews before buying almost anything, a new car, refrigerator or a book. Before going to a new doctor or hiring a plumber, more and more people log on to review sites to check out what other patients or clients have to say about their services. Now, for the first time, translation buyers are going to have the same opportunity. TDABids.com, an online marketplace to buy translation and other language services directly from thousands of independent professionals, is offering registered users access to the ratings and reviews on hundreds of language professionals.
The reviews, written by project managers with years of experience working with freelance translators and other language professionals, are unbiased and based on real direct project experience. In addition to the reviews, language professionals are assigned a rating: neutral, negative and positive.
Much like the rating systems on major consumer product websites, language service buyers are prompted to leave feedback on the language professional upon the completion of a project, in addition to completing a standardized rating form.
While most language services buyers prioritize quality over price, without a service like TDABids.com, they have had to rely on recommendations from colleagues in local offices scattered around the globe.

The TDABids Database
Originally created and developed by the Translatus operations team, the TDABids Database with over 2,000 language professionals has played a key role in the company’s success in the translation and localization industries over the past eight years. The internal database contains an informative profile on translators contracted by Translatus from all over the world. The operations team maintained clear records of contact information, specialties, education and working experience, languages, program and software experience, pricing agreements and rates, along with continuous internal feedback on performance, delivery times and communication.
Registered users are given full access to this database and the TDABids.com team is continually working to maintain, grow and update the information it contains.
TDABids.com satisfies the demands of a market segment that up until now has been ignored. There are numerous sites for language services professionals to advertise their services and bid on jobs for a fee and there are agencies that offer online management tools at a considerable fee. However, TDABids.com is the first site to give individuals in corporations the high-end management tools to upload projects, share projects and request price quotes from multiple language professionals for a fraction of the fee charged by agencies.

Read the full press release on our site: www.tdadirectbuyer.com/Home/Press/Release

January 19, 2010

Watch your backdoor: IE6 security alert

Now there are two good reasons to upgrade your internet browser.
First, TDABids.com, Translatus’ innovative new translation management platform, is not compatible with the older versions of most browsers, working best with Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher and Safari 4.0 or higher.
The second reason is security experts are warning users of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer’s version 6.0 that may give hackers access to your computer—and your personal information—via a “trojan horse”. While other browsers and other versions of those browsers may present similar weaknesses for hackers to exploit in the future, most security experts are advising people upgrade to the latest version of whichever software they use currently and stay on the look out for security upgrades as they become available.
However, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security and France’s agency Certa issued warnings against all versions of Internet Explorer and recommended people switch to an alternative browsers like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome until a solution is found. According to BBC’s website, citing a Microsoft spokesperson, the company is currently working on a patch but a specific timeframe for its release had not been announced. Microsoft’s next scheduled security updated in scheduled for release February 9th and may possibly contain the patch. For more information, read the full article on BBC News’ website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8465038.stm

December 18, 2009

Freelancers: hang out your "Gone Fishing" sign

A common challenge faced by freelance professionals is setting clear working hours and sticking to them. Too many times projects creep over into weekends, evenings, and vacations. How many times have you found yourself working on a 'sick day' or taking a 'working vacation'?
Of course, for many, the opportunity to work evenings or weekends to compensate for other activities is an attractive factor of freelance projects. Freelancers know that a major job perk is managing their own schedules. But whether someone organizes their freelance work much like a Monday through Friday nine-to-five job or a freelancer prefers the graveyard shift to work on projects, at some point, time off needs to be taken.
And with the Holiday season just a few days away, the challenge of organizing vacation time is top-of-mind for many freelancers.
Common advice includes plan ahead, take time off when there is a lull in your work, and give your clients a heads up about your vacation plans. But most freelancers will tell you it’s hard to say no to a project if it is being offered to you.
For TDABids.com account holders, our new project management system includes a feature allowing language professionals to set their account to ‘Inactive’ when they need time off: away on vacation, too much work or sick. When the account setting is set to ‘Inactive’ freelancers will not receive any new price quote requests. It allows freelancers to hang a virtual “Gone Fishing” sign.
The TDABids.com platform gives freelance language professionals a series of unique tools to manage their freelance jobs at no charge. To find out more, visit our site www.TDATranslator.com

Season’s Greeting and Happy New Year from A World in Translation

November 16, 2009

TDABids Links to the Rest: Cloud Computing

In a recent newsletter from SitePro News (Issue No. 1268), John Sylvester cites Jeff Jarvis, Professor of Interactive Journalism at the City University of New York, describing the best route for traditional media to take in the transformation of journalism as: "Cover what you do best. Link to the rest."

A World in Translation agrees with Jarvis and we are taking his advice.

TDABids.com is a software solution known as SaaS (the acronym for software-as-a- service). A more recent term increasingly popular to describe online software services like TDABids.com is 'cloud computing' as TDABids.com is a aoftware application available in the cloud.

We found a very simple, straightforward video on YouTube.com that explains what cloud computing is and how it works. To watch the video, click here.

The benefits of platforms like TDABids.com include: no expensive upgrades needed or implementation patches; no required software to buy or install. Users can access the system from their Internet browsers and upload and manage language projects without installing any additional software on their computers. Distributed over the Internet through a secure-access website, there are no compatibility issues and it is easily accessible from any location.

For more information, visit our website: TDADirectBuyer.com