A World in Translation

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

2010-05-19T09:34:00.004-04:00

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.)

Good advice; wish I knew the source

2010-04-06T10:17:00.007-04:00

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

2010-04-06T09:00:00.005-04:00

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!

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

2010-02-01T07:56:00.002-05:00

- 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

Watch your backdoor: IE6 security alert

2010-01-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

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

Freelancers: hang out your "Gone Fishing" sign

2009-12-18T12:00:00.005-05:00

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

TDABids Links to the Rest: Cloud Computing

2009-11-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

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

First Cloud Computing Solution for Corporate Language Services

2009-11-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

TDABids.com launched its cloud computing services for individuals in corporations to buy translation and other language services directly from thousands of independent language professionals: TDADirectBuyer. For a low fee of 5% per transaction, representing up to a 40% savings over the fees charged by agencies, corporate buyers will have access to a complete language services department solution.
TDABids.com—a proprietary solution developed, managed and hosted by Translatus, Inc.—is the first cloud computing solution for the translation and language services needs of corporations.
TDABids.com is a product of Translatus, Inc., a language management company with over eight years experience managing multi-language projects for some of the world’s leading companies. The company began developing TDABids.com over two years ago.
“TDABids.com began as an effort to better our in-house management software,” explains James Guidi, Translatus’ CEO, “but quickly the potential for distribution over the Internet, the move of large corporations toward SaaS and cloud computing solutions, combined with their growing demand for professional language services led to the development of the TDABids.com platform we are launching today.”
It is accessible via Internet, and as such, no expensive upgrades or implementation patches are required. Users are provided automatically with the most up-to date information, including uniform product updates, as soon as it is available. Users can access the system from standard Internet browsers and upload and manage language projects without installing any additional software. Distributed over the Internet through a secure-access website, there are no compatibility issues and it is easily accessible from any location.
You can read the complete press release online at TDABids.com marketing site: www.TDADirectBuyer.com/home/press

TDABids.com ready for market

2009-11-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

In a press release to be released Monday morning, TDABids.com announced the launch of its services for individuals in corporations to buy translation and other language services directly from thousands of independent language professionals for a low fee of 5% per transaction, representing up to a 40% savings over the fees charged by translation agencies for similar services.
TDABids.com provides individuals from corporations with the management tools to process multiple jobs for translations, technical writing, desktop publishing in multiple languages for a fraction of the cost agencies charge. TDABids.com can operate seamlessly with a company’s in-house Language Service Department, or if needed, can become the company’s language service department. Furthermore, the online platform automatically provides users with the most up-to date information, including uniform product updates, as soon as it is available.
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.
You can read the complete press release on the company's marketing site: http://www.tdadirectbuyer.com/Home/Press

Top 100 Language Blogs Worldwide

2009-10-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

What do Grammar Girl’s Mignon Fogarty and a bloke who calls himself Hairy Swede have in common? Their blogs were included in the annual list of the Top 100 Language Blogs for 2009.
The Lexiophiles blog and the bab.la language portal run the annual competition aimed at finding the best language blogs across all languages throughout the world. The press relase said “this year’s top 100 blogs were chosen out of a total pool of 473 nominations from 26 countries.”
The lion’s share of blogs cover an array of topics about learning languages. However, there are two subcategories for language buffs with their own top ten rankings: Language Technology and Language Professionals.
Read more here:
http://en.bab.la/doc/lexiophiles-top-100-language-blogs-2009.pdf

12 outdated tech words to avoid

2009-10-07T08:16:00.000-04:00

Keeping up with the latest terminology has always been a challenge but it has probably never been quite so fast changing as today. In fact, the language we use to talk about technology is evolving even more quickly than the technology itself.
In an article published in BusinessWeek, “12 Words You Can Never Say in the Office,” staff writer Carolyn Duffy Marsan points out that in some cases it isn’t the technology that has evolved but the word used to describe it. Terms like “cloud computing” have simply replaced other terms like “ASP” or “Saas”, even though they all say more or less the same thing.
So what are the twelve “techie” words that will say more about your age than anything else—not to mention leaving the twenty-something-year olds raising their eyebrows in confusion?
1. Intranet, 2. Extranet, 3. Web Surfing, 4. Push Technology, 5. Application Service Provider (ASP), 6. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), 7. Internet Telephony, 8. Weblog, 9. Thin Client, 10. Rboc, 11. Long-Distance Call, 12. World Wide Web
Read the full article see why these 12 words made the black list: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2009/tc20090824_902851.htm

What we’re reading... English it would seem

2009-07-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

In a op-ed piece about supply versus demand for translated books in the Freakonomics column in the NY Times over the past weekend, users debated the choice between reading a good translation in a non-native language (for example, a native Swede choosing to read a novel in English and not the translated edition) or suffering through a bad translation in their native languages.
Column readers—native French, Dutch, German and Portuguese speakers to name a few of the international languages represented in the comments—wrote that they preferred to read books in English (either as a translation or as the original text).
In terms of why users believed so many chose to read in their non-native tongue, most were of the opinion that many literary translations are poor in quality. The only exception mentioned was literary translation into English.
There was a certain consensus that the big issue is economical. Some pointed out that literary translation—unlike commercial translation jobs, especially in specialized fields—is fairly underpaid. Meanwhile, the English-language market for literary translation is one of the largest, and as such more competitive, which leads to better translations, compared to other languages.
Two other reasons were: translations into less massive languages (in terms of print runs and readerships) tend to be more expensive than the edition in English and the second reason cited was that they tend to come after the English-language translation is available.

(Kevin Burns Collison, in North American Business Development for Translatus, alerted us to this story.)

English-to-Russian Volunteer Translators & Interpreters Needed

2009-06-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

The Chernobyl Children Project USA, the largest organization in the U.S. that provides medical treatment and respite care for children from the Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, needs volunteers to translate the children’s medical records from English into Russian after they complete their medical care at the end of July.

The children arrived in Boston to begin their treatments on June 23rd and the organization is also looking for interpreters to assist the families during their visit.

There is a brief online survey for translators and interpreters interested in volunteering.

The Chernobyl Children Project USA, based in Boston, Massachusetts, arranges medical care in the U.S. for children suffering from a wide variety of ailments and places them with volunteer host families during their stay. The project has provided care for more than 1,500 children.

For additional information, you can visit the website or contact the organization’s coordinator Patty Doyle via email (Ccpusainc@aol.com).

Father's Day Trivia

2009-06-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

Father’s Day is celebrated the third Sunday of June throughout the world more than any other day. While officially some 98 countries celebrate Father’s Day, 52 of them celebrated yesterday. The date for honoring fathers in the other 46 countries is spread across the calendar—April is the only month without a Father’s Day celebration. The second most popular calendar date is March 19th when Italy, Spain, Portugal as well as five other countries celebrate.We found various websites citing that the first Father’s Day dates back to Babylon over 4,000 years ago when a boy gave his father a plaque made out of clay with the message of Happy Father’s Day.
Our message is one of bits and bytes: A Happy Father’s Day to all of our dads at Translatus and TDABids.com.

Why the name change?

2009-06-16T09:37:00.000-04:00

When a company decides to do something new—especially when the old way of doing things was working well, arguably very well—every aspect of the business comes under new eyes… and in that fresh look, many times, an opportunity for change will be apparent.

That is precisely what happened to our blog.

Translatus is changing. We are doing new things. Over the past year, our team has been working to create a dynamic, proprietary management software for all of its translation work. The same platform will be launched as a new company called TDABids.com, open to our clients and new clients alike. A revolutionary concept for buying translation, TDABids.com will challenge companies, agencies and translators to rethink how translation is bought and sold by large corporations.

As Translatus and TDABids.com step forth as pioneers of change, we will relay the corporate events that transpire in this new stage of growth and innovation here on our blog: a World in Translation.