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A KudoZ Helper Ain't a Mind Reader
Thread poster: Sormane Gomes
Sormane Gomes
Sormane Gomes
United States
Local time: 18:51
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Jun 9, 2016

What's with all the questions without even a full sentence (at least in my language pair)? Never mind context; that's a quasi-extinct animal. It's like pulling teeth, no matter how many times you explain that in order to offer a decent suggestion - that isn't misleading and without resorting to guessing - you need more. Vent over.

[Edited at 2016-06-09 22:33 GMT]
 
Kirsten Larsen (X)
Kirsten Larsen (X)
Spain
Spanish to Danish
+ ...
You are so right. Jun 9, 2016

It´s an everlasting problem. Now, many translators are probably afraid to reveal too much context as they have signed a confidentiality agreement.

Regards,
Kirsten
 
texjax DDS PhD
texjax DDS PhD  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:51
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
Luckily there's an easy fix for that... Jun 9, 2016



 
Rachel Fell
Rachel Fell  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:51
French to English
+ ...
Yes, Jun 10, 2016

it's a shame, isn't it?
 
telefpro
telefpro
Local time: 04:21
Portuguese to English
+ ...
content shy Jun 10, 2016

Are they more content shy? Puxa !!
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 00:51
English to German
In memoriam
Don't shoot the dentist ... Jun 10, 2016

Sormane Fitzgerald Gomes wrote:

What's with all the questions without even a full sentence (at least in my language pair)? Never mind context; that's a quasi-extinct animal. It's like pulling teeth, no matter how many times you explain that in order to offer a decent suggestion - that isn't misleading and without resorting to guessing - you need more. Vent over.

[Edited at 2016-06-09 22:33 GMT]


I'm totally with you, but the comparison with pulling teeth escapes me. I think a dentist does not need as much context as a translator
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:51
German to English
To be fair ... Jun 10, 2016

Although I agree that knowing the context is key to providing assistance, sometimes the context is quite minimal. I couldn't count the number of times I've translated parts lists containing completely unrelated components (air mattress, gear wheel, epoxy, etc.) or CVs describing a variety of unrelated activities within a company.

On the other hand, new translators need to be taught how to form an inquiry in order to get the best help possible.
 


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A KudoZ Helper Ain't a Mind Reader






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