Poll: Have you noticed harsher competition among colleagues over the last 2-3 months?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jan 7, 2009

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you noticed harsher competition among colleagues over the last 2-3 months?".

This poll was originally submitted by Carla Sordina

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you noticed harsher competition among colleagues over the last 2-3 months?".

This poll was originally submitted by Carla Sordina

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 17:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
Non sequitur Jan 7, 2009

Going by my definition of colleague, "competition" among us is precluded by collaboration, caring and sharing.
My initial response was "get a life"...


 
Amy Duncan (X)
Amy Duncan (X)  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 12:23
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Just a thought... Jan 7, 2009

I've noticed that the competition has stepped up (although I don't think I'd use the word "harsh") and it occurred to me that people may be wanting to get BrowniZ to help pay for their membership renewal, or that they want to be more visible in general to be considered for Pro certification. As I said, just a thought...

 
Lia Fail (X)
Lia Fail (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
competition: price or quality? Jan 7, 2009

neilmac wrote:

Going by my definition of colleague, "competition" among us is precluded by collaboration, caring and sharing.
My initial response was "get a life"...


Like Neilmac and unlike Amy, I'm assuming you are referring to the market, not to KudoZ.

I don't view the market as competitive or my colleagues as competitors. I have my niche and my customers, my colleagues have theirs. We simply don't compete, becuase we each have developed a "unique" product/service for each of our customers who are now repeat customers.

So when you refer to competition being harsher, it can really only refer to competition among people who compete on price.

I just visited a website where someone referred to offering quality at "economic" prices (and they really were "economic"!) - as if translated words were widgets coming off a production line. Someone who offers cheap is simply competing with all the other cheap translators, making a commodity of translation. In our business, expensive doesn't always mean good, but cheap almost always means bad. If you charge cheap you have to output more - and logically that affects quality.

Ultimately unfair competition, undercutting prices and dumping doesn't affect me, but it is very damaging for the profession.


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 17:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
Totally agree with Lia on this. Jan 8, 2009

Lia Fail wrote:
Ultimately unfair competition, undercutting prices and dumping doesn't affect me, but it is very damaging for the profession.

PS: as my old boss used to say, "if you pay peanuts - you get monkeys!"


 
Erzsébet Czopyk
Erzsébet Czopyk  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 17:23
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
could not agree more... Jan 8, 2009

neilmac wrote:

Lia Fail wrote:
Ultimately unfair competition, undercutting prices and dumping doesn't affect me, but it is very damaging for the profession.

PS: as my old boss used to say, "if you pay peanuts - you get monkeys!"


 
Venkatesh Sundaram
Venkatesh Sundaram  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 20:53
German to English
Competition is bound to exist but cooperation can increase too Jan 8, 2009

There's bound to be some amount of competition among colleagues in this as in any other profession. While many colleagues have specialised and found niches, there's likely that competition exists within these niches too. While I haven't noticed it myself, it is possible that competition can be harsher in tougher times. I agree with Lia and others that undercutting and dumping is damaging to the profession.

Not all competiotion needs to be bad or 'harsh' though. It can also spur one
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There's bound to be some amount of competition among colleagues in this as in any other profession. While many colleagues have specialised and found niches, there's likely that competition exists within these niches too. While I haven't noticed it myself, it is possible that competition can be harsher in tougher times. I agree with Lia and others that undercutting and dumping is damaging to the profession.

Not all competiotion needs to be bad or 'harsh' though. It can also spur one to improve in certain aspects. As for myself, I believe I've gained considerably by emulating some of the good practices followed by certain colleagues - and this means of course that they shared these with other colleagues in the first place. I believe cooperation can increase too, and Proz can play a postive role in this.
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Poll: Have you noticed harsher competition among colleagues over the last 2-3 months?






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