| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Which of these most limits your productivity? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which of these most limits your productivity?".
This poll was originally submitted by Ricki Farn. View the poll results »
| | | | | Several parameters | Jan 10, 2017 |
Of course, text difficulty does impair productivity, but if a text is reasonably difficult, this rather boosts my willingness to handle it. Online and offline distractions are the worst, but I chose boredom, because I indulge into distractions mainly if I'm bored. When the text is exciting, I forget about distractions.
| | | | | NON ONLY ONE... | Jan 10, 2017 |
I think it's a combination of these factors that limits my productivity: health issues, family issues, several administrative issues, etc.
| | | | | Other - brain fog | Jan 10, 2017 |
When I'm too tired I get very slow.
When I'm wide awake, then text difficulty, requiring research, would be my biggest hindrance.
| | |
|
|
|
Mary Worby 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
German to English
+ ...
| Offline distractions | Jan 10, 2017 |
Two children and life in general!
| | | |
A combination of
- Online distractions - since mobile phones ring when you get messages, or something one Facebook.. and people tend to communicate through these means, I get distracted
- Boredom/monotony - it might happen with some translations... and then I need to stand up and something else, but this means I am wasting time
- Offline distractions - kids come home and they need me for lunch, homework and so on.
Health/tiredness/pain - now it is a bad time fo... See more A combination of
- Online distractions - since mobile phones ring when you get messages, or something one Facebook.. and people tend to communicate through these means, I get distracted
- Boredom/monotony - it might happen with some translations... and then I need to stand up and something else, but this means I am wasting time
- Offline distractions - kids come home and they need me for lunch, homework and so on.
Health/tiredness/pain - now it is a bad time for me, my hands hurt and I am typing slowly
- Obviously there are good days when no distractions affect your work, and bad days when everything seems to be against you
Text difficulty (research)- this is part of the job, isn't it?
Other non-translation tasks (e.g. administrative) these tasks are carried out ta the end of the day after the other things have been done. ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Productivity is the least of my concerns. I’m not a machine, I’m a translator. I do enjoy my work, some texts are easier than others and quicker done than others, but I love the researching part and those small eureka moments when you know you have just found exactly the right word, expression or turn of phrase and the sense of accomplishment when the job is done…
| | | | Kristina Cosumano (X)
Germany
Local time: 00:58
German to English
| Incoming e-mails | Jan 10, 2017 |
I do some work for one agency which has over a dozen PMs, and they all communicate by e-mail (no online jobs board). This means that I may be getting notifications, requests, POs, answers to questions, etc., from several different people there at once. If it's a busy time and if I am working on a large project, the e-mails tend to be very distracting. I can ignore them, but only for so long.
Research also slows me down, but I've always considered that part of the process as a whole.
| | |
|
|
|
It is not texts that are difficult to translate,
it's more when clients expect you to get to know their particular TMS, TMs, read their guidelines and reference materials etc.
and when editing a text they might want you to document the changes in a different file
That's the things that can be so time consuming and sometimes pisses me off.
And another thing: Some clients want you to rate the translator/editor, PM etc. in detail - even for a small job.
[Edited... See more It is not texts that are difficult to translate,
it's more when clients expect you to get to know their particular TMS, TMs, read their guidelines and reference materials etc.
and when editing a text they might want you to document the changes in a different file
That's the things that can be so time consuming and sometimes pisses me off.
And another thing: Some clients want you to rate the translator/editor, PM etc. in detail - even for a small job.
[Edited at 2017-01-10 11:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Why wasn't Studio in there?
I don't use it often, but it is always a nightmare.
Not only does the software never seem to do what it should, but dealing with the crap in the memories agencies send over is enough to drive you crazy.
| | | | | Software speed | Jan 10, 2017 |
As I began using computers when the Apple II was state of the art, it is easy to surmise that I have used many different text processors. Microsoft Word, since its version 2.0 (for DOS) was always the worst, most buggy, cumbersome, and user-unfriendly of them all. Yet, thanks to "marketing", it became the single market standard.
I am government-licensed as a sworn translator in Brazil, where such activity is regulated by a federal decree, dated 1943, and unchanged ever since. Of cou... See more As I began using computers when the Apple II was state of the art, it is easy to surmise that I have used many different text processors. Microsoft Word, since its version 2.0 (for DOS) was always the worst, most buggy, cumbersome, and user-unfriendly of them all. Yet, thanks to "marketing", it became the single market standard.
I am government-licensed as a sworn translator in Brazil, where such activity is regulated by a federal decree, dated 1943, and unchanged ever since. Of course, it assumes that I'll be using a fountain pen or a typewriter, and everything in & out is in hard copy. Though most colleagues in this activity - for the sake of tool standardization - use MS Word, I rejoice from using my old friend, Adobe PageMaker. Though I stick to the law bluntly - i.e. I don't do anything on my sworn translations that someone with unlimited patience and the most resource-laden typewriter ever would do - these sworn translations come out much faster and better than the standard ones I'm required to do using MS Word.
Then there are Excel and PowerPoint. Some translators dislike PDF files, which I deal with easily with Infix. While Excel behaves erratically, PowerPoint seems to have been built with the deliberate purpose of thwarting translation attempts.
And finally there is Windows. Some web site analyzed my hardware, and said it's significantly better than average, though a bit old. I use Windows XP, which delivers very adequate performance, speed-wise. I've added a SSD with Windows 10 installed, and I can boot from it. However the same computer under Win 10 is smothered to a crawl, because most of its power is being used for screen pizzazz and "security" operations that were never needed before.
Therefore it is safe to conclude that Microsoft - the market standard - is the #1 single factor that limits my productivity.
Some tell me to use Linux, but I don't have time to update my computer skills to tackle a freeware OS.
Others tell me to buy a Mac, but its cost would render my resulting price unviable for most of my clientele.
[Edited at 2017-01-10 16:45 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | So many factors | Jan 10, 2017 |
I opted for difficult texts as my poll answer, but after wasting today waiting for a job that hasn't materialised, I'm thinking it's the unpredictability of the workflow that is limiting my productivity more than anything.
| | |
|
|
|
Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 18:58
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
specifically, the discipline of my mind, although the computer, electrosmog, posture, breathing, etc. all contribute...
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:58
Spanish to English
+ ...
Several of the above. Admin is a pain, especially at the end of the year...
I'm currently having to refuse work and offer long deadlines due to a backlog built up over the festive period....
| | | | | Other - my sticky keyboard | Jan 10, 2017 |
I truly love my Toshiba Satellite - but the keyboard is somehow strange. It slows me down - even my computer technician commented on it.
plus - I have long nails - girls will be girls... so a combination of these two factors tends to slow me down. Well, I did promise myself to practice mindfulness - so here is my chance
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Which of these most limits your productivity? | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
