| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14] > | What is the highest number of KudoZ questions asked by a single individual? Thread poster: Ty Kendall
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XXXphxxx (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
Portuguese to English
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| It's a shocker | Jul 2, 2012 |
Robert Forstag wrote:
@Lisa:
I was surprised by the mediocrity of the answers offered in the Portuguese-to-English combination when I used to answer questions in that combination some years ago. A real dearth of native English speakers there. Kind of surprising.
My years of experience translating that combination and reviewing others' work is that if you zoom in on the small percentage that actually are English native speakers, it'll still be made up of a fair number who think of it as a close enough to Spanish to be able to "wing it" and in reality have the most basic knowledge of Portuguese. I seems to me to be one of the most "fudged" language combinations.
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 20:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote: Robert Forstag wrote:
@Lisa:
I was surprised by the mediocrity of the answers offered in the Portuguese-to-English combination when I used to answer questions in that combination some years ago. A real dearth of native English speakers there. Kind of surprising. My years of experience translating that combination and reviewing others' work is that if you zoom in on the small percentage that actually are English native speakers, it'll still be made up of a fair number who think of it as a close enough to Spanish to be able to "wing it" and in reality have the most basic knowledge of Portuguese. I seems to me to be one of the most "fudged" language combinations.
As someone who has never worked in PT>EN, and who has only the most basic knowledge of Portuguese, I was surprised that I was able to offer viable answers to so many queries in that pair (mainly on the strength of being able to recognize and correct the faulty English of non-natives). This in itself is an indication that something is terribly amiss in that particular combination....
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
Portuguese to English
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| Take a quick look | Jul 2, 2012 |
Robert Forstag wrote:
As someone who has never worked in PT>EN, and who has only the most basic knowledge of Portuguese, I was surprised that I was able to offer viable answers to so many queries in that pair (mainly on the strength of being able to recognize and correct the faulty English of non-natives). This in itself is an indication that something is terribly amiss in that particular combination....
Have a look at the KudoZ in that language pair now, you'll probably be able to count EN native speakers on one hand. I've been banging on about it for ages now and nobody listens, which is mighty frustrating. The focus appears to be all on NL>EN.
| | | | psicutrinius
Spain
Local time: 02:34
Member (2008)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Poor souls that we are... | Jul 11, 2012 |
...hadn't realized it, but you can simply HIDE your kudoz activity in your profile.
That is, not just the KudoZ activity (right side of profile page), where you can choose to show either your kudoz activity OR your projects, but also in the main body of the standardized profile, where there is a single line summary of total points / total questions asked/total questions answered.
You can choose to hide this as well.
That means that profiteers are welcome, w... See more ...hadn't realized it, but you can simply HIDE your kudoz activity in your profile.
That is, not just the KudoZ activity (right side of profile page), where you can choose to show either your kudoz activity OR your projects, but also in the main body of the standardized profile, where there is a single line summary of total points / total questions asked/total questions answered.
You can choose to hide this as well.
That means that profiteers are welcome, without any hindrance. Showing a number of questions in the 4000+ range against, say, 300 answers, might be at least somewhat restraining: It is there for all to see, while as it is now (You need to hover the mouse over the name WHEN A QUESTION IS ASKED), means that only individual answerers see it, and this only at the moment of choosing to answer a particular question and IF you check explicitly.
I have realized it right now, when I wanted to place my bet as to when the 5000th question will be posted for a particular user (whom we all know), and found that the matter just plainly does not exist: No Kudoz there, but an impressive array of projects instead.
In practice, this means (please correct me if I am wrong), that there is a thriving number of members who specialize in every subject, from theology to materials science and electrical engineering, even without the slightest idea about the topic, and that they get their "impressive projects" in fields they have no idea about, all done for free.
[addition, 12 07 12, 11.00 CEST].
This means also that this particular user is perfectly conscious that to show how he/she is exploiting the system will do (to him/her, of course) more harm than good, so he/she knows perfectly well that this is abuse -otherwise, why should it be done covertly?
Yet as far as I know, (a) this does not contravene the rules and (b) the rules are there to stay.
Am I right?
[Edited at 2012-07-12 09:07 GMT]
[Edited at 2012-07-12 09:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| You're right :) | Jul 12, 2012 |
This and so many other features (the "native language" icons) that have been grossly abused could be cleaned up to a great degree by tweaking a few site features. However, where there's no will there's no way. This site is riddled with loopholes and human nature being what it is...
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 20:34
Spanish to English
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| Yes indeed.... | Jul 12, 2012 |
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
This and so many other features (the "native language" icons) that have been grossly abused could be cleaned up to a great degree by tweaking a few site features. However, where there's no will there's no way. This site is riddled with loopholes and human nature being what it is...
In this same connection, I am skeptical that anything will really be done to effectively hold people accountable for dubious multiple native language claims. By default, this means more enabling of said claims. I suppose this should not be a surprise. (And I hope I am wrong.)
Then there is the initiative of adding translation agencies (on the basis of the flimsiest of criteria) to the CP network, something which clearly was not thought through prior to its rollout......
[Edited at 2012-07-12 12:54 GMT]
| | | | Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
French to English
+ ...
psicutrinius wrote:
...hadn't realized it, but you can simply HIDE your kudoz activity in your profile.
...
I have realized it right now, when I wanted to place my bet as to when the 5000th question will be posted for a particular user (whom we all know), and found that the matter just plainly does not exist: No Kudoz there, but an impressive array of projects instead.
?
[Edited at 2012-07-12 09:07 GMT]
[Edited at 2012-07-12 09:11 GMT]
it's easy to find out the current no., nonetheless, and it's already at 4238! Maybe even before Xmas at this rate!
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4317
and still counting........
er, um...
make that 4324
[Edited at 2012-07-25 13:38 GMT]
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Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
French to English
+ ...
That's my bid for the next milestone
| | | | | Pinch of salz | Jul 26, 2012 |
Is our esteemed colleague even aware of this discussion?
Not that I care much any more about professional standards in this place. Well actually, that's not true, I do care, but I've given up. Life's too short.
| | | | | End of same week update | Jul 27, 2012 |
Currently 4341 and counting
| | | | | She's starting over again... | Jul 31, 2012 |
Gudrun Wolfrath wrote:
There is another one
with a ratio of 3538 (questions asked - and still counting) : 11 (questions answered).
The person offers translations from three languages into her mother tongue and vice versa!
This person reached the 3574/11 mark, deleted her profile and opened a new one. That shouldn't be within the rules, but nothing surpriises me around here these days.
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Alison MacG
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
German to English
+ ...
| And also branching out ... | Jul 31, 2012 |
Cilian O'Tuama wrote:
This person reached the 3574/11 mark, deleted her profile and opened a new one. That shouldn't be within the rules, but nothing surpriises me around here these days.
ProZ is not the only site offering help.
Current statistics elsewhere:
Activity began around the end of May
Questions asked to date: 59
Answers: 0
| | | | Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 02:34
Member (2002)
English to German
+ ...
| Noticed that, too | Jul 31, 2012 |
Cilian O'Tuama wrote: Gudrun Wolfrath wrote:
There is another one
with a ratio of 3538 (questions asked - and still counting) : 11 (questions answered).
The person offers translations from three languages into her mother tongue and vice versa!
This person reached the 3574/11 mark, deleted her profile and opened a new one. That shouldn't be within the rules, but nothing surpriises me around here these days.
Indeed, Cilian. She opened a new profile under her real name. I've submitted a related support ticket.
| | | | psicutrinius
Spain
Local time: 02:34
Member (2008)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Will you please share with us the outcome of this support ticket?
Rules so far say that everybody can ask whatever s/he wishes, and in any quantity up to the limit -which seems to me to let the system being abused, given the numbers involved (both in terms of questions/answers ratios for a number of [ab]users and in the sheer number of these (which I suspect to be -overall- quite bigger than we users can imagine, as we are limited to a language pair, usually both ways, or two).
... See more Will you please share with us the outcome of this support ticket?
Rules so far say that everybody can ask whatever s/he wishes, and in any quantity up to the limit -which seems to me to let the system being abused, given the numbers involved (both in terms of questions/answers ratios for a number of [ab]users and in the sheer number of these (which I suspect to be -overall- quite bigger than we users can imagine, as we are limited to a language pair, usually both ways, or two).
But rules are rules and, what's more, they are supposed to stand as they are, so no way out here.
However, I am afraid that what you report (deleting a profile with a 3538:11 ratio and immediately opening another starting from 0:0 (evidently...) which is already at 59:0 since end May) seems to be brazen enough as to require at least some scolding, and I (and I am sure, the other posters here), would like to know the outcome.
What seems sure enough beyond any doubt is that the profiteer is perfectly conscious of (a) the fact that s/he is a brazen profiteer (b) that s/he knows that keeping such a record may hurt him/her, both in terms of not attracting answers and of some sharply raised eyebrows among outsourcers and (c) that s/he fully intends to keep abusing the system.
Another point, which could be solved at a fingers'snap would be to keep the KudoZ figures in the profiles while eliminating the possibility of deleting / hiding them to the user although, of course, there is the same loophole: S/he can always delete the profile and show up in another one. However, to do so is costlier, both in terms of time and money, than keeping going "as usual" and that, alone (in that it makes abuse costlier) would be good. At any rate, it would be better than nothing.
That means that two loopholes should be fixed: Not allowing the hiding of the KudoZ figures, as suggested above, and -though this would require more work than that- not allowing this switching to a new identity.
Anyway: Implementing either one or both would be a great (and very easy) step towards a better KudoZ.
That, at the drop of a hat and with no significant expense of both money and effort, would make wonders in this case.
But, again, rules are rules...
[Edited at 2012-07-31 16:29 GMT]
[Edited at 2012-07-31 17:12 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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