Sylang News tag:sylang.com,2008:/translator/news//3 2007-07-04T19:04:55Z News & Tips for Sylang Translators Movable Type 3.2 Sylang Now Available in English tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.45 2007-07-04T18:33:32Z 2007-07-04T19:04:55Z We have upgraded the translation broker in early July to improve the service to our English-speaking users. All Sylang services are now available in both English and French.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ We have upgraded the translation broker in early July to improve the service to our English-speaking users. All Sylang services are now available in both English and French.

]]> Request for comments about services to translators tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.44 2007-05-11T11:07:03Z 2007-05-11T11:38:52Z As part of our efforts to provide services specifically targeted at translators on Sylang, we would like to ask for your feedback and suggestions.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ As part of our efforts to provide services specifically targeted at translators on Sylang, we would like to ask for your feedback and suggestions.

]]> Public profiles now available tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.43 2007-04-23T12:06:59Z 2007-05-21T04:14:39Z Sylang translators willing to advertise their freelance translator activity may now publish an online profile from their Translator Account. We will be actively marketing profiles to search engines. We are looking forward to your comments and suggestions about this new... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ Sylang translators willing to advertise their freelance translator activity may now publish an online profile from their Translator Account. We will be actively marketing profiles to search engines.

We are looking forward to your comments and suggestions about this new feature.

Formatting options are limited at this time to defining headings and using bold fonts. Here are some examples:

== Experience ==

will show as a the standard Sylang heading (black on green background)

'''this is bold''' will show as this is bold

]]> Users choosing the wrong language pair tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.42 2007-03-25T07:27:23Z 2007-03-25T07:51:22Z You may occasionally have received requests for translating French to English although your account shows English-French as your language pair (or conversely, get F-E requests when you should only get E-F ones.) The reason is that some users simply pick... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ You may occasionally have received requests for translating French to English although your account shows English-French as your language pair (or conversely, get F-E requests when you should only get E-F ones.)
The reason is that some users simply pick up any language pair available at the time they want to ask for a translation.

This is not acceptable and we should not encourage this practice. It is unfair to regular users that those cheating ever get their translation, so in such cases, please bounce the request using the link at the bottom of the email.

]]> Is the "account suspended" email useful? tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.41 2007-03-18T05:54:12Z 2007-03-18T06:12:00Z When suspending your translator account, you will get an email confirmation that your account has been suspended. This was meant as a reminder for you to reactivate your account when you are back from vacation. However in practice some translators... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ When suspending your translator account, you will get an email confirmation that your account has been suspended. This was meant as a reminder for you to reactivate your account when you are back from vacation.
However in practice some translators suspend their account several times a week, and I suspect the email is an annoyance to them.

Please let us know whether you think we should stop sending email notifications when an account is suspended.

]]> Best wishes for the new year tag:sylang.com,2007:/translator/news//3.40 2007-01-21T13:11:52Z 2007-01-21T13:16:50Z We are pleased to send our best wishes for the new year to all translators.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ We are pleased to send our best wishes for the new year to all translators.

]]> Specialized dictionaries & glossaries on the web tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.39 2006-10-29T17:02:14Z 2007-04-26T08:47:34Z We are likely to find on the web dictionaries and glossaries about even the most specific topic. For example, typing "french wine dictionary" or "french wine dictionary grand cru" in Google will reveal several glossaries of wine-related terms. We need... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ We are likely to find on the web dictionaries and glossaries about even the most specific topic. For example, typing "french wine dictionary" or "french wine dictionary grand cru" in Google will reveal several glossaries of wine-related terms.

We need however to pay special attention to the quality of web resources. Institutions such as the EU, governmental agencies, or universities can usually be trusted in their areas of competency: for administrative terms, diplomas equivalence, legal terms, etc.
For other sources, it is always necessary to check whether the term found is used in the expected context in the target language. Again a web search will do. If the search returns very few relevant documents containing the proposed term, this term is probably not correct. Incidently, this is how Google detects spelling mistakes.

You can also search past translations.

]]> Requests bouncing feature updated tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.38 2006-10-25T14:05:18Z 2006-10-25T14:19:40Z The feature allowing a translator to bounce a translation request has been updated. You may now optionally include a personal message that will be sent to the user in the notification email. You could for example use this to specify... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ The feature allowing a translator to bounce a translation request has been updated. You may now optionally include a personal message that will be sent to the user in the notification email. You could for example use this to specify in a few words that the context in not clear, or that (s)he has chosen the wrong translation direction.

]]> Refusing abusive or incomplete translation requests tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.37 2006-10-24T05:03:00Z 2006-10-24T05:07:27Z Sylang's translation dispatch system only accepts as many translations as we can handle. Because of this, we can assure the person who asked for the translation that he or she will receive a timely response. So whatever happens, you need... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ Sylang's translation dispatch system only accepts as many translations as we can handle. Because of this, we can assure the person who asked for the translation that he or she will receive a timely response. So whatever happens, you need to somehow reply to each and every request. In general, you'll simply reply with your translation. Here is how to handle the few special cases.

  • incorrect source language selected (you are getting a French-English translation job because the person chose the wrong language option): use the refuse link at the bottom of the message

  • the source language is incorrect English or French and can't be translated reliably: use the refuse link at the bottom of the message, and maybe also email the person about this

  • the source language is in Dutch, German, etc.: use the refuse link at the bottom of the message, and maybe also email the person about this

  • songs: use the refuse link at the bottom of the message (we are not allowed to translate copyrighted material and it would be a lost of your time since there are sites offering translations of many popular songs)

  • other abusive requests (list of frequent cases) : use the refuse link at the bottom of the message

Please do not use the Refuse Link in other cases! Users will be confused if they receive a message saying their request was refused.

If you experience difficulties with a translations (specialized vocabulary, etc.), please do not hesitate to forward it to us.

]]> Replying to translations the same day tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.36 2006-10-23T09:33:52Z 2006-10-23T09:39:53Z As translators, we sometimes take a few days to reply to translations. Unfortunately, a translation becomes useless for many users only after twelve hours. So, when you know you will be unable to reply the same day, it's best to... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ As translators, we sometimes take a few days to reply to translations. Unfortunately, a translation becomes useless for many users only after twelve hours. So, when you know you will be unable to reply the same day, it's best to suspend your account.
For example, if you can't access your email during week-ends, suspend your account on Friday night and reactivate it on Monday morning.

]]> Ideas for improvement tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.34 2006-08-18T06:15:51Z 2007-03-18T07:41:38Z If you have ideas for improving Sylang, please let us know by posting a comment here. Also don't hesitate to comment on ideas formulated by other translators.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ If you have ideas for improving Sylang, please let us know by posting a comment here. Also don't hesitate to comment on ideas formulated by other translators.

]]> Important security notice for translators tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.33 2006-08-15T10:54:41Z 2006-10-17T06:13:36Z You may occasionally receive requests asking you to translate emails in which the sender says he is interested in bidding for an eBay auction or buying a product, but for whatever reason asks if the goods can be shipped to... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ You may occasionally receive requests asking you to translate emails in which the sender says he is interested in bidding for an eBay auction or buying a product, but for whatever reason asks if the goods can be shipped to Nigeria or Ivory Coast.

This is a frequent type of internet fraud aimed at getting people to send money or goods they will never get paid for. Although this is not your primary goal as a translator, please advise anyone asking you for that kind of translations that this is almost certainly a fraud. Such messages are often written in incorrect English or French.

]]> Sharing your experience with other translators tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.32 2006-08-09T11:23:04Z 2006-10-17T06:15:00Z If you would like to share your experience, translation tips, etc. with other translators, please email us your text and we will publish it here. You may either write in French or English.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ If you would like to share your experience, translation tips, etc. with other translators, please email us your text and we will publish it here. You may either write in French or English.

]]> Quality control tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.31 2006-08-09T11:11:30Z 2006-10-17T06:15:43Z You may occasionally receive mails from Sylang Quality Control suggesting improvements to a particular translation you did. If this happens to you, please remember it is your responsibility to reply again to the original request, incorporating any changes.... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ You may occasionally receive mails from Sylang Quality Control suggesting improvements to a particular translation you did. If this happens to you, please remember it is your responsibility to reply again to the original request, incorporating any changes.

]]> Vacation status tag:sylang.com,2006:/translator/news//3.29 2006-07-23T15:29:09Z 2006-07-23T15:35:34Z When you do not want to receive translation jobs, sign in to your translator account and set you vacation status to Vacation. Press Save, and your done. You will receive a confirmation email. You do not need to set your... Sylang Support http://sylang.com/translator/ When you do not want to receive translation jobs, sign in to your translator account and set you vacation status to Vacation. Press Save, and your done. You will receive a confirmation email.

You do not need to set your Number of Daily Translations to zero.

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