| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Do you accept assignments to post-edit machine translations? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Jeff Whittaker 
United States
Local time: 22:09
Spanish to English
+ ...
But I charge my normal rate because for me there really is no time savings and if I wanted to violate all the principles of confidentiality, I could theoretically also produce an MT translation myself, so the "pre-translation" they are offering me has zero value. Of course, for some strange reason, I never get the job...
| | | | Gina W
United States
Local time: 22:09
Member (2003)
French to English
I always respond to let them know that I do not do post-machine editing, and why. I guess they can find someone else to do it but I'm certainly not interested.
Like others, I can think of "editing" that I did that was probably post-machine without me knowing it, but now I am wiser and if I ever got such an offer again I would not do it. It's just not worth it - and the quality can't even be guaranteed, so it's really not doing the end client a service anyway. My opinion.
| | | | Lise Leavitt
United States
Local time: 22:09
Member (2008)
Danish to English
+ ...
| For one client only | Apr 2, 2014 |
They have an online editor, where the target column is already populated...and at times it frightening to see, how accurate it actually can be...nothing like Google...
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 04:09
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
I used to do post-editing when I started out. The problem with it was that they paid per word and for a proof-reading assignment. PE sometimes takes so much time to perform, oftentimes being easier to translate the sentence from scratch, that I spent valuable time working for nothing. So I no longer offer this service. Should one of my clients ever ask for PE, then I will most definately charge my hourly rate.
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I consider editing / revising work on a case-by-case basis. I charge by the hour. When something is poorly translated then it will be more costly for the client to have it edited than retranslated and will advise the client accordingly.
The result is that I don't do postedting work because it usually involves poor quality translations that require a lot of hours to redo and thus are expensive. Of course the game being played is that of running a text through a machine and trying ... See more I consider editing / revising work on a case-by-case basis. I charge by the hour. When something is poorly translated then it will be more costly for the client to have it edited than retranslated and will advise the client accordingly.
The result is that I don't do postedting work because it usually involves poor quality translations that require a lot of hours to redo and thus are expensive. Of course the game being played is that of running a text through a machine and trying to get a translation done for .03/word by pretending it is ordinary editing. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 22:09
English to Spanish
+ ...
| MT postediting can be lucrative | Apr 3, 2014 |
...if you know how to negotiate an hourly rate while leveraging your thick technical skills (not just your knowledge in certain domains, like software or health care).
I recently concluded a 10-month contract for an up-and-coming cybersecurity company. The hourly pay was not good —it was great! We used the MT output as suggested translations that we could modify at will.
The only issue was that some managers in charge of those MT postediting operations get giddy with ... See more ...if you know how to negotiate an hourly rate while leveraging your thick technical skills (not just your knowledge in certain domains, like software or health care).
I recently concluded a 10-month contract for an up-and-coming cybersecurity company. The hourly pay was not good —it was great! We used the MT output as suggested translations that we could modify at will.
The only issue was that some managers in charge of those MT postediting operations get giddy with the technology and impose unrealistic deadlines sometimes. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Yes, with an explanation | Apr 3, 2014 |
This happened to me only twice, and both times the client failed to tell me it was a 'robot' translation... it became clear that it was, and I told the client it would be more expensive than an original translation, because I was doing both proofreading and translation... So the answer is, I did it as an original translation and still had to add time... and so the answer is, if I know it's a machine translation, I don't accept it.
| | | | | I did once and never again | Apr 3, 2014 |
I did it once, and it was clearly stated in the PO, and I think once more, although I was not aware. In case someone asks my rate is as that of a new translation, no discounts, this way nobody is gonna ask again.
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Marjolein Snippe wrote: Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I have been post-editing machine translation for more than 30 years. The system I have used was developed by the Pan American Health Organization, and it works reasonably well - the performance varies. That sounds like an interesting system, Muriel - what is it called?
Each language combination has a different name. Spanisih-Englsh is SPANAM and English-Spanish is called ENGSPAN; there is now a Portuguese-English system and I don't know it's name.
I have published some articles about postediting. See them at:
http://www.murieltranslations.com/linguistics_mt_articles.html
| | | | DianeGM
Local time: 05:09
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
I have one client that I do this kind of work for regularly. The job is clearly set out as post-editing MT and the rate is fair for the time spent.
I assume this is the kind of MT post-editing jobs the pollster meant.
There is that other kind of MT post-editing jobs - when that 'proof-reading' job arrives and it was either translated by a machine or a blind money and the client either does/doesn't know. It's been a while since I last saw one of those. I do try to avoid these j... See more I have one client that I do this kind of work for regularly. The job is clearly set out as post-editing MT and the rate is fair for the time spent.
I assume this is the kind of MT post-editing jobs the pollster meant.
There is that other kind of MT post-editing jobs - when that 'proof-reading' job arrives and it was either translated by a machine or a blind money and the client either does/doesn't know. It's been a while since I last saw one of those. I do try to avoid these jobs from the outset, but when I find I'm inadvertently mixed up with one, I just explain to the client that due to the time and effort which will be needed they can either pay the extra time for that actual hours spent editing or that entire re-translation is needed, and that retranslation is probably going to be the more cost-effective option. Usually the client agrees to that. Otherwise they go elsewhere. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 04:09
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Thanks Muriel - I will have a look at the articles in a bit!
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Chris S wrote:
I've never been asked
| | | | | It takes more effort than translating from scratch | Apr 3, 2014 |
I used to be approached with such offers but in from of editing jobs when I still dont know about it and I have to retranslate the whole thing, not to mention I have to spend time reading the sentence first to see if it is correct or if I can use it. So if I was asked again, I may turn it down or I charge it at my full rate or more.
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