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xl8 review

I will create new resolutions all year long - handwriting on a napkin - , a realistic alternative to New Year resolutions

27 December, 2016

December thoughts on New Year’s resolutions

It’s the last week of December and the end of the year is heading our way at a fast pace. No matter if it concerns personal or business matters, we are looking back at this time of the year. In many cases we try to remember and relive the best things that happened, such as new clients we won and massive projects we took on. At the same time we try to forget the worse things, like clients we lost or complaints we got – no matter how unjust they were. At the same time we look forward somewhat cautiously, not yet ready to accept the stress of a new year. So this is the right moment to talk about a somewhat uneasy subject: New Year’s resolutions.

by Pieter Beens

16 December, 2016

Translation practice

Translation Conferences 2017

Translation Conferences are great opportunities to learn, to network and to have fun. Furthermore they offer a chance to visit another country and to get to know different cultures and industry professionals. Although translation conferences can be exhausting, they are in the end very rewarding as you learn new perspectives, techniques and colleagues.
After the highly successful 2016 overview I herewith present the translation conferences 2017 overview, ordered by month.
Just check the different tiles and hover over them with your mouse for more information. Click at the ‘Visit website’ button on the backside of a tile to learn more about a particular translation conference in 2017.

by Pieter Beens

1 December, 2016

xl8 review

Trados Studio 2017 review

Two weeks ago SDL launched a new version of its flagship product: Trados Studio 2017. I had the honour to test the CAT tool during some beta stages. Now that it is released, I want to share my Trados Studio 2017 review with all translators who are still in doubt about whether or not to invest in a new version of the CAT tool. If you don’t want to read all the ins and outs you might simply jump to my concluding thoughts below.

by Pieter Beens

16 November, 2016

Kitchen sink

Is a ProZ.com membership worth it?

This week ProZ.com activated the ProZ.com Plus membership the website recently announced. This new membership of the biggest translation community should add extra value to dedicated members, but it can also be a sign that ProZ.com is struggling to bind its members or to tap into new groups. Indeed, the added value of ProZ.com for translators has been contested for many years now. Hence this article on the question that is heard around the internet: is a ProZ.com membership worth it?

by Pieter Beens

4 November, 2016

Translation practice

How many CAT tools should you need?

On my computer I have an incredible amount of translation software installed. There are Trados Studio (including 2017 for beta-testing purposes), MemoQ (different releases, which can be installed alongside each other), Memsource Editor (lightweight but powerful), Across (too heavy to work with on a regular basis), Transit NXT (required by a client but never used), Wordfast (license expired), Fluency (won in a contest but never used) and Idiom WorldServer (idle as I use MemoQ to translate these kind of files) to name a few. As a technology fan always eager to learn new things, I think I have many more CAT tools than the average translator. That raises a question: How many CAT tools should you need?

by Pieter Beens

12 October, 2016

Academy

Grab your markers: 5 free translation-themed adult coloring pages

The life of a translator is hectic. If we want to stay healthy, concentrated and on top of our projects, we need to have some moments of relaxation every now and then. Depending on our preferences they might include going for a walk, excercizing or practising some kind of sport. For those that don’t love that – or who want to combine their activities here are five adult coloring pages.

by Pieter Beens

28 September, 2016

Translation practice

The sense and nonsense of free test translations

Free test translations are a topic of hot debate nowadays. While it seems that more and more translators stand up against them, translation agencies sometimes defend them as their ultimate means of securing quality translators at the gate. There is a great chance that the topic of test translations will return in one form or another in any future period. Are translation tests reasonable requirements or are they don’t lead to anywhere?

by Pieter Beens

Selling translation memories: a good idea?

14 September, 2016

Translation practice

Making money with your knowledge

If you treat your translation memories as second-hand books that you try to get rid of for a few pennies every now and then, you are in good company: in the last few years a couple of TM marketplaces have emerged (and some of them disappeared as well) where you can sell all the knowledge you have saved in a database file while working for clients. However, if you treat your TMs like the secret Coca Cola recipe, selling them won’t sound like a great idea. Nevertheless there are a few places on the worldwide web where you can make some money with your translation memories, a place where many translators are selling (or buying) TMs. Is selling your translation memories a good idea?

by Pieter Beens

Five lessons translators can learn from a joiner

24 August, 2016

Translation practice

Five lessons translators can learn from a joiner

When I bought a house a couple of years ago I got a neighbour with a nice job: he is a joiner. Actually, he is not just a joiner but a pretty good one. He can make everything his eyes see out of wood, from traditional sleighs to great book cabinets. But despite all his qualities there is a dark side lurking: his business is threatened by cheap products from other countries, youngsters don’t read anymore and global warming poses a danger for the market of pretty traditional sleighs. With his years of experience the good old joiner is a source of business wisdom and sense. In this article, I share five lessons we translators can learn from a craftsman that soon will see his business overcome by current industry trends.

by Pieter Beens

When good is never good enough - How to deal with perfectionism

10 August, 2016

Translation practice

When good is never good enough

Perfectionism is a habit many translators and other freelancers seem to have. In their work they strive to deliver the best quality possible and even try to supersede that demand by doing even better. Although it is good to aim to deliver the best translation time after time, aiming for perfection can eventually derail work and leave the translator with an ever growing feeling of guilt for not having delivered the best translation and a great darkness of increasing workload. How can translators (and other freelancers) deal with perfectionism?

by Pieter Beens

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