Poll: Do you think that an anonymous Blue Board would be helpful?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Feb 12, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you think that an anonymous Blue Board would be helpful?".

This poll was originally submitted by José Mariño. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:04
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No! Feb 12, 2018

I’m totally against! What an idea! All the interest of the BB is to know exactly with whom I am dealing with, be it agencies or colleagues. When I have something to say about an agency, positive or negative, I want to put my name alongside. I am a professional and I’d like to think that I behave like a professional in all circumstances. If an agency, doesn’t know who and why someone has posted a low score, how will they solve the matter? I must say also that, with only two exceptions (they... See more
I’m totally against! What an idea! All the interest of the BB is to know exactly with whom I am dealing with, be it agencies or colleagues. When I have something to say about an agency, positive or negative, I want to put my name alongside. I am a professional and I’d like to think that I behave like a professional in all circumstances. If an agency, doesn’t know who and why someone has posted a low score, how will they solve the matter? I must say also that, with only two exceptions (they both claim that I haven’t worked for them), all the agencies I have rated low have solved the problem without any reprisal…Collapse


 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 07:04
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Well said, Teresa! Feb 12, 2018

What's the point in having the anonymous BB? It will be like graffiti - no names, no responsibility.

 
John Cutler
John Cutler  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 22:04
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Feb 12, 2018

Everyone should have the right to face their accusers.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:04
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Feb 12, 2018

Not really. I do think there should be more naming and shaming when shoddy practices are involved, but you only need to look at how poster anonymity has led to libellous behaviour, horrendous trolling and online bullying in other areas to see that it isn't always a positive thing.


[Edited at 2018-02-12 10:27 GMT]


 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:04
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
No Feb 12, 2018

Why should it be anonymous? That could even foster some dishonesty.

 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:04
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
An anonymous Blue Board would be worthless Feb 12, 2018

As it is, I can already see some pretty bad-paying translation agencies - those who default on large payments - hiring a flock of "desperado tranzlaters" for $10~20 jobs each, paying them COD, and thus getting a large number of good comments, in order to outweigh the bad feedback they got from their 'victims'.

If the Blue Board became anonymous, they could merely hire "people" (not necessarily translators) to register on Proz and publish whatever they were required to, say, for a $
... See more
As it is, I can already see some pretty bad-paying translation agencies - those who default on large payments - hiring a flock of "desperado tranzlaters" for $10~20 jobs each, paying them COD, and thus getting a large number of good comments, in order to outweigh the bad feedback they got from their 'victims'.

If the Blue Board became anonymous, they could merely hire "people" (not necessarily translators) to register on Proz and publish whatever they were required to, say, for a $5 reward.
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Linda Miranda
Linda Miranda  Identity Verified
Portugal
French to Portuguese
+ ...
I completely agree with Teresa Feb 12, 2018

"If an agency doesn’t know who and why someone has posted a low score, how will they solve the matter?"

 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:04
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
No Feb 12, 2018

Totally agree with the above.

I look at who has commented - positively or negatively. OK, I have no real idea who most of the people are who post ratings, so they might as well be anonymous, and if I guess, I may just be prejudiced.

However, if I do know the person, or there is a name, I can ask for more details if I want to.

I wish it was possible to add a comment, perhaps without rating, to explain why I did not accept a job at all. It would be very usefu
... See more
Totally agree with the above.

I look at who has commented - positively or negatively. OK, I have no real idea who most of the people are who post ratings, so they might as well be anonymous, and if I guess, I may just be prejudiced.

However, if I do know the person, or there is a name, I can ask for more details if I want to.

I wish it was possible to add a comment, perhaps without rating, to explain why I did not accept a job at all. It would be very useful if people could pass on reservations without actually having to be caught in the trap! (I have recently been offered jobs with extremely tight or impossible deadlines by an agency with a fine, unbroken row of 5-ratings...) It would be unprofessional to take on the jobs, and of course, I would never do it just to be able to give the agency a lower rating.

But the rules say translators can only rate outsourcers if they have actually worked with them, and there would of course be other issues if translators could add comments without real experience of working with the outsourcer.
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Laura Bissio CT
Laura Bissio CT  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 18:04
English to Spanish
+ ...
No Feb 12, 2018

I agree with the previous comments, it would be worthless and could be damaging.

 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:04
Member (2016)
English to German
Yes Feb 12, 2018

(Provided it doesn't replace the non-anonymous Blue Board.)

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:04
English to Italian
No Feb 12, 2018

In my humble opinion, anonymous entries in any field have no value at all.
If I have something positive or negative to say I have to let the other person know who I am so they can deal with my comment.


 
Diarmuid Kennan
Diarmuid Kennan
Ireland
Local time: 21:04
Member (2006)
Danish to English
+ ...
No Feb 12, 2018

For all the obvious reasons mentioned above - otherwise the BB would instantly become worthless.

 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:04
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
No Feb 13, 2018

It would be worthless, and might even cause problems for the agency where there shouldn't be any. And... only criminals and cowards try to stay anonymous.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:04
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Never! Feb 13, 2018

Anonymous stuff is unacceptable commercially speaking. It opens the gates for people with questionable behavior to criticize professionals and agencies openly without any consequences to them. As we see regularly in the social media, it's not a good idea at all. The Blue Board, which is a reliable source of reference, would become a useless critique arena. Please do not allow this to happen.

 


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Poll: Do you think that an anonymous Blue Board would be helpful?






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