There’s been quite a discussion about across on the pt mailing list. In the course of reading this I discovered that in order for a BDÜ member to register for a free licence for the program, he or she becomes listed as a potential translator:
bq. Die mit Ihrer Registrierung hinterlegten Daten erscheinen auf der
across Webseite in einer Liste der registrierten freiberuflichen
across Anwender. Diese Seite dient across Anwendern aus Agenturen und
der Industrie dazu, freiberufliche Übersetzer zu finden, die mit ihrem
across Remote Client ‘Standby’ sind und Übersetzungsaufträge aus einem
across Server entgegennehmen können. Über die Listung im Rahmen dieser
Webseite hinaus erfolgt keine Weitergabe Ihrer Daten.
Maybe this means that if you switch off the remote client you aren’t listed – I hope so. We shall have to wait and see.
This sounds very much like Trados’ Translationzone to me. They too have a webpage where all translators using Trados are listed, although I don’t know whether they ask you before they put you on that list (or if you can choose yourself). I imagine that Across has no large clientbase at the moment, so what they actually want is to replace “testimonials” with a list of translators that use their tool. If they have enough people on their list, prospective clients are more likely to buy… at least, that’s the theory, I guess.
Ah, interesting – I didn’t know that about Trados. But either it’s all translators or it isn’t. If you can only get the licence in return for being listed, that is slightly worrying. I see you can find translators by searching on the Trados site, but am not sure if they are not there voluntarily.
Well, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, I guess.
TranslationZone listings have always been voluntary, AFAIK. Put it another way, can you imagine the stink kicked up in the fairly virulently anti-Trados forums if TranslationZone listings were automatic for everyone who bought a Trados license? ;-)
I see your point, iwan. A virulent anti-Trados forum – are those the ones called ‘Trados forum’?
I haven’t worked out yet if you have to remain registered online with across. It seems there’s a possibility of being available online (as with Trados) and it may be online if you offer that that your details are shown. But offering cooperation online is one thing – this almost sounds like ‘Phone a translator for immediate response’.