| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: If the internet suddenly did not exist again, would you continue in the profession? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| I would try to... | Sep 12, 2022 |
as long as the rates will high enough.
I was translating long before the Internet. My organizations would fly me to conferences and congresses all around Central and South America along with boxes full of dictionaries. One time, the boxes didn't arrival and we did pretty well. considering. (I still has many shelves of dictionaries and sometimes they still hold answers that I don't find on the Internet
| | | | | I started without internet ... | Sep 12, 2022 |
(on an Olivetti Lettera 22) and would finish without internet.
[Edited at 2022-09-12 07:48 GMT]
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Tom in London wrote: Gerard Barry wrote:
I honestly don't know how translators worked before the Internet. I presume most of them back then were real experts in the areas they translated in. The earliest civilizations developed between 4000 and 3000 BCE. For all that time, we've had translations. So there's really nothing special about the internet.
I think the Internet is very special actually. It enables those of us who really haven't got a clue about technical subject matters to nonetheless translate material from such fields.
| | | | | I'd have to live in a library | Sep 12, 2022 |
But a lot of the jobs I do would still be doable. I only have two Soviet-made paper-based dictionaries, but my huge collection of electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias, standards, and other reference materials is quite happy to work offline. There was a time during my university years when I almost stopped attending lectures and spent most of the time in the library. It was a happy time, the only downside was that most of the books were pretty old, it was hard to find anything fresh. I could wa... See more But a lot of the jobs I do would still be doable. I only have two Soviet-made paper-based dictionaries, but my huge collection of electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias, standards, and other reference materials is quite happy to work offline. There was a time during my university years when I almost stopped attending lectures and spent most of the time in the library. It was a happy time, the only downside was that most of the books were pretty old, it was hard to find anything fresh. I could wait in line and get one hour's worth of free internet access, but spent most of my online time looking for guitar tabs (it took me two hour-long slots to download a .jpg). So yeah, I'd still keep working, it's just that I'd have to turn down many interesting projects I wouldn't be able to handle without internet ▲ Collapse
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Liena Vijupe 
Latvia
Local time: 11:52
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
| I don't know | Sep 12, 2022 |
I often like to imagine how nice and peaceful it would be without internet, but I can't really picture who would still need my work unless we also travel back in time or how much I would earn that way.
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 11:52
Member
English to Turkish
| expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 09:52
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| The truth is | Sep 12, 2022 |
I believe nobody would continue in their profession, because pretty much everything is run via the internet.
This silly question (I'm sorry!) never occurred to me, but the truth is
| | | | | All those senseless IF questions! | Sep 12, 2022 |
IF I was standing on the Northpole in my underware, facing a polar bear. What would I do? I DON'T KNOW! (probably freezing to death ). Never had that experience, and the possibility that it would happen is zero to nonexistent!
Same goes for this 'smart' poll question(s). Internet is here, and is here to stay. Who is coming up with these silly questions indeed. A non-topic!
But when there is a good topic, a... See more IF I was standing on the Northpole in my underware, facing a polar bear. What would I do? I DON'T KNOW! (probably freezing to death). Never had that experience, and the possibility that it would happen is zero to nonexistent!
Same goes for this 'smart' poll question(s). Internet is here, and is here to stay. Who is coming up with these silly questions indeed. A non-topic!
But when there is a good topic, actual, interesting and up to the point, it is censured because of some silly rules.
I consider these no-brainers as an insult to my intelligence. Level tabloid (how many people just talk and talk, but say nothing?).
We are highly educated people. Proz, please keep that in mind next time you publish a question. ▲ Collapse
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Liena Vijupe
Latvia
Local time: 11:52
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
Why do these poll questions upset people so much? While it is true that we don't know what we would do in entirely hypothetical scenarios, it can (sometimes) still be interesting to ponder on it. A lot of art and philosophy was created that way and, personally, I find it a lot more interesting than, say, a question about how many words I translated in the past day, week or hour.
This is just a random poll, not a serious conference, and if you don't like a question there is always an... See more Why do these poll questions upset people so much? While it is true that we don't know what we would do in entirely hypothetical scenarios, it can (sometimes) still be interesting to ponder on it. A lot of art and philosophy was created that way and, personally, I find it a lot more interesting than, say, a question about how many words I translated in the past day, week or hour.
This is just a random poll, not a serious conference, and if you don't like a question there is always an option just to ignore it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 10:52
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Bigger picture | Sep 13, 2022 |
In that case, the clients would not have the Internet either, e-commerce would have to stop altogether.
But general commerce in RL wouldn’t, and it would still require translators for exports/imports. Translation agencies would then operate more locally I assume, as international phone calls and shipping would be very expensive and slow (no phones via Internet).
The files would have to be sent by physical mail, but if agencies operate locally, they may also be deliv... See more In that case, the clients would not have the Internet either, e-commerce would have to stop altogether.
But general commerce in RL wouldn’t, and it would still require translators for exports/imports. Translation agencies would then operate more locally I assume, as international phone calls and shipping would be very expensive and slow (no phones via Internet).
The files would have to be sent by physical mail, but if agencies operate locally, they may also be delivered in person. Everything would be slower, sourcing translators would be slower and harder (which means their price goes up), and “send me your best rate” mass emails would be wiped off the face of the Earth. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 10:52
French to English
Lingua 5B wrote:
In that case, the clients would not have the Internet either, e-commerce would have to stop altogether.
But general commerce in RL wouldn’t, and it would still require translators for exports/imports. Translation agencies would then operate more locally I assume, as international phone calls and shipping would be very expensive and slow (no phones via Internet).
The files would have to be sent by physical mail, but if agencies operate locally, they may also be delivered in person. Everything would be slower, sourcing translators would be slower and harder (which means their price goes up), and “send me your best rate” mass emails would be wiped off the face of the Earth.
There would be much less work for us, as a lot of firms would simply decide to concentrate on local clients rather than cater to the whole world.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 10:52
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Sorry, I can’t quote anyone, some bug for forum on iPads that’s going on forever.
Yes, in the pre-Internet times, it was mostly for diplomacy (international relations and politics, either interpreters or translators), but there were still imports and export of goods internationally, although definitely much less than after the Internet that boosted globalization by 1000%.
There used to be international projects before the Internet (science, medical, politics, touris... See more Sorry, I can’t quote anyone, some bug for forum on iPads that’s going on forever.
Yes, in the pre-Internet times, it was mostly for diplomacy (international relations and politics, either interpreters or translators), but there were still imports and export of goods internationally, although definitely much less than after the Internet that boosted globalization by 1000%.
There used to be international projects before the Internet (science, medical, politics, tourism) but they were much slower and therefore much more expensive. All these required translators to some degree, but the scope/flow rate of these projects was adjusted to translator sourcing options (mostly sourced locally, and much slower/more difficult). ▲ Collapse
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William Hepner
United States
Local time: 04:52
Member (2022)
Spanish to English
| It depends on a few things... | Sep 14, 2022 |
I think that translators should have at least the ability, even if it goes unused, of working without CAT tools and the aid of modern technology. In this sense I would be fine, since most of my training in translation has been to build up a skill set that is primarily not digital, but that benefits from computers, databases, apps, and the like. (And in this sense I would make myself do it even if I found it more difficult, just to prove to myself that I could.) Translation is a complex skill on ... See more I think that translators should have at least the ability, even if it goes unused, of working without CAT tools and the aid of modern technology. In this sense I would be fine, since most of my training in translation has been to build up a skill set that is primarily not digital, but that benefits from computers, databases, apps, and the like. (And in this sense I would make myself do it even if I found it more difficult, just to prove to myself that I could.) Translation is a complex skill on its own, and people have made a professional practice of it for a long time.
With that said, the financial prospects for someone like myself, who likes using the internet and the convenience of databases, directories, contact info., etc. would be almost too difficult. So I think my answer to the poll would be yes, but with the condition that I wouldn't continue only in this profession. I'd need some other profession as well--I've gotta eat too, ya know. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:52
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Gerard Barry wrote: Tom in London wrote: Gerard Barry wrote:
I honestly don't know how translators worked before the Internet. I presume most of them back then were real experts in the areas they translated in. The earliest civilizations developed between 4000 and 3000 BCE. For all that time, we've had translations. So there's really nothing special about the internet. I think the Internet is very special actually. It enables those of us who really haven't got a clue about technical subject matters to nonetheless translate material from such fields.
Wow - so you don't even know if the terminology you're translating is correct?
| | | | | Before and after | Sep 14, 2022 |
William Hepner wrote:
With that said, the financial prospects for someone like myself, who likes using the internet and the convenience of databases, directories, contact info., etc. would be almost too difficult. So I think my answer to the poll would be yes, but with the condition that I wouldn't continue only in this profession. I'd need some other profession as well--I've gotta eat too, ya know.
I was going to say that everyone would be in the same boat so it wouldn't affect anyone's finances, but then I remembered I'm no quicker now with the Internet than I used to be without it, so presumably I'd be raking it in as all the millennials go on stress leave...
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