| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | CAT tools requirements Thread poster: Gregory Lassale
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| Very to the point... | Oct 27, 2017 |
inesec wrote:
It is precisely because CAT tools that are seen as "professional" are expensive to purchase and difficult to master that they have value beyond the functionality they offer as aids to translation. They indicate to potential clients that you have made a serious commitment to the profession. In other words, CAT tools are increasingly a kind of barrier to entry.
Besides the industry-leading proprietary software, nowadays we can choose between various cloud solutions, software as a service solutions etc.
And there are more budget options like CafeTran (which is free up to 1000 segments afaik).
| | | | Maija Cirule 
Latvia
Local time: 19:56
Jerman menyang Inggris
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| I must disappoint you | Oct 27, 2017 |
Tom in London wrote:
inesec wrote:
Lack of any CAT tool can generate the impression that you are too old, lazy, incompetent, etc., to acquire new knowledge, skills, competencies and so on.
Only if you're ageist, bigoted, and judgmental.
as I am 70 years of age, never call people names based on their nationality or degree of command of English and, most important, I don't live in cloud-cuckooland where nothing changes and I am a master of the Universe sought after by every outsourcer.
I wish you peace of mind without any fixed ideas.
| | | | | CAT tool; to have or not to have it... | Oct 27, 2017 |
I respect opinions that are against having a CAT tool. I don’t share them. Here are some of the reasons:
1. If you are a full-time translator, you don’t mind investing 300-600 USD in a tool that will last for many, many years (until you have to upgrade it). You can amortise this cost in just a few projects.
2. Not having one may make you feel safe but having one will certainly not hurt you.
3. You may (probably will) miss some nice projects if you don�... See more I respect opinions that are against having a CAT tool. I don’t share them. Here are some of the reasons:
1. If you are a full-time translator, you don’t mind investing 300-600 USD in a tool that will last for many, many years (until you have to upgrade it). You can amortise this cost in just a few projects.
2. Not having one may make you feel safe but having one will certainly not hurt you.
3. You may (probably will) miss some nice projects if you don’t have a mainstream CAT tool (customer requirements).
4. If you refuse to use a CAT tool, why don’t you just refuse using computers altogether; CAT tools and computer programs, such as Word, Excel, etc., aren’t that different; they all just help (you do the job).
Good luck!
MD ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:56
Member (2014)
Jepang menyang Inggris
| Not in every case, but in most | Oct 27, 2017 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Suppose you charge 10c per word, and suppose the CAT tool increases your efficiency by 20%, and suppose you buy a CAT tool for $500.
I agree that it does not necessarily work for every project and every client. Your analysis is, however, very sensitive to that efficiency assumption - sometimes the gains are larger. When it works for me it sometimes works very well indeed, and I complete jobs in a small fraction of the time. I had one of those earlier this month. The first of the ten parts of that project took me many hours. The subsequent tranches were completed in an hour or so. That one project easily made me more money than the total amount I have spent on every piece of translation-related software, including CAT. The mathematics aren't difficult, and I do in fact work for agencies.
The potential benefits just mentioned come on top of the other advantages you note of "increased consistency, getting clients you would not have gotten otherwise, etc".
Not everybody should use CAT tools, but most would probably benefit, especially those new to the game.
Regards,
Dan
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 17:56
Member (2007)
Inggris
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| The crux of the matter | Oct 27, 2017 |
Dan Lucas wrote:
Not everybody should use CAT tools, but most would probably benefit, especially those new to the game.
I'm no spring chicken but I love my CAT tool (as well as my cat  ). However, I can quite see how others my age might want to avoid having to learn how to use one, as I'm avoiding learning InDesign, Latex, etc., and I don't "do" Twitter or Netflix or a dozen other things.
But a translator who's new to the game must surely get abreast of these things. They can help make up for lack of experience and/or qualifications - they can tick several boxes for you in agency database records, if nothing else. And if you're a youngster, then you'll be expected to become a wizard with these tools in no time at all. Whoever heard of a kitchen fitter in this century who can't show you how your kitchen will look in glorious 3D? Or a car mechanic who can't use an engine diagnostic tool? The days of using nothing more advanced than a pencil or a spanner have gone.
| | | | Tradupro17
United States
Local time: 12:56
Inggris menyang Haiti-Kreol
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