Every now and then, the subject of the use of Translation Memories (TMs) and Computer-aided Translation (CAT) tools comes up in the ProZ.com forums and elsewhere. Should you use a CAT tool? Why? Which one? Why (again)? Are there kinds of work where a CAT tool will not be useful?

In a previous State of the industry report for freelance translators, the word on TMs and CAT tools was to take them as "a given." A high percentage of translators use at least one CAT tool, and reports on the increased productivity and efficiency that can accompany their use are solid enough to indicate that, unless the kind of translation work you do by its very nature excludes the use of a CAT tool, you should be using one.

Jared Tabor

There is a short survey running, about tech trends and translators. Have you incorporated any new tech in your work recently? Are there advances in technology for translation and translators that concern you, or you are happy about? Take a few moments to respond to the survey; your input will be greatly appreciated. 

See the survey here »

Jared Tabor

Dear members,

Next year marks 20 years of ProZ.com helping language professionals to expand their businesses and improve their work, while networking and also having fun. Here's a glimpse/reminder of what ProZ.com looked like back in the beginning.

Since then, ProZ.com paying members have been using an ever-growing suite of services and benefits the site provides to take their careers to the next level. They are also the reason the site has been able to offer those tools and opportunities, and the reason the site is available to everyone. So if you are a paying member of ProZ.com and are reading this, thank you! The ProZ.com site team is here to serve you.

Here is what has been going on at ProZ.com since the last report to members.

Jared Tabor

The results are in. Thank you to everyone who nominated candidates, and all who voted in this year’s Community choice awards. Here are the winners in the translation-related categories:

Jared Tabor

The results are in. Thank you to everyone who nominated candidates, and all who voted in this year’s Community choice awards. Here are the winners in the interpreting-related categories:

Jared Tabor

Thanks to everyone who made nominations for this, the sixth annual ProZ.com community choice awards. Voting is now open, so be sure to check out the nominees and cast your votes for your favorites in the categories for translation and interpreting at https://www.proz.com/community-choice-awards

Jared Tabor

It's that time of year again! For the tenth year in a row, ProZ.com is hosting free live virtual events to celebrate International Translation Day. This year, the events will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25th and 26th. There will be over 50 hours of content from experts, chances to discuss, network, and have fun.

The event has been approved for up to 10 ATA continuing education points, and you can attend, for free and without the need to register, from any ProZ.com page, on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, or from ProZ.com Mobile. Recorded sessions from this year's event will be made permanently available to all ProZ.com Plus subscribers after the event, as part of the Plus video library.

Jared Tabor

I'll admit it, I wasn't paying attention. I was caught off guard.

Suddenly, it just... arrived.

I'm talking about the latest edition in the Mox saga, Mox IV: What would Calvo do?

Jared Tabor

Stefanie Sendelbach is an English and Portuguese to German translator specializing in marketing and IT. She is a long-time member of ProZ.com and a part of the Certified PRO Network.

Stefanie is also the creator of Tees for Translators, which showcases t-shirts designed with the translator, interpreter and language lover in mind.

Jared Tabor

The finals phase for the translation contest La sociedad transparente opens today. If you have not done so already, you can add your votes now to help determine the winners in the following language pairs:

Jared Tabor

Every year since 2013, the ProZ.com community choice awards are held to place a spotlight on language professionals who are active, influential or otherwise outstanding in various media, in both translation and interpreting. Nominees and winners are determined entirely by the ProZ.com community.

Jared Tabor

Through cooperation with the good folks at Routledge, ProZ.com members can now receive a 20% discount off their purchases of books at Routledge, along with free shipping. In addition, Routledge is offering a free chapter download from the book Being a Successful Interpreter by Jonathan Downie.

Jared Tabor

Once upon a time there were two translators, Jelena and Jakov. They decided to set up a boutique translation agency and named it Verbosari. Their goal was to provide a unique experience to clients requiring services in translation and localisation fields.

At the beginning, our workflow was quite small since we had just a few clients. However, during the years, our reputation grew owing to our unique professional approach and impeccable quality of our work. It started to reflect in the growth of our business and we needed to do something to boost our efficiency and facilitate the whole process for our clients. We wanted to offer them a unique personalized approach by giving them full monitoring of the process, from the price quote to the final translation. The process is completely transparent and based on 5 steps: direct contact with the translator, a single PM, a personalized customer portal, involvement in the whole process and providing feedback.

Jared Tabor

For those not familiar, a ProZ.com powwow is an informal, local get-together of language professionals. Any ProZ.com member can propose and organize a powwow in their area. Since 2001, thousands of powwows have been held around the world, in 110 countries.

So far, 454 powwows have been held in 63 cities in the UK, with 3,748 attendees total. At least 50 of those powwows have been organized by Victoria Burns and Alexandra Chapman. This May 5th, Alexandra and Victoria are celebrating 10 years of powwows in Cardiff by holding -- you guessed it -- another powwow!

I asked Alexandra and Victoria to talk a bit about how the Cardiff powwows got started, what the experience has been like, and what benefits they have been able to see from coming together in person with colleagues. Here is what they had to say:

Jared Tabor