Suspicious email: ongoing "Human Translation" project, start date "Immediate", to be done in XTRF Thread poster: Artem Vakhitov
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Has anyone else received this email request about an ongoing "Human Translation" project (with no further details as to the topic or field) with the start date stated as "Immediate" and XTRF (never heard of it) as the required tool? It asks to fill in a form with general information that, again, doesn't say anything specific about the project. To me, it looks a bit suspicious, as if no actual project exists and the sole purpose is to collect rate info.
| | | | Jean Lachaud 
United States
Local time: 13:59
English to French
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| Received here | Oct 18, 2022 |
I did, yesterday I think.
Not worth the electrons it was carried on.
I looked up XTRF, which appeared to be some sort of pre-made management system for cheap translation agencies, or wannabes.
J L
[Edited at 2022-10-18 21:43 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-10-18 21:44 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:59
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Artem Vakhitov wrote:
...and XTRF (never heard of it) as the required tool?
XTRF is a project management tool. If set up correctly and if appropriately integrated into the agency's physical project management and accounting systems, it greatly simplifies project management for both the agency and the translator. It can be a pleasure to work with XTRF... it can also be super frustrating, especially if the agency can't make up their mind about which features of XTRF they're trying to use.
It is odd that they mention XTRF as a "required tool". The fact that an agency has a portal and that they want you to use it, is not usually listed as a "requirement" -- it is just assumed that translators would be willing to use the portal. It also doesn't really require great skill to use XTRF. XTRF is intuitive to use.
It asks to fill in a form with general information that, again, doesn't say anything specific about the project. To me, it looks a bit suspicious, as if no actual project exists and the sole purpose is to collect rate info.
Not rate information, but your information. You have to decide for yourself if you are too busy to register at various agencies' portals. If you are registered, they may contact you for future jobs.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 19:59
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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I use this system for one of my best clients to download project files, upload translated/(post-)edited work and semi-automatically invoice my work. There's nothing fishy about the system itself.
Anyway, it's not a translation tool (as far as I know), it's just one of the several project management platforms available today and seemingly increasingly used by agencies. I haven't had any bad experiences with any of them so far.
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Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 20:59
English to Russian
I use XTRF on a regular basis to issue invoices and receive payments for my work. I have never heard of XTRF as a translation tool, but I am quite happy with XTRF as a translation management system.
| | | | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 13:59
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
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| XTRF is great | Oct 19, 2022 |
Artem Vakhitov wrote:
Has anyone else received this email request about an ongoing "Human Translation" project (with no further details as to the topic or field) with the start date stated as "Immediate" and XTRF (never heard of it) as the required tool?
XTRF is one of the most intuitive translation management systems.
| | | | Adieu
Ukrainian to English
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But just for project management (job assignment + invoicing) afaik. I've only ever seen it used with manual docx uploads or automatic MemoQ integration.
And I've never seen anybody mention that they use it when they use it.
It's just a thing you log into to track what's going on or bill your client.
jyuan_us wrote: Artem Vakhitov wrote:
Has anyone else received this email request about an ongoing "Human Translation" project (with no further details as to the topic or field) with the start date stated as "Immediate" and XTRF (never heard of it) as the required tool? XTRF is one of the most intuitive translation management systems.
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| Thanks everybody who responded | Oct 21, 2022 |
Thank you everybody who responded. A special thanks goes to Vladimir Pochinov for pointing to what the sender might have actually meant as the translation tool, namely XTM.
[Edited at 2022-10-21 15:03 GMT]
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