| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: How long do you normally keep completed translations on file? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 00:16
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | I understand the 0.9% - delete right away - | Jan 3, 2009 |
as "Oh, noooooooooo..." screw-ups. I'm better than that (g).
| | | | Rad Graban (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
English to Slovak
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Spiros Doikas wrote:
I see 1% have voted:
"I delete the files immediately after delivery"
This is hardly a safe professional policy. On the contrary, one should have back ups on top of that.
As I only work on the goverment projects, it is in my contracts that I have to delete files immediately after completition. There might more people out there who work on very confidential projects and have to delete them after delivery.
| | | | daniel gwire
Ghana
Local time: 22:16
Member (2002)
Italian to English
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In ten years as a translator although I delete all my files after two weeks I've never had a problem!
| | | | Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Hungarian to English
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| Bad idea to rely on files stored only on our computer or on backups - and unnecessary anyway | Jan 3, 2009 |
First of all, you emailed the completed file to the client - so the translation is stored on your mail servers (provided they're not explicitly set up otherwise - but why do that?)
Secondly the files (in my case at least) are backed up on the Internet in real time as they are being written, on Dropbox (which means they are also accessible, if I need them, in a folder on the desktop of any computer I happen to use).
What do you do if your computer dies. "Well I just pull... See more First of all, you emailed the completed file to the client - so the translation is stored on your mail servers (provided they're not explicitly set up otherwise - but why do that?)
Secondly the files (in my case at least) are backed up on the Internet in real time as they are being written, on Dropbox (which means they are also accessible, if I need them, in a folder on the desktop of any computer I happen to use).
What do you do if your computer dies. "Well I just pull out the backup," I hear you cry. Have you never forgotten to make a backup?
But even more than that: What if you're on the road, with a travel computer, without your backups on hand? Uppus creekus.
Dropbox, people! (or something like it) Encrypt if you want, or if you must.
[Edited at 2009-01-03 12:05 GMT]
[Edited at 2009-01-03 12:06 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 00:16
English to German
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In memoriam | I keep them forever as an original and an external copy | Jan 3, 2009 |
Because it may happen that a customer comes up with a very similar job years later, and I wand to be consistent.
| | | | R. Alex Jenkins
Brazil
Local time: 19:16
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
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| The "belts and braces" mentality. | Jan 3, 2009 |
I keep my files forever, backed-up onto a second hard disk, with important files (i.e. the ones I am currently working on) sent to my FTP server (off-site) at night, just in case there is a serious crash or robbery, etc...
| | | | Daniel Bird
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
German to English
I and my partner have certain recurring topics so we tend to keep everything. Our rough-and-ready CD backup routine has worked OK and got us through a couple of irretrievable hard disk disasters with most of 15 plus years' work intact, plus invoices, accounts material etc.
Since our most recent PC catastrophe I have set up BT Digital Vault. Quite unbelievably slow to send over the initial bulk of the backup, but it now only backs up additions to the appropriate folders (seemingly using idl... See more I and my partner have certain recurring topics so we tend to keep everything. Our rough-and-ready CD backup routine has worked OK and got us through a couple of irretrievable hard disk disasters with most of 15 plus years' work intact, plus invoices, accounts material etc.
Since our most recent PC catastrophe I have set up BT Digital Vault. Quite unbelievably slow to send over the initial bulk of the backup, but it now only backs up additions to the appropriate folders (seemingly using idle processor time), so it was time well spent in the long run. And it can be accessed from anywhere in the world if necessary like Mozy, Dropbox etc.
So >1 year. Why not?
A happy and crash-free year to you all
Dan ▲ Collapse
| | | | Spiros Doikas
Local time: 01:16
Member (2002)
English to Greek
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| Not always possible | Jan 3, 2009 |
Mette Melchior wrote:
Finally, if your work is saved in TMs you can always generate the translation again from a copy of the original file, so I don't see why I should store all files forever, like some suggest. But for now, I think I will use Heinrichs approach and start moving the files from previous years away from my work computer.
Not always possible. For example if you have a big TM and you do not use Context TM then you might have inappropriate 100% matches.
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Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 18:16
English to Spanish
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Half the material I translate, I never delete.
The other half is confidential material so, just like Jeff, I delete it immediately after confirmation of delivery and return all printed copies. The confidentiality agreements I sign explicitly request that I do so. So if my clients were to lose the translation at a later date, knowing that it is THEM who explicitly request that I keep nothing... it's not really my responsibility, is it?
Greetings ... See more Half the material I translate, I never delete.
The other half is confidential material so, just like Jeff, I delete it immediately after confirmation of delivery and return all printed copies. The confidentiality agreements I sign explicitly request that I do so. So if my clients were to lose the translation at a later date, knowing that it is THEM who explicitly request that I keep nothing... it's not really my responsibility, is it?
Greetings
Andrea ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 16:16
French to Spanish
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| Never, since 1991. | Jan 4, 2009 |
In my case (subtitling).
1.- Quite often, a client tells me: Do you remember that film you translated 3 years ago? We don't have the translation anymore (?), could you send it again?
I'm there.
2.- Quite often, a client tells me: Do you remember that film you translated 3 years ago?
Could you please send the file to XXX client of ours who bought the rights?
I'm there.
3.- Quite often, a client asks me for a translation I've ... See more In my case (subtitling).
1.- Quite often, a client tells me: Do you remember that film you translated 3 years ago? We don't have the translation anymore (?), could you send it again?
I'm there.
2.- Quite often, a client tells me: Do you remember that film you translated 3 years ago?
Could you please send the file to XXX client of ours who bought the rights?
I'm there.
3.- Quite often, a client asks me for a translation I've already done but he doesn't know it.
I'm there. ▲ Collapse
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So far I have no reason to deleted my completed translations, but now I know why translators sometimes have to deleted their completed translations. This poll is infornative.
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 00:16
English to French
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Jeff Whittaker wrote:
Most of my clients require that all electronic copies be deleted and all paper copies be returned or shredded. I always thought that this was standard practice for private and confidential material.
[Edited at 2009-01-03 01:02 GMT]
I sign "confidentiality agreements" regularly but customers know that my professional insurance requires me to keep everything (source and target files) at least one year!
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Yassen Tounev
Bulgaria
Local time: 01:16
English to Bulgarian
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| I keep them forever | Jan 4, 2009 |
I keep everything forever, backed up on my office and home PC's, fitted with additional large HD's of 250GB. I even have some things, made in Word 6.0 in mid 90's , although some of them are already incompatible with Office 2007, especially these, written in old Cyrillic font encoding.
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 18:16
Spanish to English
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| I guess it depends on your client base / specialty | Jan 4, 2009 |
I wonder how many end clients, if told that translators retained copies of their non-public contracts, agreements, financial statements, legal papers, etc., would request that they be deleted? Some would be ok with it, others may not.
I see no problem with saving some documents, such as patents and product manuals, that are in the public domain, but a lot of stuff is just way too sensitive to remain stored in a hard drive or CAT tool memory.
[Edited at 2009-0... See more I wonder how many end clients, if told that translators retained copies of their non-public contracts, agreements, financial statements, legal papers, etc., would request that they be deleted? Some would be ok with it, others may not.
I see no problem with saving some documents, such as patents and product manuals, that are in the public domain, but a lot of stuff is just way too sensitive to remain stored in a hard drive or CAT tool memory.
[Edited at 2009-01-04 16:47 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 00:16
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Unless asked to delete them | Jan 5, 2009 |
I keep client file backups on an external disk; i.e., all work is classified under the client file, as per the month they were invoiced and the year. This facilitates answering client inquiries when I have to travel, for instance on interpreting assignments.
You'll probably think this is unnecessary, but try being asked about a file when you're halfway around the world from your usual computer. I paid 500 eu for the lesson and have literally saved thousands more since then.
... See more I keep client file backups on an external disk; i.e., all work is classified under the client file, as per the month they were invoiced and the year. This facilitates answering client inquiries when I have to travel, for instance on interpreting assignments.
You'll probably think this is unnecessary, but try being asked about a file when you're halfway around the world from your usual computer. I paid 500 eu for the lesson and have literally saved thousands more since then.
I am also under the impression that my clients consider it part of my responsibility to keep these files organized. They don't usually ask for every bit, but when they do, it's usually critical. ▲ Collapse
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