Poll: Have you ever purchased/subscribed to work-related software which you then did not use?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Mar 4, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever purchased/subscribed to work-related software which you then did not use?".

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Fullevend
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 23:24
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Never Mar 4, 2020

The paid software I use and renew regularly are MemoQ and Office 365, in addition to ProZ's annual fee.
Sometimes a potential client shows up with job proposals, require sign-up documents, etc., and when everything is settled, they "offer" a paid software or platform that is necessary for you to work with them. This is the point where you find out it's scam and forget about that client for good. They are selling their software, not a partnership. Serious agencies never charge for any softw
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The paid software I use and renew regularly are MemoQ and Office 365, in addition to ProZ's annual fee.
Sometimes a potential client shows up with job proposals, require sign-up documents, etc., and when everything is settled, they "offer" a paid software or platform that is necessary for you to work with them. This is the point where you find out it's scam and forget about that client for good. They are selling their software, not a partnership. Serious agencies never charge for any software you must use to work for them.
Other than those, there are several other paid software that could be helpful, but there is usually an equivalent free of charge as well. All we have to do is some searching.
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Fullevend
Thaiane Assumpção
Vladimir Jovanovski (X)
 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 03:24
Member (2016)
English to German
Other Mar 4, 2020

Almost 10 years ago, I purchased a certain speech recognition software. Unfortunately, their license activation system sucked so bad that I was prevented from using the software when I needed it ... so I ended up using a cracked version instead.
I kept using the cracked version, as it was more dependable than the paid-for version (eventhough I had paid for the software).


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 22:24
Spanish to English
+ ...
Both Trados and Wordfast Mar 4, 2020

About 15 years ago, I purchased both Trados and Wordfast. I quickly found that I did not have the combination of patience and aptitude to quickly learn to use these programs on my own; I wasn't willing to invest the time and money in contracting someone to teach me how to use them; and - most decisively - I simply preferred to do other things with my time.

So, a tremendous waste of money.


writeaway
Tom in London
Jennifer White
Mónica Algazi
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Yes Mar 4, 2020

I made the foolish decision to purchase MSOffice for Mac 2016 (the latest version available) only to discover that it is WORSE than the earlier versions, which fortunately I still have.

 
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 03:24
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Cafetran Mar 4, 2020

... because it is far away from being intuitiv. Would need external training. But as an open-heart surgery, with ongoing jobs, no way.

 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 20:24
Dutch to English
+ ...
No but... Mar 4, 2020

I have never purchased a program I don't use at all but with some I only use one particular feature of it.

Philip Lees
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 03:24
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
No - I am too stubborn! Mar 4, 2020

I can understand colleagues' frustration with Trados, but I was employed when I first had to use it, and then my employer gave me a license as a parting 'present' when I went freelance. The firm was my biggest client for several years, so Trados was a necessary evil!

I had a lot of trouble with it, but I am stubborn - I was not going to let this thing defeat me! I paid for workshops with a colleague, and that really was money well spent. He was not employed by Trados, and was quite
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I can understand colleagues' frustration with Trados, but I was employed when I first had to use it, and then my employer gave me a license as a parting 'present' when I went freelance. The firm was my biggest client for several years, so Trados was a necessary evil!

I had a lot of trouble with it, but I am stubborn - I was not going to let this thing defeat me! I paid for workshops with a colleague, and that really was money well spent. He was not employed by Trados, and was quite critical of it, but he could tame it and show others how to reap benefits from it.

He also discovered that I had a faulty dongle - it was really not my fault when Trados crashed unpredictably, and once the dongle worked properly, I never looked back.

I also owe a great deal to the former moderator on this site, Jerzy Czopik, who spent a lot of time helping people to solve problems with Trados in the forums. THANK YOU, Jerzy!

At one time I bought Wordfast and used it as a backup. I did use it, but when the time came to renew the license, I did not bother, I just stayed with Trados.
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Gibril Koroma
Gibril Koroma  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 22:24
French to English
+ ...
No Mar 4, 2020

If I don't need it or don't know how to use it I will not buy it. If it is a complex and complicated tool I will undergo the training first before buying it.
By the way I found Wordfast quite easy to use. Trados is not very easy but can be conquered.


 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 03:24
Member
English to French
Oh yes Mar 5, 2020

15-20 years ago I used to experiment: term extraction software, integrated dictionaries, Multiterm, even standalone MT...
And like a spoiled child with his new toys, I'd put them in some remote cupboard after deciding they'd require too much effort/bring too little or no added productivity.
Nowadays, I can't be bothered or interested and keep using 10+-year old software.
But I have Trados 2019, which is about as useful to me as a toothpick to a hedgehog, and its only benefit is
... See more
15-20 years ago I used to experiment: term extraction software, integrated dictionaries, Multiterm, even standalone MT...
And like a spoiled child with his new toys, I'd put them in some remote cupboard after deciding they'd require too much effort/bring too little or no added productivity.
Nowadays, I can't be bothered or interested and keep using 10+-year old software.
But I have Trados 2019, which is about as useful to me as a toothpick to a hedgehog, and its only benefit is for me to be able to state I own it in exchanges with potential clients.

I no longer seem to have the time or the wish to play around with anything on a computer. No more Carmageddon sessions either, by the way.

Philippe

Edit: and this Encyclopaedia Universalis on DVDs some years ago… I've never managed to activate it!

[Edited at 2020-03-05 10:08 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 03:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TO3000 Mar 5, 2020

ProZ.com Staff wrote:
Have you ever purchased/subscribed to work-related software which you then did not use?


Yes, I bought TO3000, but I never used it for more than about 10 minutes, despite the best of intentions.

I almost bought WordFisher, but then settled on Wordfast instead.


 
Hans Lenting
Hans Lenting
Netherlands
Member (2006)
German to Dutch
@Matthias Mar 5, 2020

Matthias Brombach wrote:

... because it is far away from being intuitiv. Would need external training.


Though I agree that it will take you quite some time and effort to learn the finesse of CafeTran Espresso, I think that this tool is as 'intuitive' as the market leaders. Perhaps even a little more.

That having said, I can understand that when you migrate from one of these other CAT tools, the approach that CafeTran Espresso takes, will be quite different. But this hasn't to do with 'intuitiveness' per se–it's more a matter of habits.

On topic:

The software that I once bought but never used was ABBYY FineReader for Mac. I simply don't have the time to OCR large technical documents.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Intuitive Mar 5, 2020

"Intuitive" should mean that you don't need a manual and there is no learning process. You learn how to use the software as you go, by working with it. I've never yet found a CAT tool that has been designed that way. All the ones I've tried stop me, and prevent me from getting on with my work. An intuitive CAT tool would be one that fits right in and helps you to work in your usual way, instead of forcing you to find out how it works, and requiring you to adapt your working method to suit it. ... See more
"Intuitive" should mean that you don't need a manual and there is no learning process. You learn how to use the software as you go, by working with it. I've never yet found a CAT tool that has been designed that way. All the ones I've tried stop me, and prevent me from getting on with my work. An intuitive CAT tool would be one that fits right in and helps you to work in your usual way, instead of forcing you to find out how it works, and requiring you to adapt your working method to suit it. I just haven't got the time.

As to ABBBY: I find it very useful, but only occasionally.

[Edited at 2020-03-05 10:18 GMT]
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Poll: Have you ever purchased/subscribed to work-related software which you then did not use?






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