| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | fallibility is not sinful! Thread poster: Marcus Malabad
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It\'s funny how some people, when seeing that they have given an off-the-mark answer to a posted Kudoz, or have compared their answer to subsequent answers and recognize theirs to be inferior, post haste obliterate their answer by clicking on that \'hide\' button and, voila, they have not given an answer at all, much less an answer leaking at the seams.
Little do they know that others can still see their answers (moderators, for example).
I say there is ... See more It\'s funny how some people, when seeing that they have given an off-the-mark answer to a posted Kudoz, or have compared their answer to subsequent answers and recognize theirs to be inferior, post haste obliterate their answer by clicking on that \'hide\' button and, voila, they have not given an answer at all, much less an answer leaking at the seams.
Little do they know that others can still see their answers (moderators, for example).
I say there is no need to hide incorrect answers. I, for one, will not consider you any less of a translator for exhibiting your fundamantal humanity.
Fallibility need not be brushed under the carpet. Snow White too eventually had to drift.
And what is often the case in our search for the apt expression, the correct word, the right translation: wrong answers lead others to the right path and the truth is discovered.
Let your fallibility shine and be the compass arrow that points to true north!
Marcus
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| | | | | proz as learning ground | Mar 9, 2002 |
I agree with Marcus\' comments. When searching for the \'right\' translation we often realise that the answer we have given is not the best. The comments of other peers often channel us off into another direction where we can find what we have been looking for. There is no shame in giving a \'wrong\'answer. Personally, I have never hidden one of my wrong answers. Proz is very much a learning forum. At the end of the day the asker chooses the answer anyway
| | | | Mary Lalevee 
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:50
French to English
As I had to look up the spelling of fallibility, I agree that this is something we all are! It is interesting to see answers to queries, whether \"right\" or \"wrong\" - what may be a wrong answer in one context may be right in another.. and it all helps the learning process. That\'s one great thing about translation - there\'s always more to learn, and colleagues\' help is always appreciated.
| | | | bochkor
Local time: 04:50
English to German
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| I totally agree | Mar 9, 2002 |
Although I\'m not one of those, who later go back and hide their not-so-good KudoZ translations, I certainly agree that even a suggestion, an idea to move you in the right direction can be helpful. After all, KudoZ is about helping out, correct? We just make some points on the side, too, if we can. That\'s how I see it. Of course, I have given mistaken answers before or even acknowledged that someone else\'s suggestion is better, than mine. That\'s normal.
The only thing I f... See more Although I\'m not one of those, who later go back and hide their not-so-good KudoZ translations, I certainly agree that even a suggestion, an idea to move you in the right direction can be helpful. After all, KudoZ is about helping out, correct? We just make some points on the side, too, if we can. That\'s how I see it. Of course, I have given mistaken answers before or even acknowledged that someone else\'s suggestion is better, than mine. That\'s normal.
The only thing I find hard is to be the first, because often you have only a few seconds to write and post it, before someone else does, because people react so fast and writing the same version you wanted to write. This gives you sometimes less time to think about it or look it up in a dictionary (or the web), so you lose, but that\'s okay, there\'ll be another chance soon. Of course, sometimes I figure, this must be difficult for anyone, so let\'s do a proper research on this, I have time.
And if I\'m simply mistaken and someone criticizes me, that\'s fine. I may get a flaming today, but I have learned from it, so tomorrow I\'ll know (how to translate that particular one correctly) and won\'t make that mistake again.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-03-09 10:53 ] ▲ Collapse
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mckinnc
Local time: 10:50
French to English
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| I don't agree with your assumption about why this is done | Mar 9, 2002 |
Personally I think that\'s fair enough if the answerer feels his answer might not be helpful to the asker. Sometimes it\'s possible to answer in haste and then to realize you have misread the question.
| | | | | I totally agree with Colin | Mar 9, 2002 |
Though some people may answer only to get KudoZ or \"show off\", there are others who do care about the asker. And anyone with a minimum sense of responsibility will delete an incorrect answer. Not ouf of shame but out of respect and compromise.
| | | | | Too busy to switch! | Mar 9, 2002 |
I\'m too busy doing translations and/or trying to produce a good answer for the next question to go back and quash all my dumb answers.
| | | | | Everyone is right! | Mar 9, 2002 |
Yes, at times an answer that is not totally correct can steer the asker towards the right track. But I also agree with Colin and Bertha. Sometimes when we read the other answers, we realize our suggestion was totally out to lunch--perhaps we misunderstod. We owe it to the asker to hide our misleading answer; what if s/he were to pick our answer as the right one? It\'s not just hypothetical; I\'m sure we all have seen cases where a completely wrong answer was chosen, although other right ones wer... See more Yes, at times an answer that is not totally correct can steer the asker towards the right track. But I also agree with Colin and Bertha. Sometimes when we read the other answers, we realize our suggestion was totally out to lunch--perhaps we misunderstod. We owe it to the asker to hide our misleading answer; what if s/he were to pick our answer as the right one? It\'s not just hypothetical; I\'m sure we all have seen cases where a completely wrong answer was chosen, although other right ones were given. ▲ Collapse
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Bob Kerns (X)
Germany
Local time: 10:50
German to English
| Add a note rather than hide the question | Mar 9, 2002 |
I too have made suggestions which I later realised were way off the mark. Rather than then hiding the answer it\'s always possible to add a note to it, stating that it should be ignored, and then support the \"better\" answers from other members with \"agrees\" and appropriate comments.
| | | | Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 04:50
German to English
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Quote:
On 2002-03-09 15:09, Bertha wrote:
Though some people may answer only to get KudoZ or \"show off\", there are others who do care about the asker. And anyone with a minimum sense of responsibility will delete an incorrect answer. Not ouf of shame but out of respect and compromise.
Fully agree. And the heading should be changed to \"Fallibility is not always sinful\" (because it can be if it gets ou... See more Quote:
On 2002-03-09 15:09, Bertha wrote:
Though some people may answer only to get KudoZ or \"show off\", there are others who do care about the asker. And anyone with a minimum sense of responsibility will delete an incorrect answer. Not ouf of shame but out of respect and compromise.
Fully agree. And the heading should be changed to \"Fallibility is not always sinful\" (because it can be if it gets out of hand, as it repeatedly does  ). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Pilar T. Bayle (X)
Local time: 10:50
English to Spanish
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| :-) I believe I have done it only once... | Mar 9, 2002 |
And I hid it because although incorrect, it was getting a lot of peer grading and I didn\'t think it was fair to the ones that were right. My fallibility goes with me everywhere and I don\'t mind. I do mind the asker getting a wrong answer.
P.
| | | | John Kinory (X)
Local time: 09:50
English to Hebrew
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| Agree with Pilar and Robert | Mar 9, 2002 |
Quote:
On 2002-03-09 18:27, pbayle wrote:
And I hid it because although incorrect, it was getting a lot of peer grading and I didn\'t think it was fair to the ones that were right. My fallibility goes with me everywhere and I don\'t mind. I do mind the asker getting a wrong answer.
I have answered and then realised I was wrong by a mile. And sometimes I received Agrees from people who were equ... See more Quote:
On 2002-03-09 18:27, pbayle wrote:
And I hid it because although incorrect, it was getting a lot of peer grading and I didn\'t think it was fair to the ones that were right. My fallibility goes with me everywhere and I don\'t mind. I do mind the asker getting a wrong answer.
I have answered and then realised I was wrong by a mile. And sometimes I received Agrees from people who were equally misled. I have no wish to see the asker to be misled too, and suffer as a result.
Colin is right: the initial assumption that started this thread is incorrect in many cases.
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Mats Wiman
Sweden
Local time: 10:50
Member (2000)
German to Swedish
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Дурсгалд зориулав | Not so perfect answers are always welcome! | Mar 9, 2002 |
It is not a sin or shameful to try to help an asker even if one is not 100% sure that one\'s answer is absolutely correct.
Some maintain it\'s sinful to try to help when you do it in a language which is not your native or \"dominant\" language.
If that is a sin, I am a great sinner!
To be honest, the situation is this:
Most askers are in dire need of help.
A suggestion is, at least, a step/indicator/impulse/stimulus in the right direction.
... See more It is not a sin or shameful to try to help an asker even if one is not 100% sure that one\'s answer is absolutely correct.
Some maintain it\'s sinful to try to help when you do it in a language which is not your native or \"dominant\" language.
If that is a sin, I am a great sinner!
To be honest, the situation is this:
Most askers are in dire need of help.
A suggestion is, at least, a step/indicator/impulse/stimulus in the right direction.
With today\'s number of KudoZ helpers the asker will in most cases get a very good answer.
Less and less a bad answer slips through.
Marcus is right: No need to hide a not so good answer.
Colin and Bertha are also right: If you have realised, that your answer could mislead the asker (as said: less and less likely) THEN you should hide your answer.
Hope this wraps it up!
Mats
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-03-09 20:13 ]
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-03-09 20:25 ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I once wished I had done it..... | Mar 10, 2002 |
Quote:
On 2002-03-09 18:27, pbayle wrote:
And I hid it because although incorrect, it was getting a lot of peer grading and I didn\'t think it was fair to the ones that were right. My fallibility goes with me everywhere and I don\'t mind. I do mind the asker getting a wrong answer.
P.
Now, I know the KudoZ section is not a playground. One day, however, being in an inapprop... See more Quote:
On 2002-03-09 18:27, pbayle wrote:
And I hid it because although incorrect, it was getting a lot of peer grading and I didn\'t think it was fair to the ones that were right. My fallibility goes with me everywhere and I don\'t mind. I do mind the asker getting a wrong answer.
P.
Now, I know the KudoZ section is not a playground. One day, however, being in an inappropriatly playful mood, I indicated that a phrase actually was a quote from a poem. Not knowing the degree of involvement that some members might express, I pasted the whole poem.
The first message I got started with: \"Don\'t you think I was aware of that?\".
Hiding can be a very good method of self-preservation. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Still, there is no need to hide | Mar 10, 2002 |
Quote:
On 2002-03-09 15:09, Bertha wrote:
Though some people may answer only to get KudoZ or \"show off\", there are others who do care about the asker. And anyone with a minimum sense of responsibility will delete an incorrect answer. Not ouf of shame but out of respect and compromise.
Indeed. Still you can signal your mistake in other ways.
Yesterday, I blundered badly: \"truffle\" instead o... See more Quote:
On 2002-03-09 15:09, Bertha wrote:
Though some people may answer only to get KudoZ or \"show off\", there are others who do care about the asker. And anyone with a minimum sense of responsibility will delete an incorrect answer. Not ouf of shame but out of respect and compromise.
Indeed. Still you can signal your mistake in other ways.
Yesterday, I blundered badly: \"truffle\" instead of \"trifle\" for a dessert. What I did, I went back and added a note under add, in big letter saying that I was wrong. And/or else, I go back and agree with other answers.
Marcus, I totally agree that fallibility is not a sin. Well put, and a great reminder.
ciao
paola l m
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