ProZ.com frequently asked questions


Terminology/term help

Main

  • 1 - Terminology/term help


  • 2 - KudoZ


    You may also be interested in:

  • a brief introduction to KudoZ

  • your KudoZ dashboard-- managing your notifications for KudoZ

  • how KudoZ PRO points can boost your directory ranking

  • the new Glossary-building KudoZ (GBK)



  • 2.1 - KudoZ: general

  • 1.1 - KudoZ гэж юу вэ?

    KudoZ нь олон нийтийн нэр томьёоны сүлжээ юм. Үндсэн хоёр хүрээтэй: "тусламж" KudoZ ба "тайлбар толь бүтээх" KudoZ. Хоёулаа нийтлэг бүрэлдэхүүнтэй боловч өөр өөр зорилттой байдаг:

    * "тусламж" KudoZ -оор ProZ.com хэрэглэгчид хэцүү нэр томьёог орчуулахад бие биедээ болон зочидод үнэгүй туслалцаа үзүүлж болно. Тусламж хүсэгч асуултаа тавиад, хүлээн авсан хариултуудын дотроос "хамгийн тустай" -г сонгоно. Та дэлгэрэнгүй мэдээллийг flash introduction -аас аваарай. Энэ төрлийн KudoZ нь асуугчад туслахыг чухалчилдаг. Урьд нийтлэсэн орчуулгын санал болголт бүхий нэр томьёоны архив байгаа эсэх нь нэмэлт давуулагт тооцогдоно.

    [...]


  • 1.2 - Glossary of KudoZ terms


    Question: The request for help posted by the asker, including at least a language pair, a field of expertise, a term and context information.

    Action buttons: Buttons located below the question that offer users access to several areas described below. The buttons are:




    Answer: Reply in the target language to the asked term, including at least the translation of the term, an explanation and the answerer's confidence level.

    Reference comment: This area is accessed with the "Post reference" button and should be used to provide information which is not in itself an answer, but which may be helpful to either the asker or other answerers. The information submitted in this way will not be subject to consideration as "best" or "most helpful", and points will not be received.

    Discussion area: This area is accessed with the "Post discussion" button and should be used for requests and additional exchanges of context information and for linguistic discussions on the question. This area should not be used to comment on answers (see rule 3.4 ) or on participants see rule 3.7). In GBK it also allows participation of users who do not meet the criteria to answer.

    Grading: The process by which the asker reviews the suggestions and awards points to the answerer who provided the translation deemed by the asker to be the most useful.

    Peer comment: A comment made by a site user concerning his agreement or disagreement with a translation suggested by a peer. Peer comments must be based on linguistic considerations and said considerations must be provided in case of disagree or neutral comments. This is the only valid way to comment on a KudoZ answer.

    Asker: A person in need of translation assistance who posts a term or phrase, providing context and the desired target language.

    Answerer: A site user who provides an answer to a KudoZ question.

    Reference poster: A site user who provides a reference comment.

    KudoZ editors: Non-moderator site users who have been given the right to perform some editing functions on KudoZ questions.



  • 1.3 - "Тусламж" KudoZ -ыг хэрхэн ашиглах вэ?

    "Тусламж" KudoZ нь гурван үе шатыг хамрана:
    (1) Орчуулгын туслалцаа хүсэгч лавлах нэр томьёо болон үг хэллэгээ хам сэдэв, хөрвүүлэх хэлтэй нь нийтлэнэ.
    (2) Вэбсайтын хэрэглэгч орчуулга санал болгоно; лавлагаа, тайлбарыг өгнө.
    (3) Асуугч саналыг хянаад, 1 -ээс 4 хүртэлх оноог хамгийн тустай, хамгийн оновчтой орчуулга санал болгосон гэж үзсэн хариулагчид олгоно.


  • 1.4 - KudoZ оноо юунд хэрэгтэй вэ?

    Зарим үйлчлүүлэгчид KudoZ оноог ашиглан илүү туршлагатай орчуулагчдыг хайж олдог. Тухайлбал, хэрэв танд ангаах ухааны туршлагатай орчуулагч хэрэгтэй бол анагаах ухааны асуултад хариулан 300 оноо авсан орчуулагч таны ашиг сонирхолд магадгүй нийцэх байх.


  • 1.5 - How are KudoZ points updated?

    KudoZ point totals shown in some places throughout the site are updated once daily, whereas those in other places are updated in real time. So there can be temporary discrepancies, but correction is made when all points are counted once per day.

    Members can force the system to update in real time the points in their profiles. Go to your KudoZ points summary page and click on "Update points totals now".


  • 1.6 - Do I earn any KudoZ points by answering KudoZ questions?

    No. KudoZ points are only earned if one of your answer to any KudoZ question is selected by the asker or automatically by the system based on peer agreement.


  • 1.7 - KudoZ -д ямар дүрмээр оролцох вэ?

    KudoZ -ын дүрмийг эндээс хараарай: General rules, Rules for asking and Rules for answering and making peer comments


  • 1.8 - Can friends, family members or close associates participate in my KudoZ questions or answers?

    Participation in KudoZ questions, particularly using the peer comment system to "boost" an answer, or in asking and answering to gain KudoZ points, should not be carried out among the profiles of friends, family or close associates, in order to maintain a certain level of transparency in the KudoZ arena. In cases where interacting profiles are shown to be of this type, a mutual block may be applied to the profiles (this blocks the interaction between specific profiles only, not participation in KudoZ at large) to ensure fairness.

    See also general site rule 2 for more on why this policy may be enforced.

    Access to networking features, which potentially affect other members, may be modified or revoked at the discretion of the ProZ.com team. In particular, KudoZ interaction between profiles may be blocked at the discretion of site staff at any time as a safeguard to preserve the positive, results-oriented atmosphere of KudoZ.


  • 1.9 - KudoZ -ын дүрэм зөрчигдвөл би яах ёстой вэ?

    Хэрэв та KudoZ rules зөрчигдөхийг анзаарсан бол тухайн хэлний хослолын модераторт уг асуудлыг мэдүүлэх хэрэгтэй. Модераторуудын жагсаалтыг дараах хуудсаас харна уу here.


  • 1.10 - What is the logic behind the KudoZ categories?

    KudoZ questions can be categorized using a field list with about 100 entries. The list, which was created statistically from subject areas entered in free text by ProZ.com users, is somewhat fuzzy on purpose. For example, because one member might think "auto" while another thinks "cars", both category names are made available in the list.

    Note that although "twin" categories such as these appear separately in the list of fields, they get entered into the database in the same way. So it does not matter which you select—just pick the first category that fits your term.

    A tip: in most browsers, once you are in the select list, you can simply hit the letter of the category you have in mind ("c" for "cars") until you get the category you want.


  • 1.11 - "тусламж" асуулт үнэлэгдээгүй бол яах вэ?

    Хэрэв "тусламж" асуултад хариулсан боловч гурав хоноод хаагдаагүй бол, үнэлгээ өгөхийг сануулсан имэйлийг асуугчид илгээх болно. Хэрэв дөрвөн сануулт илгээгдсэний дараа асуулт мөн л нээлттэй байвал (2 долоо хоногийн турш) хамгийн шилдэг хариултыг автоматаар шалгаруулах болно.
    [...]


  • 1.12 - Are askers able to close a question without awarding points?

    Yes. An asker may choose to do this when s/he has asked a question in error (misspelled term, etc.), when no answer was deemed helpful, when a better term was found elsewhere (and no answer was deemed helpful), or in other cases.


  • 1.13 - How often do askers close questions without awarding points?

    Less than 5% of the time.


  • 1.14 - Where can I find a list of my previous questions and answers?

    Go to your profile page and click on the KudoZ tab. Members will also see the option to force an update of their KudoZ points here.


  • 1.15 - Can I see questions in language pairs not reported in my profile?

    Yes. You can see KudoZ questions in all language pairs by clicking on See more languages in the KudoZ questions page.


  • 1.16 - Under what conditions will a KudoZ question be removed?

    There are about ten possible reasons why a KudoZ questions would be removed ("squashed"). For a discussion of these reasons, see: this article.

    In exceptional cases, where the the grading or closing process of a question has not been clear, staff may choose to remove the question. This does not assume any wrongdoing on the part of those participating in the question, but is done for the sake of transparency.


  • 1.17 - What information can I see about a KudoZ asker?

    If you move your mouse over the asker's picture in a KudoZ question you will see a mouse-over message similar to the one pictured below:



    The following definitions apply:

    * Questions: the amount of questions posted by the asker.

    * Open: questions that remain open and have at least an answer not hidden and not declined by the asker.

    * Without valid answers: questions that remain open and that received no answers, or that received answers that were hidden, or declined by the asker.

    * Closed without grading: questions that were closed without grading by the asker after having received at least one answer not hidden.

    Squashed questions are not included in these statistics. If you want to get more information on the asker, a click on the asker's link will take you to the asker's profile.


  • 1.18 - "Vote PRO", "Vote non-PRO" товчлуурууд ямар үүрэгтэй вэ?

    In a "help" KudoZ question marked as PRO, participants may vote to have the question marked as non-PRO, and vice versa. Moderators and KudoZ editors have a single vote, like any other user of the site.

    Non-PRO questions are those that can be answered by any bilingual person without the aid of a dictionary. All other questions are PRO. "Glossary-building" KudoZ questions are always PRO and can't be voted into non-PRO.

    Three votes for either PRO or non-PRO are required to reclassify a question for the first time, and after that it will reverse its status as soon as there are more votes for the change than against it.

    For instance a question asked as non-PRO will require three votes to turn it into PRO (voting 3-0). At this point the button will change to "vote non-PRO" and four votes will turn it into non-PRO (voting 4-3). After that it will take two votes to change the question again in either sense (voting 5-4, 6-5, etc.).

    If you have fewer than twenty (20) KudoZ PRO points, you will not see this option.

    Access to the voting feature may be limited or revoked at the discretion of ProZ.com staff.


  • 1.19 - When posting my question I selected by mistake the wrong level (PRO, non-PRO). What can I do?

    You should submit a support request to have this issue addressed by staff.


  • 1.20 - I think my point total should have gone up by more today.

    If you are a member, it is possible to force the system to update your points in real time. Go to your KudoZ points summary page and click on Update points totals now. If you are a registered user, any discrepancy in your point total is likely to be corrected within 24 hours.

    To check whether or not you have been awarded points for a specific question, check the KudoZ answering history in your profile.


  • 1.21 - One of my KudoZ point totals dropped. How is this possible?

    It is possible for select point totals (overall, PRO, by field or by period) to go down. Factors that could cause this:

    - A question for which you earned points was squashed or ungraded
    - A PRO question for which you earned points was reclassified as non-PRO (thereby decreasing your PRO total and increasing your non-PRO total)
    - A question for which you have earned points is reclassified in another field of expertise (raising your total in one field and decreasing it in another)
    - Time passes (potentially causing your point total over the last three months to drop)

    If you are wondering specifically about the 8 answers for which you earned points yesterday, you can check your profile answering history. Each should be shown with the points you have earned.


  • 1.22 - How can I change what appears on my KudoZ points summary on my profile page?

    Users can elect to hide certain types of KudoZ points from their summary from this page: http://www.proz.com/pro/?show_mode=kudoz&sub_mode=summary


  • 1.23 - What do the "ok" and "no" under the the "Gloss" (glossary) column in my KudoZ activity section indicate?



    The "ok" indicates that a glossary entry derived from the KudoZ question has been entered into the glossary.

    On the other hand, the "no" indicates that no glossary entry has been entered.


  • 1.24 - I had to create a new profile. Can I merge my points from the previous profile?

    Yes, if you are a member, support staff can do this for you. Note that not just your points, but your entire KudoZ history (asking, peer comments, notes, etc.) will be merged. You will no longer have access to the old profile.

    To get your profiles merged, submit a support request asking staff to merge your KudoZ history *from* a specific profile *to* a specific profile. Identify the profiles by number if possible (username will do if you do not know the numbers.)

    In your support request, write that you understand that the action is irreversible, and that you will no longer have access to the profile from which the history is moved.

    To repeat, this option is available to members only.


  • 1.25 - How can I prevent the ProZ.com term search from transliterating diacritics and accented characters?

    In some cases, the ProZ.com term search provides a limited ability to transliterate diacritics and accented characters (for example, a search for the term "publica" may return results containing "pública" as well). To disable this feature, select the "match exact phrase" option.


  • 1.26 - How can I enter a discussion entry?

    To enter a discussion entry you should click on the "Post discussion" button. A form will show to allow you to post a title and the body of your entry. These fields are limited to 50 and 1200 characters respectively (there is a counter to tell you how many characters you have left for the main field). There is a preview option and buttons for submitting the entry and for canceling the operation.



    Once your discussion entry has been entered, you will be able to edit it during the first 24 hours, or to delete it any time, by clicking on the icons displayed on the top right corner of the entry.


  • 1.27 - I suggest requiring payment for participation in KudoZ. This would boost quality.

    There are not currently any plans to restrict the use of KudoZ to members, or to require additional payment for participation in KudoZ. However, the option is provided to set viewing and notifications preferences in such a way that you only see questions from members. Also, when you ask, it is possible to specify a preference that answerers be members.


  • 1.28 - Are KudoZ questions indexed by search engines?

    Yes. As with the public forums, KudoZ questions are indexed by search engines.

    Keep in mind that this can (and should) work in your favor. A series of excellent KudoZ answers, or of helpful, professional forum posts, boost your web visibility to potential clients, and may also give them a further means of evaluating you as a translator and as a professional.


  • 1.29 - What do the time references next to the confidence level and in the peer section indicate?

    They indicate the time elapsed from the moment the question was asked until the other action "answer", "peer comment" took place. The times shown are measured in relation to moment the question was asked.


  • 1.30 - Can the asker enter in the glossary a term different from the one suggested in the selected question?

    Yes. Points are (or should be) given to the most helpful answer, while the best possible term should be entered in the glossary, even if it was not suggested by the answerer who won the points.

    Imagine for instance that you ask for a difficult technical term and get several similar alternatives, but one of the answers provided a very clear explanation that helped you understand the meaning of the term and its usage. Then you could pick another of the alternatives, and still consider this the most helpful answer.

    It is also possible for askers to find the best term on their own and enter a term that was suggested in none of the answers provided, but still select a most helpful answer.


  • 1.31 - A user in my sub-community regularly posts bad answers and they are sometimes selected and I am concerned that the glossary will deteriorate. Many valuable colleagues are of the same opinion and several of them have abandoned KudoZ. What can be done?

    The system includes the "disagree" feature. If answers considered invalid receive several disagrees based on linguistic (not personal) comments, then the amount of "bad" answers is likely to be reduced.


  • 1.32 - I was the first to provide the right answer to a KudoZ question and then other user provided the same answer adding few more explanations and received the points (instead of agreeing to my answer). Is this allowed?

    Askers have the right to select the answers they consider most helpful to their questions.
    There is nothing wrong in taking the time to provide the best possible answer, including references and explanations, even if a term has been already suggested. Limiting this right would turn KudoZ into a race to post a term with little or no explanations, and it would discourage better researched and more complete answers.


  • 1.33 - How does the first validated answer mode work?

    Askers have the option of asking questions in "first validated answer" (FVA) mode. When the FVA option is selected, instead of multiple answers being submitted and the asker selecting the one that is most helpful, the goal is for one correct translation to be agreed upon by the answerer community. An FVA question is therefore considered closed as soon as one answer gets two net agrees (in top pairs, two net agrees must come from users who meet the criteria for the question).

    The effect for askers is that they can ask a question, and some time later be sent an answer that has been validated. It is considered that this option to "leave the decision to the pros" may appeal to some askers, particularly those who do not speak the target language. Various other possibilities may also be presented by this new approach.

    Note that FVA questions are always not-for-points, and that they are targeted at those who work in the language pair, have expressed at least an interest in the selected field, and are native in the target language when the question is in a top pair. (However, others are not prevented from answering.)


  • 1.34 - What are AI-generated KudoZ answers?

    AI-generated KudoZ answers are automatic answers generated by AI technology, in this case, by ChatGPT. This answers are marked as such within the answer itself.


  • 1.35 - How are AI KudoZ answers generated?

    Most AI technology brings information back by means of prompts. Think of prompts like instructions you give to the AI. When you ask a question or tell it something, that's your prompt. In order to generate a KudoZ answer, we send ChatGPT three different prompts: one to get a proposed translation of the source term taking into account the information supplied by the asker (languages, fields, contect), one to obtain an explanation of the proposed translation that also includes sample sentences, and a last one to get confidence level information (i.e. to know how confident the AI feels about its proposed translation). Once this information is returned by the AI, a KudoZ answer is automatically built with it and posted together with the question (provided the asker has selected the AI-generated answer option).


  • 1.36 - Who posts AI-generated answers?

    AI answers are generated and posted automatically when an askers select this option in the KudoZ question form:


  • 1.37 - Are askers notified of AI-generated answers to their questions?

    No. For the time being, no email notification is sent for AI-generated answers.


  • 1.38 - Can KudoZ participants peer grade AI-generated answers?

    Yes, KudoZ participants are encouraged to agree or disagree (or remain neutral) with AI-generated KudoZ answers. Peer grades will count in the case of automatic grading. Click here for details about automatic grading.


  • 1.39 - Can KudoZ askers select AI-generated answers as the most helpful and award points to the AI?

    Yes, KudoZ askers can select an AI-generated answer as the most helpful one and award KudoZ points to the AI. These KudoZ points, however, will not be used to rank the AI profile in the directory. Click here to learn how KudoZ points count for directory ranking.


  • 1.40 - Do KudoZ points “earned” by the AI count for directory ranking?

    No. KudoZ points awarded to the AI for KudoZ answers selected as the most helpful will not count for directory placement.


  • 1.41 - What is the purpose of adding AI to KudoZ?

    The integration of AI into term help is thought as a supporting feature. If AI technology is available out there and language professionals are using it (in many different ways), why not include it in KudoZ and enable them to realize their full potential? ProZ.com provides tools and opportunities to its members. This is just another one of many. Click here to see a full list of membership benefits.


    • Main - Top


  • 2.2 - Asking

  • 2.1 - What constitutes "term help" as defined in rule http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_general/1.1#1.1 ?

    KudoZ questions can be used to ask for help on terms or idiomatic expressions.

    A group of words (up to approximately 10) should be posted in a single question only when they constitute an unbreakable unit, such as an idiomatic expression (e.g. 'a jack of all trades and master of none') that may be several words long and where omitting any part would not formulate the question correctly.

    Askers can also ask for help in understanding the meaning of a sentence, word order, pronunciation, a grammatical issue or the difference between two terms, but this should be done in the corresponding monolingual language pair. Monolingual KudoZ questions can be asked by selecting the same language for both source and target languages.


  • 2.2 - What is the meaning of "one term is allowed per question" in KudoZ rule 2.1?

    Unless they share a root or are otherwise related, terms should be posted separately--an asker should not ask how to say "apple" and "banana" in the same question. This means that a question such as "flotsam/jetsam/derelict" in a context of maritime law would be not valid, since the terms are independent and should posted in three separate questions. On the other hand, "the flotsam and jetsam of the inner city" would be OK, as the terms flotsam and jetsam are related in a unit of meaning. Other examples of valid KudoZ questions are: "screen / screening" (they share a root), "Many levels in this game were heavily tuned for smoothness" (terms related as a unit of meaning in a particular context).


  • 2.3 - Миний асууж болох асуултын тоо хязгаартай юу?

    Тийм. Таны өдөр тутмын хязгаар (24 цаг дотор хэмжсэн) таны гишүүнчлэлийн түвшинээс хамаарна. Хэрэв та ProZ.com -д бүртгүүлээгүй бол өдөрт нэг (1) асуулт асууж болно. Хэрэв та бүртгүүлсэн мөртөө гишүүн биш бол таван (5) асуулт асууж болно. Хэрэв та гишүүн бол арван таван (15) асуулт асууж болно. Түүнчлэн бүртгүүлсэн, гишүүн бус хүн долоо хоногт 20 асуулт, гишүүнчлэлтэй хүн 60 асуулт асууж болно. Хэрэв танд баталгаат хариулт хүлээн авсан ба нээгдээд долоо хоногоос илүү болсон хариулт арав (10) байвал та илүү асуулт асуух боломжгүй. Асуултуудаа урьдаар үнэлээд хаавал сая үргэлжлүүлэн асууж болно.


  • 2.4 - What happens if I ask questions beyond the daily or weekly limits?

    When you ask questions beyond the limits corresponding to your membership status, these extra questions are added to the KudoZ question queue and they will be made visible automatically when enough time has elapsed for the question to be within asking limits.

    When this happens you will see a message like the one depicted below, and clicking on the words question queue to see an estimate of when your questions will be made public.



    Members have higher limits and can request limit waivers via the support system.


  • 2.5 - Би аливаа төслийг дуусах үед л асуултуудаа асуух гээд байдаг. Ийм үед тавигдсан хязгаараас хэтэрч болох уу?

    Бид ихэнх хүмүүст өдрийн арван таван (15) асуулт хангалттай гэж боддог. Төслийн сүүлчийн хоёр өдөрт та нийт гучин (30) асуулт асууж болно. Хэрэв та гишүүн бөгөөд илүү асуулт асуух шаардлагатай бол Тусламжийн хэлтэсээс танд зуурын зөвшөөрөл олгохыг хүсч болно.


  • 2.6 - Can I post a question in more than one language pair?

    It is not possible to post a single question in different language pairs. However, several questions in different language pairs may be posted for a single term.


  • 2.7 - Can I ask a monolingual kudoz question?

    Yes, but there is not a specific section in the Kudoz area. What you have to do, if you want to ask a question in just one language (p.e.: English to English) is to go to Ask in the Kudoz tab. Then, in the form, click on 'See more languages'. You will see two lists where you can select the language you want twice. That way, it will be a monolingual question.


  • 2.8 - I am not sure whether a question should be classified as non-PRO or PRO. What is the difference?

    While there may be no way to draw a clear-cut line, the following definition has been adopted:

    Non-PRO questions are those that can be answered by any bilingual person without the aid of a dictionary. All other questions are PRO.

    When applying the above definitions, detach yourself from your own background/specialisation and think of a - hypothetical - randomly selected bilingual person. Is it likely that this person would be able to produce a good translation of the term or phrase in question (and in the particular context shown) from the top of his/her head? If not, it is a PRO question.

    There is an article article that discusses this in more detail.


  • 2.9 - What should I do if I don't have context to include in my KudoZ question?

    There is always some context to provide, such as information about the type of customer (an oil company? a plumber? a dentist? ), the type of document you are translating, the subject, etc.

    Even in the extreme case of posting an item in a list there is hope. Imagine a question posted as:


    Question: quolly
    Fields: Law/Patents - Other
    Context: It's in a list - (sorry but) no context available.


    Now with a deeper understanding of what context is and what purpose it serves, some questions may elicit useful information and, quite possibly, lead to a valid answer.

    For example:

    - What does the patent describe? And if it's a revolutionary ion engine for spacecraft, change the fields to Tech/Enginnering - Space/Aeronautics - Ion engine design.

    - What is the purpose of the list? There's a big difference of context between a list of engine parts and a list of tools used to assemble an engine.

    - What are the adjacent items in the list? Very often lists contain related terms, and to an expert the meaning of the obscure term may well be clear when seen along with the other items.

    - What is the country of origin of the text, and/or of its author? Words are often misused by non-native speakers.

    - Does the overall quality of the source text suggest the problem term is 'just another typo or scanno' in a text riddled with rubbish or is it, on the contrary, a real term that's probably being used correctly.

    Armed with that meaningful context we have a new question, such as:


    Question: quolly
    Fields: Tech/Enginnering - Space/Aeronautics - Ion engine design
    Context: It's in a list of tools used in the assembly of spacecraft engines, mentioned in the patent for a revolutionary ion engine.
    The rest of the text seems to be well-written by a native English-speaker (from a well-known manufacturing company in the UK), so I don't think it's an error in the source text.


    Of course, this doesn't guarantee there will be a valid answer, but at least that will not be for "no context".


  • 2.10 - Би нийтлэсэн асуултдаа дэлгэрэнгүй мэдээлэл нэмж болох уу? Засвар оруулж болох уу?

    Асуултыг засварлах боломжгүй, харин тайлбар нэмж болно. Асуултын хуудаст тусгай маягт илрэх болно. (Хэрэв та асуултынхаа ул мөрийг алдвал, холбоосыг нь имэйлээр баталгаажуулж авч болно.)


  • 2.11 - Can KudoZ askers direct their questions to specific site users?

    Yes. When posting a KudoZ question, askers are given the option to restrict their KudoZ questions by 1) profile information (native language, language pair and field) and 2) membership status. If the asker selects the option "Only ProZ.com members may answer" when posting his/her question, the "Answer" button will not be visible to non-members and the following message will show to them:

    The asker has directed this question specifically to ProZ.com users who:
    ... are ProZ.com members (You do not appear to be) Join ProZ.com >

    If the asker specifies a restriction connected with native language, level of expertise in the specified language pair or level of expertise in the field, those that do not meet these criteria will be informed of this, but still invited to post an answer:

    The asker has directed this question specifically to ProZ.com users who:
    ... have expressed interest in this pair (You have)
    ... report a "specialty" level of expertise in the subject field (You have not) [Edit]
    ... are native speakers of Tonga (Nya) or Nzima (You have not reported that you are) [Edit]
    Although you do not meet the criteria, you may suggest a translation if you like


  • 2.12 - Би асуултаа зөвхөн өөрийн таньдаг хүмүүст илгээж болох уу?

    Хэрэв та ProZ.com -ийн гишүүн (төлж буй) бол болно.


  • 2.13 - Асуултаа тодорхой хэсэг хүмүүст тавих ямар шалтгаан байж болох вэ?

    Олон KudoZ асуугчид ямар ProZ.com гишүүн ямар салбарт мэргэжсэн гэдгийг мэддэг. Тиймээс тэд нэр томьёоны асуултыг шууд тэдэнтэй зөвшилцөхөөр шийддэг. Ингэснээр үйл явцыг стандарт, хялбар болгодог бөгөөд санал болгосон орчуулгууд хожим лавлаж болохоор хадгалагддаг.


  • 2.14 - Асуултад хариулах зөвшөөрлийг зөвхөн тодорхой гишүүний ангилалд хязгаарлах ямар шалтгаан байж болох вэ?

    Асуугчид заримдаа тодорхой группуудаас үнэлгээ хүсдэг, жишээлбэл унаган хэлтэнүүд, аливаа салбарт ажиллагчид болон өөр бусад ProZ.com -ийн ангилалуудаас. Тус сонголтыг дэмжих чадамж бий.


  • 2.15 - If I ask a question privately, ie. restricting it to one of my teams, will it appear to others? Will it be searchable in the archives?

    If you are a member, you can opt to keep the term private indefinitely. If you are a registered user, you can opt to keep the term private for one month, after which time it will become public and searchable.

    Important note: bank-like security is not being employed in KudoZ, even for private questions. Sensitive terms should not be posted via KudoZ, even when using the privacy options.


  • 2.16 - I see a "squash" button under a KudoZ question I have posted, what does that mean?

    If you have posted a KudoZ term help question and it has not received an answer, you will have the option to "squash" or remove the question until it receives at least one answer. This allows users to remove mistakenly-posted questions without the assistance of a moderator or KudoZ editor.


  • 2.17 - How can I thank KudoZ answerers without declining or grading yet?

    You can click on the name of the person and write to them via the profile page. This causes an email to be sent.

    You will want to reference the KudoZ question by URL.


  • 2.18 - How do I grade my KudoZ question?

    In order to grade your KudoZ question, you must click on the link that reads "Select this answer as most helpful" within the answer box of the response that was most helpful. Once you click on the "Select this answer as most helpful" link, a window will pop up that will allow you to award your KudoZ points and enter the KudoZ term in your glossary, the KudoZ Open Glossary (KOG), or both.


  • 2.19 - I did not enter the term to the KOG at the time I graded my question, but I would like to enter it now. How can I do that?

    Simply click on the "gloss" button below the "Summary of answers provided" chart.


  • 2.20 - Can I grade my question less than 24 hours after posting it?

    KudoZ rule 2.10 recommends that askers allow at least twenty-four (24) hours to pass before closing a question.

    To select the most helpful answer, the asker clicks on the link in the selected answer:




    If less than 24 hours have elapsed since the question was posted, the following window will open:




    If the asker chooses to wait until 24 hours have elapsed since the question was posted, the question will remain open and it will be graded normally by the asker.

    If, on the other hand, the asker chooses to select the most helpful answer at this time, a new window will open to allow them to enter their preferences:




    This window will allow the asker to select the most helpful answer, to assign points to it and to post a grading comment. The asker also has the option to select and edit a glossary entry associated with this answer.

    If the asker does not select a glossary entry, the following message will be displayed:




    If the asker makes a glossary entry, the message will include the following information:




    Once this form is submitted, the question will remain open and new answers and peer comments can be added. About 72 hours after this submission, the system will grade the question in accordance with the following criteria:

    a) If none of the answers has a net peer grading (agrees minus disagrees) of 2 or more, then the option selected by the asker will be used.

    b) If at least one answer has a net peer grading higher than 1 and one of the answers has a net peer grading higher than the others, then this answer will be selected.

    c) If at least one answer has a net peer grading higher than 1 and two or more answers share the same top peer grading, the answer posted last will be selected. The logic behind this criterion is that all those agreed to the second answer have seen the first one and still voted for the second, therefore preferring the second answer, while those that voted for the first one may not have seen the second answer when voted.

    If the answer selected by the asker was chosen due to lack of votes or because the community voted for it, the amount of points, grading comment and (if entered) glossary entry selected by the asker will be chosen. If the asker did not make a glossary entry, one will be created automatically using the asked term and the suggested term.

    If a different answer from the one selected by the asker was chosen by the community, 4 points will be assigned to this answer and a glossary entry will be created using the asked term and the suggested term.

    After grading, the question will show the following message:



  • 2.21 - I lost my KudoZ email confirmation link, how can I grade my KudoZ question now?

    If you lost your KudoZ email confirmation link, you may retrieve another copy by either contacting support through the online ticket system and/or you may contact a moderator to have them resend the link to your email address. Remember, it is important that you send the KudoZ URL of your question when asking for another email confirmation.

    If you don't remember the KudoZ URL, and you weren't logged in when submitting the question, you will have to contact support online to have the question graded for you.


  • 2.22 - Can I award points to more than one answer?

    No, you may only select one "most helpful" answer. Dividing points among answerers has been considered previously, but discarded based on the relatively little benefit which would be gained, and the difficulty of implementing administration of points and such problems as dividing four points among three answers. A useful guideline for cases where you cannot decide on an answer is to choose the one which helped you most. In the case of two or more equally helpful answers, you may choose the first (things tend to even out for answerers over time.)


  • 2.23 - I closed a question without selecting a best answer. Can I reopen the question now?

    Yes, you should click on the UNCLOSE button. In case of doubt submit a support ticket.


  • 2.24 - How can I close a KudoZ question I have asked that has not been answered?

    On your question page, click the 'Grade' button. That will take you to the next page, where you should click the 'Close without grading' button. (credit: Mikhail Kropotov)


  • 2.25 - How can I stop receiving email reminders to grade my questions?

    Askers are sent email reminders to grade open KudoZ questions with eligible answers after 5, 7, 9, and 11 days have elapsed since the question was asked.

    To stop receiving these email reminders, the asker should do one of the following:

    - Select the most helpful answer;
    - Close the question without selecting an answer (click the "Close", "Close w/o Grading" buttons);
    - Decline all current answers, but leave the question open to receive future answers. To do so, click "[None of these answers are appropriate; do not remind me to select one]" at the top of the list of answers.


  • 2.26 - What are the criteria for the number of points (1-4) I should award to the selected answer?

    When deciding how many points to award, please consider this scale as a guideline:

    4: Answer was acceptable, explanation was good, reference was provided (or not needed)
    3: Answer was acceptable, explanation was good, but reference was lacking
    2: Answer was acceptable
    1: Answer was somewhat helpful


  • 2.27 - Points were awarded to an answer to my question but I would like to select another answer instead. How can I un-grade my question?

    To un-grade a question you have asked in order to award the points to the answer you found most helpful, you will need to first obtain the agreement of the answerer to whom the points have been given. Both you and the answerer should express this agreement either to the assigned moderator(s), or via support request.


  • 2.28 - I have included confidential information in a question. Can I have it removed?

    If you posted a KudoZ question that contains confidential information, please submit a support request, specifying the exact information you would like to have remove so that staff can remove this information for you.


    • Main - Top


  • 2.3 - Answering

  • 3.1 - I can not see a KudoZ question. What can I do?

    Please send the URL, and a screenshot of the page, to support at proz.com!


  • 3.2 - When I search for questions from members only, I notice something odd.

    Exercising the members-only option (available under "asker type" on the KudoZ list page) will restrict the questions you see to those asked by users who were members *at the time they asked*. Because membership category of askers has only recently been recorded, the number of results will be small. Also, the fact that there are various forms of membership, and the fact that some memberships will expire, may create the impression that something is amiss.


  • 3.3 - If the question is closed and points were awarded can I still answer it?

    Once the points are awarded, the question is closed, but even closed you can answer it.
    The logic behind that is that we would allow you to give all the help that you can to the asker, even if (s)he already decided (s)he has found the best answer to (her)his question.


  • 3.4 - Can I edit the answer I've given to a KudoZ question?

    No. Editing an answer would be unfair to other answerers. You might consider adding a comment to your answer. In some cases, a wrong answer can be hidden by the answerer and the correct answer posted in its place.


  • 3.5 - Why does the word "Hide" appear in my answer boxes?

    You are allowed to hide your own answers. This is a way to retract answers.


  • 3.6 - Үл харагдуулсан хариултаа хэрхэн ил гаргах вэ?

    Үл харагдуулсан асуултуудыг дахин харагдуулах боломжгүй. Хариултаа бүрмөсөн нуух бол сая "Хариултыг нуух" холбоосыг ашиглана уу.


  • 3.7 - If I hide my answer and submit a new one, is this against site rules for answering?

    Posting multiple answers in systematic way is out of line with rule http://www.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_answ/3.3#3.3 (hidden answers are included in this count).

    Hiding an answer with disagrees and re-posting the same answer (thus "cleaning" the negative peer comments) would be out of line with rule http://www.proz.com/siterules/general/2#2 .

    Hiding a wrong answer (even with disagrees) and posting a different one is valid, provided it is not done in a systematic way.


  • 3.8 - Will my hidden answers be visible in my list of answers?

    You will always be able to see the answers you have hidden in your list of KudoZ answers. Other users will only see your hidden answers if you have hidden 10% or more of your total answers (but no less than 20 answers).

    Hidden answers will figure under the Answered tab in the KudoZ activity section of profiles, with the link to the question, but with "Answer hidden by answerer" instead of the source and target term.

    They will also be added to the total count of Questions answered (shown on the main page of profiles) and in the statistics found in the KudoZ activity section.


  • 3.9 - What is the meaning of "no more than one answer per question" in KudoZ rule 3.1?

    Submitting an answer to a KudoZ question and then submitting one or more additional answers to the same question is discouraged (even if the original answer was hidden) and doing this in a systematic way is forbidden by the rules. Answerers can add as many comments as they want to their answers. Offering several terms together in the same answer (ANSWER1/ANSWER2/ANSWER3) is not forbidden, but discouraged, as it interferes with the glossary format.


  • 3.10 - What does it mean when a question is marked "Not for points"?

    Some users believe that the awarding of KudoZ points detracts from the KudoZ experience. It is possible for such users to opt to make a question "not for points" when asking. KudoZ points can not be earned by answering such questions.


  • 3.11 - If I answer "not for points" questions, will they appear in the KudoZ history in my profile page?

    Yes. Such questions will be marked with a color that shows points were not available.


  • 3.12 - Does answering "not for points" questions improve my position in the KudoZ leaderboard or ProZ.com's translator directory?

    No. The benefits of answering "not for points" questions are not technical, they are only indirect (learning, helping, networking, etc.)


  • 3.13 - What does Confidence level show?

    Confidence level is the degree of certainty expressed by an answerer regarding his or her own answer. This information is provided by an answerer in the Kudoz Answer form. Confidence level is a required field and an answerer is suggested to select one of the 5 (five) possible confidence levels:

    Highest - I am sure
    High
    Medium
    Low
    Lowest - I am guessing


  • 3.14 - I don't know the answer to a KudoZ question, but I have some information that could help the asker. Where should I post this information?

    If you cannot think of an appropriate answer to a KudoZ question, but you have information that may help the asker or other participants to come up with a good translation, make a reference post by clicking on "Post reference" and include such relevant information.

    Note: Reference posts cannot be selected as most helpful and so no points cannot be awarded to reference posters.


  • 3.15 - I do not see the "Post reference" button in a KudoZ question. Why?

    Once you posted a Kudoz answer, you will not be able to post a reference. It is assumed that you put all the information in your Kudoz answer. This makes your answer a more useful resource, and ensures all the information is kept in one place.

    It is possible to post a reference and then an answer, but not possible to post an answer first and then a reference.


  • 3.16 - Under what conditions can an answerer use the discussion entries feature?

    Answerers can use the discussion entry to ask the asker for context information or to engage in linguistic discussions of some points of the question asked. In general, opinions on other answers should be provided in the peer grading interface while additional comments supporting their answers should be presented as comments in the answers themselves. Systematic use of the discussion entry to promote an answer provided will not be allowed.


  • 3.17 - How can I avoid answering questions from askers who tend to close their questions without grading them?

    You can see how many questions an asker has closed without grading by mousing over their name in a KudoZ question they have asked. (There is also an option to filter out questions from certain askers in the lists of questions.)


  • 3.18 -


    • Main - Top


  • 2.4 - Peer commenting

  • 4.1 - Can I agree with more than one answer to a question?

    Yes. You are encouraged to agree with as many answers as you consider correct, and disagree with as many answers as you consider incorrect.


  • 4.2 - What happens after someone disagrees with an answer?

    Disagreeing is actually just a signal to the person who asked the "help" KudoZ question that you (and maybe others) don't feel the answer is correct, the asker is then free to take or not to take the suggestion.

    The only "mechanical" effect is that if the question is auto-graded, disagrees count against an answer for being chosen.

    Grading from qualified peers is the normal way to grade and close "glossary-building" KudoZ questions.


  • 4.3 - I entered a peer comment and want to respond to the reply I got. Can I?

    No. To prevent KudoZ threads from running off on a tangent, multiple exchanges are not allowed around each answer. A peer may comment and the answerer may respond--but the exchange ends there. (The ability to edit peer comments, and replies to them, is provided only for the purpose of editing spelling, correcting broken links, or making similar changes.) Make sure to make your point clearly and concisely; you get only one chance.


  • 4.4 - I see a link to "edit/delete" my peer comment. What is that for?

    The "edit/delete" link gives you the ability to edit your peer comment. Please remember that this ability is provided only for the purpose of editing spelling, correcting broken links, or making similar changes.


  • 4.5 - Can I comment on an answerer's confidence level in my peer comment?

    No. Peer comments should be purely linguistic in nature (see KudoZ rule 3.5). Making comments or insinuations regarding an answerer's confidence level would not be in line with KudoZ rule 3.7.




    • Main - Top


  • 2.5 - KudoZ editors

  • 5.1 - I see some users (not moderators) reclassifying, or removing, others' questions. How are these members selected?

    Moderators may invite members/registered users who have at least 300 KudoZ PRO points to read the guidelines for editing and squashing, and take a short test. Those who pass have the right to edit in these ways.

    Note: members who have KudoZ-related administrative actions may not be selected as KudoZ editors. Likewise, KudoZ editors who accumulate KudoZ-related administrative actions may have their editing rights revoked.


  • 5.2 - Is site moderation one of the responsibilities of KudoZ editors?

    No. KudoZ editors are site users who have been given the right to perform some editing functions on KudoZ questions, namely the change or reversion of KudoZ question language pairs, the removal of questions if these are not in line with site rules or if they are duplicated, and the change of KudoZ question fields.

    Moderators are site members who have volunteered to foster and protect the positive, results-oriented atmosphere that makes ProZ.com possible by greeting and guiding new participants in KudoZ and enforcing site rules in a consistent and structured manner.

    In no way are KudoZ editors entitled or expected to act as site moderators. KudoZ editors, just as site members, are required to contact staff or moderators to report any form of abuse.


  • 5.3 - An option appeared allowing me to edit other people's questions. Why?

    Some site users who reach a certain number of KudoZ PRO points (500) and do not have any currently active KudoZ-related administrative actions will see options for making corrections to "help" questions posted by others. If a question should be Spanish to English but is listed as English to Spanish, go ahead and make the correction.


  • 5.4 - I would like to apply to become a KudoZ editor. Can I?

    No, it is not possible to submit an application to become a KudoZ editor, an invitation has to be issued by a moderator or site staff.


  • 5.5 - Can KudoZ editors reclassify a question form PRO into non-PRO and vice versa?

    No, KudoZ editors and moderators will have to vote like any other member for the change of status of questions (instead of forcing this change of status.)


  • 5.6 - Does membership determine someone's eligibility to become a KudoZ editor?

    No, eligibility is not determined by membership status.


    • Main - Top


  • 2.6 - KudoZ notifications

  • 6.1 - I am not getting any KudoZ email notifications.

    If you are not getting KudoZ email alerts at all, and you have never gotten them, check the settings in your profile page. You will not get any notifications if:
    - you have entered no language pairs
    - you have entered no fields of expertise
    - you have not selected KudoZ email notifications in your email preferences.

    If you had been receiving notifications, and without anything changing stopped receiving them, there could be several causes:
    - previous messages to you bounced, and your email address was 'stamped' bad (check the personal data in your profile page; the characters 'xxx ' will have been added before your address)
    - there is a problem with ProZ.com email notifications. (Check the site status page for info)
    - you or your ISP has changed or added filtering, and that filtering is preventing the alerts from reaching you (there is a known problem with terra.es, for example)

    If after checking the above you can not find the problem, enter a support request with a link to at least one KudoZ question of which you should have been alerted.


  • 6.2 - I am not getting all the KudoZ notifications I should be.

    When email alerts go out for Kudoz questions, among the criteria considered are: language pair, subject area, and difficulty level. If you have not received email notification of a question, make sure that your profile settings and preferences are such that you should have received it. If you are convinced that they are, please submit a support request, including the URL(s) of one or more KudoZ questions of which you should have been notified. ProZ.com staff will check to see whether or not the alert email to you left the ProZ.com servers. (If it did, there may be a problem, or filtering, happening at your ISP or on your local computer.)


  • 6.3 - I am getting too many KudoZ email notifications

    To reduce the volume of KudoZ email notifications you receive, try selecting fewer subject areas in your KudoZ notification preferences. To stop receiving KudoZ email notifications altogether, just select the 'No' option in the first question on the KudoZ Dashboard..


  • 6.4 - Sometimes I get emailed questions that I can't see on the site, and sometimes I see questions but have not been emailed...

    Email and viewing preferences are set separately. Email preferences are set via your dashboard - http://www.proz.com/dashboard - and viewing preferences are set via the KudoZ list page - http://www.proz.com/kudoz


  • 6.5 - What is a daily digest?

    It's a message that contains a brief summary of the questions that have been asked in the day, as well as a short listing of any answers to those questions so far.


  • 6.6 - How do I receive KudoZ notifications from my team?

    Any members of your team can post a KudoZ question private to your team. To receive notifications for these types of questions all you need is to have your notifications turned on and the related language pair in your listed working or interest pairs.


  • 6.7 - Can I track a particular KudoZ question?

    Yes. If you are a paying member you can track any KudoZ question. For each question you will see a track setting box in the left navigation column of the page which looks like this:

    When you check this box and click on save, you will receive a notification each time a reference post or an answer is posted.

    Also, there is a selection box in the discussion area that allows the tracking of the discussion entries of a particular question:



    When you select the "track question" box, the "track discussion" will also be selected. You can then de-select any of them independently.

    When you post a reference comment, an answer or a discussion entry, the "track discussion" box is selected. If you de-select it once it will no longer be automatically selected again in this question.


  • 6.8 - How can I get notifications when a certain person asks a KudoZ question?

    In order to get a notification every time a certain registered user asks a KudoZ question you have to "flag" this asker as follows:

    In your top drop-down menu select KudoZ -> Dashboard



    On the left panel of your KudoZ dashboard, select the option "Asker flags & filters"



    This is the box used for flagging askers. In this case no asker has been flagged yet:



    To flag an asker you should enter the user's ID in the corresponding box and pres "Flag asker". If you don't know this number you should click on the link "Search" to open a search tool:



    In this case a search by name brings the user's ID and username:



    Once the asker was flagged, it will look like this in your dashboard page:



    And it will look like this when the flagged asker posts a question:



    Notification will be sent to you of flagged askers' questions, even when they do not match your notification settings.


  • 6.9 - I don't want notifications of a particular person's questions-- what can I do?

    If you become convinced that a certain member is not likely to ask questions that are of interest to you, you may opt to "filter" that member's questions (regardless of your notification settings.)

    To do so you should select KudoZ -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu:



    On the left panel of your KudoZ dashboard, select the option "Asker flags & filters"



    This is the box used for filtering askers. In this case no asker has been filtered yet:



    To filter an asker you should enter the user's ID in the corresponding box and pres "Filter asker". If you don't know this number you should click on the link "Search answerers" to open a search tool:



    In this case a search by name brings the user's ID and username:



    Once the asker was filtered, it will look like this in your dashboard page:



    And it will look like this when the filtered asker posts a question:



    Notification will NOT be sent to you of filtered askers' questions, even when they do match your notification settings. Also, these questions will not be shown to you when you select KudoZ - Answer questions, even when they match your selection criteria.


  • 6.10 - How can I get notifications when a certain user posts a KudoZ answer or reference comment?

    In order to get a notification every time a certain registered user posts a KudoZ answer or reference comment you have get this user's authorization to track his/her answers. To do so:

    In your top drop-down menu select My ProZ.com -> Dashboard



    In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



    In the answerer tracking page you can click on "Search for answerer" and enter the corresponding information on name, username of profile number and then click on "Search" and on the found profile name.



    At this point the dashboard will show the corresponding profile number and username. You may send a personalized message before sending the request by means of the "track answerer" button.




    You can also start this procedure by clicking on the "track this answerer" in an answer or reference comment posted by this user:




    After submitting the request, the dashboard will record it as pending:



    While the request is pending, you will see a special message in each answer or reference comment posted by this user:



    Once your request was accepted, the dashboard will show the following indication:



    If you want to stop tracking this user, click on "remove".

    You will also see the following in each answer or reference comment posted by the user you are tracking:




    You will receive a notification each time this user posts an answer or a reference comment.


  • 6.11 - What are my options for the KudoZ tracking feature?

    There are three basic conditions that you can configure selecting My ProZ.com -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu :



    In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



    In the box "Who can track you" on the right side of the dashboard you can select the following options:

    * Allow anyone to track my answers: requests will be automatically approved.
    * Ask me for permission on a case-by-case basis: you will be asked each time a request is received.
    * Do not allow anyone to track my answers: all requests will be automatically rejected




  • 6.12 - A user asked for authorization to track my KudoZ answers. Why would someone want to do this?

    While the motives could be different for each user, two likely reasons to do so would be (a) to learn from someone who is good in a certain field of expertise or (b) to evaluate a translator for possible future collaborations. Remember that you can revoke the right to track your answers at any time.


  • 6.13 - A site user would like to track my answers, what should I do?

    To work on your answer tracking options, select My ProZ.com -> Dashboard in your top drop-down menu :



    In the dashboard page select "Answerer tracking"



    On this page you will see the notification that you have a pending request to be tracked by a colleague and, on the right side, the identity and message from the colleague willing who sent the request:



    This right side panel allows you to approve or decline the request. If you chose to approve it you will be asked for a confirmation:



    Note that you can at this point select the option "Allow anyone else who wants to track my answers to do so as well", so that further requests will be automatically approved.

    Once you approved one or more users for tracking your answers, you will find them at the table of colleagues tracking you:



    This panel allows you to revoke individually the permission to track your answers granted to any of those colleagues.


  • 6.14 - How can I be notified of KudoZ questions in other language pairs?

    To be notified of questions asked in language pairs you do not want to list as working language pairs in your profile, just report the language pairs in question as interest language pairs.

    To do so, go to your Profile Updater and report your 'non-working' language pairs in the Languages section.

    Once reported, click on Edit next to each language pair just added and select I only have an interest in this pair, do not show it in my profile. Remember to save all the changes you apply.

    Finally, go to your KudoZ dashboard and set your KudoZ notifications preferences for these language pairs as you have done for your working language pairs.


  • 6.15 - I want to get Kudoz notifications for opposite language pairs to my working languages.

    First, indicate direct pairs as "working" and reverse pairs as "interest" in your Profile Updater . Then, use these parameters to set up notifications settings.


    • Main - Top



  • 3 - Glossary-building KudoZ

  • 3.1 - What is the purpose of the glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) questions?

    The primary purpose of this new question type is to enable the ProZ.com community to together find the best translation of a given term into a given language, and to incorporate the term and its translation into an authoritative glossary which will be made available openly under the Creative Commons "by" license ("CC-by").

    A secondary purpose of the new format is to provide opportunities for KudoZ participation (along with the associated benefits of networking, learning and professional differentiation), in pairs and fields in which few questions are currently asked.


  • 3.2 - How do glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) work?

    A glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) 'transaction' involves three steps:

    (1) Posting: A term is posted by an authorized person for translation into one or more pairs. A definition and one or more example sentences are included with the question. Notification of the GBK-type question is sent to interested and qualified site users.

    (2) "Speciality" stage: During the 72 hours following the posting, qualified parties are able to suggest translations including terms, definitions, example sentences and optionally references. These parties will also be able to post peer comments and grading on the answers provided.

    (3) At the end of the submission period the system will attempt to close the question. If successful, a notification will be sent to the person who posted the selected answer, 4 points will be assigned to that answer (unless the question was posted as not-for-points) and a glossary entry will be created and stored. If closing proves impossible, notifications will be sent to all interested and qualified parties and a "working" phase will last until the peer-grading received allows for the closure of the question.


  • 3.3 - Who can participate in the glossary-building KudoZ (GBK) questions?

    Participation in a GBK question, including answering, posting references and grading, is limited during the first 72 hours to site users who (1) Have the corresponding field(s) of expertise among their "speciality" fields. (2) Have the corresponding language pair or the reverse pair among their working ones. (3) Are native in either source or target languages.

    During the "working" phase (questions still open after the first 72-hours period) participation is extended to site users who satisfy the language pair and native language criteria and have the field of expertise among their working ones.

    All users can post discussion entries.


  • 3.4 - Why is the participation limited in glossary-building KudoZ?

    The purpose of the glossary-building KudoZ is to coordinate the efforts of willing members of the ProZ.com community in building up an authoritative glossary of terms and their translations in many languages and fields. With a focus on the quality of the resulting glossary entries and ample time for submission and selection of answers, it was decided to limit participation to specialists in the field and language pair.


  • 3.5 - Why are these limitations not applied to "help term" KudoZ as well?

    The main goal of "term help" KudoZ is to provide those in need of translation assistance with access to timely help. Therefore the access is open to allow the participation of anybody willing and able to help. The asker selects the most helpful among the responses received (and awards points for it).


  • 3.6 - What are the additional fields of expertise?

    A GBK has a main field of expertise and may have one or more additional fields of expertise. These additional field are also included in the filter (notifications and access to the question).

    For instance a question with primary field "telecommunications" may also be related to "computers: software" and to "Computers: systems, networks"

    This will be only related to notifications and access (and in the future to searches in the glossary). The corresponding KudoZ points will be assigned to the primary field.

    The additional fields are included in the GBK term searches.


  • 3.7 - I added in my profile the specialty field needed to answer a GBK question but I still can't answer it.

    Users who adds a new "specialty" field of expertise to their profiles will not be provided access to GBK filtered by this particular field for 72 hours after implementing this change. This aims to preventing users from modifying their profiles in order to "follow" the specialties requested in the questions.

    This restriction will not apply to profiles created less than a month ago.


  • 3.8 - How are GBK questions graded?

    At the end of the 72-hours submission phase (and periodically if the question entered in a selection phase) an 'auto-grading robot' makes its selection based on the net number of peer 'agrees' received by each answer, according to the following rules:
    * To be considered, an answer must have at least two "net agrees" (agrees minus disagrees).
    * The answer with the highest number of net agrees is selected.
    * If two answers have the same number of net agrees, the one posted by the answerer with the corresponding language pair ranked higher is selected.
    * If still undecided, the alternative entered latest is selected. The logic behind this criterion is that all those agreed to the second answer have seen the first one and still voted for the second, therefore preferring the second answer, while those that voted for the first one may not have seen the second answer when voted.


  • 3.9 - The submission period for a GBK question has ended and the question is still open. Can I still submit a translation?

    Yes. Answers can be posted during the "working" period, or even after the question has been closed.


  • 3.10 - Can I provide more than one answer as different options when answering a GBK question?

    Answerers in GBK can provide more than one answer to the same term, as this is the proper way to offer synonyms. In this case the example sentence(s) should include the term offered in each answer.


  • 3.11 - Can I post more than one term in my answer to a GBK question?

    No. Even if you know two or more different terms to answer a GBK question you should provide only one of them in your answer, the one used in the example sentence(s).

    If you know synonyms or other possible interpretations of the term asked besides the one you already offered in your answer, you can provide additional answer(s), each containing just a term, and with definition and example sentences related to that term.


  • 3.12 - Is it OK to to answer a GBK question suggesting the same term already offered in another answer?

    Yes. A GBK answer includes a term, a definition and at least one example sentence. The term is only a part of the answer, and it could happen that the second answer offering the same term includes, for instance, a better definition.

    Time should not play such a central role in GBK, where a better answer should be more relevant than a faster one.


  • 3.13 - I want (or do not want) to receive notifications about GBK questions, what should I do?

    You should un-check (check) the option "Ignore glossary-building questions " and click on "Save settings" in the KudoZ dashboard.


  • 3.14 - I want to receive only notifications about GBK questions, what should I do?

    You should select the option Asker type = "Glossary-building questions " in the KudoZ dashboard.


  • 3.15 - How are the GBK questions created?

    "Glossary-building KudoZ concepts" are selected from current KudoZ entries or from other sources, and are edited to make sure they have the proper terms, definitions and examples of use. This is currently being done in English, but other languages could be added later.

    This is being currently done by site staff, but in the future this task will be performed by site members who will be part of a "GBK (Glossary-building KudoZ) team".


  • 3.16 - There is no "neutral" option in the peer comments. How can I leave a comment to the answerer?

    If you are allowed to provide a peer-comment, then you should be able to post a note to the answerer by using the link provided at the bottom of the answer.



    The messages posted will be visible above the voting area of the question:


  • 3.17 - What is the "Glossary-building KudoZ questions" box displayed in the home page? Can I customize what I see there?

    Users who meet the criteria to answer GBK questions and have a minimum of 5 or 10 open questions available to answer (selectable) will be presented with a box displaying a randomly selected open question.

    Like many other home page features, users can select not to see this box, or customize its position by clicking the "customize" link on the feature or selecting
    "My ProZ.com" -> "My settings" -> "Site settings"


    • Main - Top


  • 4 - Personal glossaries

  • 4.1 - How do I create a glossary?

    To add a new glossary to the My glossaries section, just click on the plus sign () to the right of "My glossaries" and enter your chosen name, then, press "Enter" or click on the "Save" button to create your glossary.

    You can always get to your personal glossaries from the "My glossaries" shortcut in the home menu, which appears when you hover over your name and picture on the top right corner of the screen.


  • 4.2 - How do I add a term to a glossary?

    Head to My glossaries and click on the glossary you want to update. Click on the "Add new term" button and enter your source and target terms and the corresponding languages.

    You can, optionally, add notes or a definition, and a URL for your reference.

    Then, just press "Enter" or click on the "Save" button to create your term.


  • 4.3 - How do I upload an existing glossary?

    Go to the My glossaries section and click on the "Import terms" button.

    Click on the "Import terms" button and enter your source and target languages. Then, select the glossary you want to add your terms to —or enter the name of a new glossary to be created from your file.

    You can also indicate the glossary's discipline, if you wish.

    Next, select a plain text file (CSV or TXT) or, if you prefer, copy-and-paste your glossary into the plain text editor under the header "Input directly:" —in either case, keep in mind that your glossary needs to be in standard format glossary, as exemplified on the "Import terms" page.

    Finally, select the corresponding delimiter and click the "Submit" button.

    Note that the maximum allowed file size is 2MB. If you have a glossary file larger than 2MB, please break it up into smaller pieces.


  • 4.4 - How do I edit an existing term?

    Once you're at the My glossaries section, click on the glossary you need to update and find the relevant term.

    If you're on the glossary view, click on the pencil-shaped button () to the right of the term.

    If you're on the single-term view, you'll see it as an "Edit" button below the term's header.

    Once you've made your changes, click the "Save" button or tap the "Enter" key.

    Keep in mind that you won't be able to edit terms that have been copied from another translator's glossary. If you want to update a copied term, you'll need to create a new entry of your own.

    Note that these instructions apply only to terms in your personal glossaries. Terms in the site-wide KudoZ glossary can only be edited by a moderator. If you want to suggest a change to a term in the site-wide glossary, you can contact the appropriate moderator using the moderator list.


  • 4.5 - How do I rename an existing glossary?

    Go to the Personal glossaries section and look for the glossary you want to update under the "My glossaries" header.

    Click on the pencil-shaped button () to the right of the glossary.

    Now, press "Enter" or click on the "Save" button to rename your glossary.


  • 4.6 - Can I download my ProZ.com glossaries to my computer?

    Yes. You can download your glossaries as a simple CSV file.

    Head to My glossaries and click on the glossary you want to download. Click on the "Export terms" button and choose whether you want to download all terms in the glossary, or just the ones you have selected.

    The option to export your glossaries is a benefit of ProZ.com membership. You can learn more about ProZ.com membership here »

    Free users get access to one test download of up to five terms, to try the export feature.


  • 4.7 - How do I move a term from one glossary to another?

    Go to the My glossaries section and click on the glossary where the terms you want to move are currently located.

    If you're on the glossary view, check the box to the right of the term or terms you want to move. Then, click on the "Move" button under the title of the glossary, select the glossary you wish to move your terms to, and confirm.

    If you're on the single-term view, you'll see the same "Move" button below the term's header.

    You can copy terms as well, both from your own glossaries and from another translator's. When you copy another translator's term, your copy of their entry will be linked back to them from your glossary, and you won't be able to edit it.

    Keep in mind that you can only move or copy up to 50 terms (one page) at a time.


  • 4.8 - How can I merge my glossaries?

    You can use the "Move" function to merge your glossaries. If your glossaries are too large to move 50 terms at a time, you may download one and then import the file into another.


  • 4.9 - How can I remove an existing glossary?

    To remove a glossary you have created, just click on the recycling bin button () to the right of the glossary. A confirmation box will appear to make sure you want to remove the glossary.

    Deleted glossaries cannot be recovered.


  • 4.10 - Can I create a multilingual glossary?

    ProZ.com glossaries only support bilingual entries, but you can create entries in various language combinations within the same glossary.


  • 4.11 - How can I send/receive glossaries through my profile?

    You can send and/or receive glossary files using the Send file tool in profiles.

    You will find more information about the Send file option here »


    • Main - Top


  • 5 - GlossPost

  • 5.1 - What is GlossPost?

    GlossPost is a searchable database of links to glossaries on the Internet. It has been compiled by members of ProZ.com and the YahooGroup of the same name created in February 2000 by Brazilian translator and conference interpreter Maria Eugenia Farre. The database is maintained by a group of volunteer moderators, however any ProZ.com member can search the database or submit new glossary URLs.


  • 5.2 - What are the goals driving GlossPost at ProZ.com?

    We have three main goals:

    - To create an online terminology resource with searching capabilities specifically designed for the needs of translators.
    - To enlarge the database by benefiting from the collaborative spirit of ProZ.com users.
    - To ensure the accessibility of GlossPost and honor the commitment of providing a free and useful resource for translators across the globe.


  • 5.3 - What are the possibilities created by the collaboration between GlossPost and ProZ.com?

    In brief: creating a larger database of glossary URLs, with addresses in more language combinations, annotated by translators. Since its inception, GlossPost has attracted mostly translators specializing in Western languages. Since ProZ.com is a huge multilingual community with active participants across the whole linguistic spectrum, we hope that translators of other languages will also feel compelled to add links to the glossaries they use in their daily work to the benefit of all.

    We also hope to contribute with the expertise acquired in moderating GlossPost to make the new site a useful and efficient online terminology resource.


  • 5.4 - How many links from the original GlossPost archives have been included?

    At launch, approximately 1,600 links from the archives have been included automatically. This doesn't cover the entire GlossPost original database, but there are plans to import more links in the future, as time permits.


  • 5.5 - Will the links in the GlossPost database at ProZ.com be checked to prevent dead pages and repeat URLs?

    In our new home at ProZ.com, we want to address all the concerns and issues that affected GlossPost subscribers in the past. Link rot is one of them, and we are not the only sufferers. The GlossPost URLs at ProZ.com will be checked periodically using an automated function to make sure that the database remains as current as possible. Also, manual editing of the URLs has been made possible. Links can be checked and marked good or bad, made invisible or visible to other users by the users themselves and also by the moderators. Incomplete entries can be supplemented by addition information from other users.


  • 5.6 - What are the searching capabilities included in the GlossPost database at ProZ.com?

    The searching capabilities have been greatly improved. At the new database, users will be able to browse the glossary URLs, search by keyword, language combination, discipline or BSO category. For obvious reasons, the ability to search by language combination was one of the most common requests received from GlossPost subscribers. A feature enabling automated announcements of glossary URLs in the language combinations specified by ProZ.com users is also being studied.


  • 5.7 - How can I contribute to the expansion of this glossary database?

    By posting the URLs of glossaries, dictionaries and other terminology resources you find on the web.

    You can also contribute to this initiative by editing and verifying the links included in the database (this option may or may not be available, depending on your site activity level). Also, since the project has just been kicked off, it will be extremely valuable to get as much feedback as possible about the design and results the searchers are getting. Please send your feedback to support.


  • 5.8 - What is the posting procedure?

    The posting form can be found here.

    The fields are:

    URL: enter the URL for the resource (glossary, terminology database or dictionary)
    Title: enter a title for the resource, e.g. Hydrology Glossary or Dog Breeds or Turkish Language Dictionary
    Source: enter the source for the resource, e.g. Unicode.org or Association of Dog Breeders of America or Academie Francaise
    Comment: enter useful comments pertaining to the URL, e.g. "reliable translations", "single-page glossary", "downloadable as .pdf", "watch your step, contains typos".
    Source Language: select the source language(s) from the list. If many languages are included, as is commonly the case with EU resources, you can select the All/Many languages radio button.
    Target Language: select the target language(s) from the list. If many languages are included, as is commonly the case with EU resources, you can select the All/Many languages radio button.
    Disciplines: select one or more disciplines, as you would when submitting a KudoZ question.
    BSO Category: select one or more BSO categories

    When you have completed the fields you want to add, press the Submit button. It's not necessary to fill in all the fields, but if possible, try to fill in as many as you can. This will help us build a better database and enable you to get more precise results in the future. Note, however, that some fields are mandatory and marked with a * for your convenience. Your entry will not be vetted before you have completed the mandatory fields.


  • 5.9 - In what language should I post?

    The GlossPost moderator suggests and encourages users to post in English. However, we realize that this may not always be possible, due to multiculturalism considerations. Comments in other languages are considered OK, but for the benefit of all and better search results, try to include at least a few words in English in the keyword field and/or give a title to the glossary in English.


  • 5.10 - As a ProZ.com user, will I get any benefits from posting glossaries?

    Yes! Members will be awarded 10 browniz points for each URL submitted, and 5 browniz points for each edited entry. The name of the poster and editor will be acknowledged when URLs are displayed.


  • 5.11 - How can I report bugs or send suggestions?

    Feedback is always welcome. Please send an e-mail to support.


  • 5.12 - What will happen to the GlossPost list at Yahoogroups?

    The GlossPost list at Yahoogroups will be eventually phased out and replaced by the new resource at ProZ.com. For the time being, however, it will continue to run under the moderatorship of Maria Eugenia Farre. There will also be some forwarding of links from GlossPost at Yps and the Translator Resources Forum to GlossPost at ProZ.com. However, GlossPost subscribers and Translator Resources Forum users are encouraged to post their new finds to GlossPost at ProZ.com.


  • 5.13 - Where can I learn more about the history of GlossPost?

    This interview with GlossPost creator Maria Eugenia Farre contains more information on the list's history.


    • Main - Top


  • 6 - Wikiwords

  • 6.1 - What is Wikiwords?

    Wikiwords is a collaborative project to create a dictionary of all terms in all languages with definitions and example sentences. More information about this initiative can be found here »


  • 6.2 - How is Wikiwords affiliated with ProZ.com?

    Wikiwords was created and maintained by ProZ.com. However, active support for this service is no longer offered by ProZ.com staff.


  • 6.3 - What should I do if I can't find a term in Wikiwords?

    If you can't find a term in Wikiwords, try using the ProZ.com term search or ask a KudoZ question.


    • Main - Top


  • 7 -


    • Main - Top