| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Have you tried Google's Translator Toolkit? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you tried Google's Translator Toolkit?".
This poll was originally submitted by Kenan Atalay. View the poll results »
| | | | | I did *shudder* | Jan 12, 2010 |
I needed a laugh yesterday, so I thought I might as well try it.
Awesome, really. Hardly ever laughed so hard.
If it wasn't so sad that many people take it as serious replacement of human translators, it would have been more fun.
| | | | | I can't see how it is useful to us... | Jan 12, 2010 |
I had never heard of it before, so I just checked out. I can't see how this "service" can be useful to us. Automatic translation is something I simply don't do, it's a pain to correct the translation afterwards, and sharing TMs... well, I don't see the need for a specific toolkit for that.
Plus, I see confidentiality issues in uploading TMs here...
Anyone has found any useful function I haven't seen?
| | | | Kenan Atalay 
Türkiye
Local time: 14:17
English to Turkish
+ ...
Actually it's not the machine translation part that I have meant. They have a toolkit that you can use just like trados but via web interface. You can translate using that toolkit, share TMs, keep your TM online etc. I still prefer working on my desktop but it might prove useful for collaboration and when you need mobility.
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Kenan Atalay
Türkiye
Local time: 14:17
English to Turkish
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| DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
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| I did try it :( | Jan 12, 2010 |
Just to avoid naked assertions and get my own opinion....
1) only 1 of 4 my mobile operators could get the confirmation code;
2) JavaScripts & ActiveX (the main source of malware) were required to go on;
3) It took me some 20 extra mins to fill in that form (e.g. What you can't find in Google?);
4) there were Toolkit autostart, chat and MT autosuggestion options to tick;
5) They said they were really so sorry, but my Opera wasn't fully supported then...
6) TM ... See more Just to avoid naked assertions and get my own opinion....
1) only 1 of 4 my mobile operators could get the confirmation code;
2) JavaScripts & ActiveX (the main source of malware) were required to go on;
3) It took me some 20 extra mins to fill in that form (e.g. What you can't find in Google?);
4) there were Toolkit autostart, chat and MT autosuggestion options to tick;
5) They said they were really so sorry, but my Opera wasn't fully supported then...
6) TM must be of some CSV with different (alternate?) language codes, at least not all as http://www.lisa.org/tmx/tmx.htm or http://www.wordfast.net/html/lang_frame.html recommends.
7) it 'converted' my sample txt and I got a familiar Google pre-Translated MT thing.... cool
. . .
Ok, I used IE in SandBoxIE to have 'necessary' crap-applets temporary installed, but all in all *new* I got was a real mess for me: a chat and a MT-text to edit. I see that possibly nobody has translated a similar text in my language pair, but it was pretty much like 'Suggest a better translation' in Google Translate)
IMO, a rather slapdash job and very raw, at least ATM. Or just implemented via... a back door)
Cheers ▲ Collapse
| | | | Rebecca Garber
Local time: 07:17
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
| I admit I didn't try it | Jan 12, 2010 |
But the 'wonderful things' it offers don't appeal to me.
I don't *want* to post my translations to Wikipedia.
I *really* don't want to pick through a machine translation, when I can run texts through my CAT tools and get something that works.
I already have access to websites that show how other translators have translated something. Linguee is great for German/English.
Most of my TMs are proprietary, so I'm not in a position to share, even if... See more But the 'wonderful things' it offers don't appeal to me.
I don't *want* to post my translations to Wikipedia.
I *really* don't want to pick through a machine translation, when I can run texts through my CAT tools and get something that works.
I already have access to websites that show how other translators have translated something. Linguee is great for German/English.
Most of my TMs are proprietary, so I'm not in a position to share, even if I wanted to.
If I'm working with other translators, it's usually through an agency, and the PM coordinates TM sharing and all that. Which is not a job that I ever, ever want.
And Google has this interesting habit of archiving *every* search. Which means, that prior to the Patriot Act, US librarians could and DID refuse to answer questions from the FBI about who had looked at which books. The university library at Michigan has the largest collection of gay/lesbian texts and ephemera, called the Labadie collection, and the librarians refused to be part of an FBI witch hunt.
Google has no such inclination when it comes to any type of search.
For that reason alone I'm not tempted by their offer. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:17
Spanish to English
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I might look at it have I have time, but really, what worries me is that any Tom, Dick or Harriet can now use this to translate their texts, then send them to "real" translators for "correcting", thus saving them some money. I have recently had clients send me stuff to revise which, when asked about something odd in the text, said "ask Google translator, it's what we used".
Nor am I in favour of sharing my hard won TMs with any unknown quantities out there in webworld, especially not marke... See more I might look at it have I have time, but really, what worries me is that any Tom, Dick or Harriet can now use this to translate their texts, then send them to "real" translators for "correcting", thus saving them some money. I have recently had clients send me stuff to revise which, when asked about something odd in the text, said "ask Google translator, it's what we used".
Nor am I in favour of sharing my hard won TMs with any unknown quantities out there in webworld, especially not market-busting geeks like yugoslavia or even poor old CF "no doy ni una"...
So, it looks like a non-starter for me, since I like my job and want to keep making a living from translating for the next 10 years or so without having to constantly upgrade, recycle and acquire new skills and software, etc...
Caveat Emptor! ▲ Collapse
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neilmac wrote:
Nor am I in favour of sharing my hard won TMs with any unknown quantities out there in webworld, especially not market-busting geeks like yugoslavia
Lol There is no more Yugoslavia by the way.
| | | | Kenan Atalay
Türkiye
Local time: 14:17
English to Turkish
+ ...
| Guys this is not Google Translator/Translations | Jan 13, 2010 |
You are still confusing it with the Google translate most of the time. This is not Google translate. IMO Google Translate sucks most of the time.
This is Google translator's kit. It is basically kind of a Trados etc suite you can use online for your own translations by using/creating your own TMs. You translate your document on the web instead of on your desktop just like you do in word, segment by segment.
| | | | lillkakan
Local time: 13:17
English to Swedish
| I don't trust Google with my privacy | Jan 13, 2010 |
Kenan Atalay wrote:
You are still confusing it with the Google translate most of the time. This is not Google translate. IMO Google Translate sucks most of the time.
This is Google translator's kit. It is basically kind of a Trados etc suite you can use online for your own translations by using/creating your own TMs. You translate your document on the web instead of on your desktop just like you do in word, segment by segment.
I know what tool you're talking about Kenan, and even though the Translator's Kit site has privacy controls (so that in theory you can work online, alone, without ever sharing anything) I simply don't trust Google.
If you put it online, someone will eventually find it. Google still collects the data. Their "privacy" policies only mean they won't openly broadcast/publish your data. It doesn't mean they don't collect it, aggregate it and god knows what else they do with it, now or in the future.
I think previous commenters still have a point too. It's too easy to combine/confuse Google Translate and Google Translator's Kit, I don't see why profit driven, quality ignorant people won't combine the two tools to create utter atrocities in terms of "translations" (and I use that term lightly). I was recently asked by an agency how I "felt" about MT post-editing, and I'm afraid those inquiries will become more frequent in the future.
| | | | Harald Roald
Spain
Local time: 13:17
English to Norwegian
+ ...
| yes, and not half bad | Jan 13, 2010 |
I tried the full tool kit, and I think its not half bad! It cant replace a CAT tool or translator as it is now, but it certainly can be useful for non-professional who (pre) translate their own material, which we should get used to, independent of how we might dislike it.
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esperantisto
Local time: 14:17
Member (2006)
English to Russian
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SITE LOCALIZER | Not much to the point | Jan 13, 2010 |
Rebecca Garber wrote:
I don't *want* to post my translations to Wikipedia.
Google Translator Toolkit has nothing to do with Wikipedia.
I *really* don't want to pick through a machine translation, when I can run texts through my CAT tools and get something that works.
Google Translator Toolkit is a blend of statistics-based (or whatever they call it) machine translation and computer-assisted translation and it does leverage your TMs once you upload them.
Most of my TMs are proprietary, so I'm not in a position to share, even if I wanted to.
When you upload a TM you can specify whether you want it be shared or not. I have made a couple of tests and found that unless you’re signed in to the Toolkit, even when submitting your text through bare Google Translator, your TUs are not leveraged. Other people confirm that behavior as well. Well, if Google did otherwise, it would be a sure death sentence to the whole idea of the Toolkit.
And Google has this interesting habit of archiving *every* search. Which means, that prior to the Patriot Act, US librarians could and DID refuse to answer questions from the FBI about who had looked at which books. The university library at Michigan has the largest collection of gay/lesbian texts and ephemera, called the Labadie collection, and the librarians refused to be part of an FBI witch hunt.
I fail to understand, what Michigan gay/lesbians have got to do with Google Translator Toolkit. Could you expand?
My personal experience is rather positive. In many instances, running a text through the Toolkit is a real time saver. Unfortunately, the Toolkit does not make use of glossaries that I upload there when translating, in spite of entries appearing correctly. I have read online documentation but could not figure what could be the problem.
| | | | Kenan Atalay
Türkiye
Local time: 14:17
English to Turkish
+ ...
| I'm just test driving it. | Jan 13, 2010 |
I just uploaded a doc and selected "fill source text" so both sides of the translation window have source text. I never meant to use the auto translation that comes with it (except translation with your own TM). I just meant using it only for translating manually, segment by segment.
I agree it is not like Trados but I can definitely use it if I don't have trados installed on the computer but have web access. ie at my mom's ... See more I just uploaded a doc and selected "fill source text" so both sides of the translation window have source text. I never meant to use the auto translation that comes with it (except translation with your own TM). I just meant using it only for translating manually, segment by segment.
I agree it is not like Trados but I can definitely use it if I don't have trados installed on the computer but have web access. ie at my mom's
I don't know about the privacy issues. I'm sure they are not shared in anyway but I got no idea about aggregate usage. The only thing comes to my mind is that they can be used to better the machine translation feature which is not a bad idea.
Lastly, after it matures into something better I might prefer using it for free instead of paying €xxxx for a license and its mobility is a great benefit in some cases.
[Edited at 2010-01-13 13:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | esperantisto
Local time: 14:17
Member (2006)
English to Russian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | It may not last free | Jan 15, 2010 |
Kenan Atalay wrote:
Lastly, after it matures into something better I might prefer using it for free instead of paying €xxxx for a license and its mobility is a great benefit in some cases.
After it matures it may be eventually turned into a paid service. I think, it’s somewhere in the terms of use or QA in small print.
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