| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Please give non-paying members time to make job bids! Thread poster: Paul Dixon
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Greg Dickie
Canada
Local time: 19:04
English to Spanish
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| Invest in your business, invest in yourself. | Jun 2, 2009 |
I too agree. Paying for your membership is a great investment, for me it was paid off with the very first job I completed. It took me a while to be able to renew my membership, but it is worth it. Like any good business you need to invest in it. Invest in your business, invest in yourself! That's the best advise that I can offer. Proz. also has a lot of other things to offer full paying members, such as their invoice system. I am sure that if you do that and dedicate a little time to it, ... See more I too agree. Paying for your membership is a great investment, for me it was paid off with the very first job I completed. It took me a while to be able to renew my membership, but it is worth it. Like any good business you need to invest in it. Invest in your business, invest in yourself! That's the best advise that I can offer. Proz. also has a lot of other things to offer full paying members, such as their invoice system. I am sure that if you do that and dedicate a little time to it, jobs will start to come!
I like what one of the other members said, do you think that so many people would be doing it if it only meant getting a little icon next to your name? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | System over-rides options | Jun 2, 2009 |
Paul Dixon wrote:
I am also horrified at the increasing frequency of member-only jobs. How can non-payers expect to get jobs if they can't even bid for most of them?
Last time I posted a job, I wanted it to be open to all. As I posted it, the system was kind enough to inform me that, because of the number of people meeting my criteria, it had decided to make the job "members only" for the first 24 hours. So sometimes it's not even the job poster's choice.
To address your main point, I subscribe to the point of view that the main benefit of membership is priority access to jobs. Put another way, if you are not particularly interested in applying for jobs on proz, there isn't much economic justification for being a member.
This is deliberately ignoring the "want to give something back to the site I adore" brigade - that is another issue, IMHO.
Anyway, look at it this way - if non-paying and paying members had equal access to the jobs area, what exactly would be the benefit of joining (apart from feeling good about boosting Proz revenues)? Would there be any? Revenue would surely drop dramatically, and the whole shebang potentially collapse, leaving you bereft of any job postings whatsoever.
On balance, I think it's fair to pay for access to an area of any site of potentially direct, almost quantifiable, financial benefit.
| | | | Harald Roald 
Spain
Local time: 03:04
English to Norwegian
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| and the discounts | Jun 2, 2009 |
Charlie Bavington wrote:
Put another way, if you are not particularly interested in applying for jobs on proz, there isn't much economic justification for being a member.
I might sound like paid direct marketing here (hey Proz, feel free to throw me a free life long membership any time...), but I have to say there is FAR more to get out of a membership, by being able to search information on agencies through Blue board, and to avoid working for non-paying/late paying agencies, but also discounts on tools/training, which is a big investment.
[Edited at 2009-06-02 19:42 GMT]
| | | | | Weird attitude | Jun 2, 2009 |
My foreposters leave me but one thing to remark: You're actually complaining about the limitations of a service you use for free. I find that slightly weird.
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| Non-paying members can access the Blue Board, can't they ... | Jun 2, 2009 |
Harald Roald wrote:
... being able to search information on agencies through Blue board ...
Hello Harald
Quite a few paying members seem to think that non paying members can't access the Blue Board. That's not correct, as far as I know. Lesley
| | | | | Don't have to pay for most of it | Jun 2, 2009 |
Harald Roald wrote:
but I have to say there is FAR more to get out of a membership, by being able to search information on agencies through Blue board, and to avoid working for non-paying/late paying agencies, but also discounts on tools/training, which is a big investment.
I think we both agree that we disagree with the OP's original complaint, but at the risk of appearing to be an argumentative so-and-so, I must point out that access to the blue board record for an agency can be paid for using browniz which you can earn just by agreeing with a few answers in kudoz - in other words, you can get that for free (disregarding the time it takes to agree with answers) if you wish.
I am pretty ambivalent about paid membership, mine has just lapsed, and I didn't apply for a single job while it was active, but as a non-member I do appear to be eligible for some group buys, at least, on the basis that the adverts are displayed to me on the home page.
Another benefit, to be fair, is the related aspect of one's position in the search rankings, which could also potentially set one on the path to riches.
| | | | | Tax deductible | Jun 3, 2009 |
I think Proz membership is well worth the price - helpful and enjoyable in so many ways - and, as far as I know, the cost should be tax-deductible as a business expense.
Best wishes,
Jenny
| | | | AWa (X)
Local time: 03:04
English to German
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| Paying members expect a ROI | Jun 3, 2009 |
Paul Dixon wrote:
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I am also horrified at the increasing frequency of member-only jobs. How can non-payers expect to get jobs if they can't even bid for most of them?
Non-payers - for short: users - are no expected to get jobs. They are expected to become paying members.
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| From the guiding principles | Jun 3, 2009 |
AWa wrote: Paul Dixon wrote:
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I am also horrified at the increasing frequency of member-only jobs. How can non-payers expect to get jobs if they can't even bid for most of them? Non-payers - for short: users - are no expected to get jobs. They are expected to become paying members.
In ProZ.com's guiding principles we find the following:
10. ProZ.com is an open and welcoming community. The workplace has been structured in such a way as to invite and welcome the participation of language professionals or those with language needs, including those who are only occasional visitors or just passers-by. In collaborative areas, everyone - and all contributions - are welcome.
11. Site staff members focus their efforts on serving members first and foremost. While welcoming use of the site by non-paying users, the site team maintains a keen focus on providing great value to the site's paying members, whose fees make this endeavor possible. New features are developed according to member need and feedback.
Regards,
Enrique
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