tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post7325691253344462462..comments2024-03-06T02:46:19.929+00:00Comments on Translation Tribulations: No mercy for PDF jobs!Kevin Lossnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727800526216764023noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-14724719721568035912014-11-04T15:42:56.159+00:002014-11-04T15:42:56.159+00:00Hi, Lord Costner. Hope you're having fun with ...Hi, Lord Costner. Hope you're having fun with your recreational drones on the shores of Freelance Bay in the Caribbean. Anyway, I'm recommending this despite the fact that, as you know, I disagree with the notion of including OCR in a translator's... well, not exactly business model but personal to-do list — as I believe OCR and similar tasks are best left to office assistants, which translators are not (regardless of the fact that many office assistants are better educated and earn more than many translators). Anyway. I love the point about original editable files being miraculously found the moment they realize you won't budge on the PDF surcharge. I believe I've used similar phrasing when writing about this problem without the benefit of having read your little post here.<br /><br />I don't mind normal PDF jobs, but the moment formatting becomes an important issue, as in the client wants the formatting 'preserved', i.e. reproduced, I begin to wonder what's wrong with those people — and I'm led to think, perhaps in error, that there must be some magic allure to the format. Years ago it used to project status because not everybody had the software or the skill or thought to use it. There are obviously some legitimate reasons to make the PDF version the default version of a document, e.g. printer compatibility, word processor compatibility etc., but I can't resist the thought that some of those guys have some sort of special feelings for the format.<br /><br />(Of course, there is also the suspicion that PDF-to-.doc sculpting is some agencies' idea of added value or not-so-USP to justify prices with. Essentially a way of impressing their clients, like anybody's gonna be impressed with that.)<br /><br />Anyway, bottom line: put a surcharge on PDF, and .doc will be found.Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewiczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08918639829529412108noreply@blogger.com