Forum: Subtitling
Topic: Netflix Hermes test
Poster: Michele Vartuli
Post title: More odds and ends while we all wait for those dad-blamed scores...
[quote]Ivan Czar wrote:
People start cheating on the Hermes test. They take a screenshot and then ask translators to give them the right answers. The problem is if they will collect the phrases sooner or later they can create ultimate keys as the number of phrases are limited.[/quote]
Uh... I wonder who are these good samaritans, skilled translators who, instead of taking the test themselves, are helping others cheat...
[quote]José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I wish you had no reason to congratulate me. Heck, I'm a professional EN <> PT translator![/quote]
You are right, of course, reading/writing skills and vocabulary are the tools of our trade and everyone should keep their toolbox tidy and well-furnished. But with my compliment I meant that you not only write perfectly in English, but also with style and wit. That's more than being merely a competent translator (kinda like being an eye surgeon who excels at carving a turkey).
[quote]Sonny_dbb wrote:
Finished the tests some 2 weeks ago, wondering if they are actually being evaluated at all, since I wasn't able to find any comments on the 'net from anyone who actually had their results from Netflix.[/quote]
I think this delay in the results is actually a good sign. Considering the enormity of the endeavor, and the fact that two segments of the test require subjective scrutiny, if the results came back too quickly, I'd be suspicious. Even though the video segments to be translated are short, there are MILLIONS of them, folks, or - considering the ubiquitous nature of Netflix and the oh-so-sweet rates they're promising per minute, I wouldn't be surprised if the total number of tests bordered on one BILLION. They have a lot on their plate right now. How are they gonna pull this off? Maybe the first assignment they'll pass to the first really brilliant translators they can find is... grading tests, LOL! That would be a very Netflix way of handling it.
[quote]kiara kiaora wrote:
I managed to complete the first 3 stages of the test without any technical problem, however as soon as I started stage 4 the videos stopped loading, obviously the timer still ran (until I pressed the link to the support email).
When I checked the dashboard I also noticed that it was displaying 6 stages (stage 5 being counted twice).[/quote]
kiara, to stop the timer, they said you have to close your browser window. I've tried it and that really works. When you log in again, the timer starts again from where it left off.
I'm glad I've managed to register, get my Hermes number and do my test without any hassles, after reading so many horror stories from other candidates. I don't know whether these people have done anything wrong in the process without realizing it (maybe using a web browser other than Chrome?) or it's just bad luck. I've experienced a little video buffering when I was wrapping up my test, too, but nothing too despairing. I would advise anyone to do their tests late at night (like I did), after 2 or 3 AM, to avoid a throttled Internet connection due to local traffic. Remember that streaming video has to go through many nodes to get to your computer, and any one of those could be strangled, even if you're getting full speed at your end. And Stage 5 is actually two videos. That's just the way it is. It was like that in the Portuguese and Italian tests I took. Maybe they decided that just one video segment was too little material and added a second one. In the test description it says it takes 90 minutes to complete the test, but that's if you count only one of the Stages 5. Go figure.
[quote]José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I went there, and all the red bar does is expanding and collapsing the "Thank you for your time." message.
That bar doesn't serve any drinks either.[/quote]
Complimentary drinks would be a nice idea. Or maybe they could give all of us subscriptions as a freebie, so we can while away the time watching something. BTW, my nephew also took the test and he said they probably got the inspiration for this from that "3%" show XD
[quote]Firyuza Mrd wrote:
Yes, I saw my results[/quote]
Not meaning to pry here, but what were your results? Did you pass? I'm guessing you probably passed, if you're still interested and reading this forum...
[quote]Jan Truper wrote:
My time is one of the products I sell as a freelance translator. When I spend time do an unpaid test, I'd like to know beforehand what awaits me in the likely event that I pass.
For the Hermes test, there is no clear indication what will be offered exactly. There is no contact person to provide any info, either. As I said in another post, I find this all very kafkaesque.[/quote]
Wow... are you really that badly pressed for time, or you dislike Kafka so much, that you can't spend 60 minutes (or less, if you are any good) in this Kafkaesque universe in order to take the friggin' test? For the chance to be paid double (probably) what your vendor pays you? And yet you found the time to take the test on behalf of your vendor??? Come again?
Are your vendor's glossaries or their "courtesy" that important to you? Not to mention the fact that when you bad-mouth Netflix (with their crappy test platform and their evil schemes to increase that hated commodity, quality, in their subtitles), i.e., the company who pays you AND your beloved vendor, you're biting the hand that feeds you worse than a rabid dog.
I've read the occasional piece of crap on this thread, but this one takes the cake. Congratulations.
Topic: Netflix Hermes test
Poster: Michele Vartuli
Post title: More odds and ends while we all wait for those dad-blamed scores...
[quote]Ivan Czar wrote:
People start cheating on the Hermes test. They take a screenshot and then ask translators to give them the right answers. The problem is if they will collect the phrases sooner or later they can create ultimate keys as the number of phrases are limited.[/quote]
Uh... I wonder who are these good samaritans, skilled translators who, instead of taking the test themselves, are helping others cheat...
[quote]José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I wish you had no reason to congratulate me. Heck, I'm a professional EN <> PT translator![/quote]
You are right, of course, reading/writing skills and vocabulary are the tools of our trade and everyone should keep their toolbox tidy and well-furnished. But with my compliment I meant that you not only write perfectly in English, but also with style and wit. That's more than being merely a competent translator (kinda like being an eye surgeon who excels at carving a turkey).
[quote]Sonny_dbb wrote:
Finished the tests some 2 weeks ago, wondering if they are actually being evaluated at all, since I wasn't able to find any comments on the 'net from anyone who actually had their results from Netflix.[/quote]
I think this delay in the results is actually a good sign. Considering the enormity of the endeavor, and the fact that two segments of the test require subjective scrutiny, if the results came back too quickly, I'd be suspicious. Even though the video segments to be translated are short, there are MILLIONS of them, folks, or - considering the ubiquitous nature of Netflix and the oh-so-sweet rates they're promising per minute, I wouldn't be surprised if the total number of tests bordered on one BILLION. They have a lot on their plate right now. How are they gonna pull this off? Maybe the first assignment they'll pass to the first really brilliant translators they can find is... grading tests, LOL! That would be a very Netflix way of handling it.
[quote]kiara kiaora wrote:
I managed to complete the first 3 stages of the test without any technical problem, however as soon as I started stage 4 the videos stopped loading, obviously the timer still ran (until I pressed the link to the support email).
When I checked the dashboard I also noticed that it was displaying 6 stages (stage 5 being counted twice).[/quote]
kiara, to stop the timer, they said you have to close your browser window. I've tried it and that really works. When you log in again, the timer starts again from where it left off.
I'm glad I've managed to register, get my Hermes number and do my test without any hassles, after reading so many horror stories from other candidates. I don't know whether these people have done anything wrong in the process without realizing it (maybe using a web browser other than Chrome?) or it's just bad luck. I've experienced a little video buffering when I was wrapping up my test, too, but nothing too despairing. I would advise anyone to do their tests late at night (like I did), after 2 or 3 AM, to avoid a throttled Internet connection due to local traffic. Remember that streaming video has to go through many nodes to get to your computer, and any one of those could be strangled, even if you're getting full speed at your end. And Stage 5 is actually two videos. That's just the way it is. It was like that in the Portuguese and Italian tests I took. Maybe they decided that just one video segment was too little material and added a second one. In the test description it says it takes 90 minutes to complete the test, but that's if you count only one of the Stages 5. Go figure.
[quote]José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I went there, and all the red bar does is expanding and collapsing the "Thank you for your time." message.
That bar doesn't serve any drinks either.[/quote]
Complimentary drinks would be a nice idea. Or maybe they could give all of us subscriptions as a freebie, so we can while away the time watching something. BTW, my nephew also took the test and he said they probably got the inspiration for this from that "3%" show XD
[quote]Firyuza Mrd wrote:
Yes, I saw my results[/quote]
Not meaning to pry here, but what were your results? Did you pass? I'm guessing you probably passed, if you're still interested and reading this forum...
[quote]Jan Truper wrote:
My time is one of the products I sell as a freelance translator. When I spend time do an unpaid test, I'd like to know beforehand what awaits me in the likely event that I pass.
For the Hermes test, there is no clear indication what will be offered exactly. There is no contact person to provide any info, either. As I said in another post, I find this all very kafkaesque.[/quote]
Wow... are you really that badly pressed for time, or you dislike Kafka so much, that you can't spend 60 minutes (or less, if you are any good) in this Kafkaesque universe in order to take the friggin' test? For the chance to be paid double (probably) what your vendor pays you? And yet you found the time to take the test on behalf of your vendor??? Come again?
Are your vendor's glossaries or their "courtesy" that important to you? Not to mention the fact that when you bad-mouth Netflix (with their crappy test platform and their evil schemes to increase that hated commodity, quality, in their subtitles), i.e., the company who pays you AND your beloved vendor, you're biting the hand that feeds you worse than a rabid dog.
I've read the occasional piece of crap on this thread, but this one takes the cake. Congratulations.