Free Machine Translation Doesn't Work (says Lionbridge)
Thread poster: Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:02
Finnish to French
Oct 8, 2014

Found today in my mailbox, this invitation to a webinar sent by Lionbridge:



I sure hope Lionbridge's commercial MT solution is better at spelling than their "VP Customer Engagement", Randy Endemann.

And thanks, Randy, for telling me "professional translation is too expensive and cumbersome", much appreciated.


 
Dušan Ján Hlísta
Dušan Ján Hlísta  Identity Verified
Slovakia
Local time: 17:02
English to Slovak
+ ...
Lionbridge Oct 8, 2014

I think Dominique that the best solution toward Lionbridge is totally ignoring their company. DJH

[Edited at 2014-10-08 17:38 GMT]


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 17:02
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
You're being too sensitive Oct 8, 2014

Dominique Pivard wrote:
Found today in my mailbox, this invitation to a webinar sent by Lionbridge...


Also online, here:
http://info.lionbridge.com/GeoFluent-Tired-of-Inaccurate-Translations.html

Global organizations are challenged to provide a consistent level of high-quality, multilingual customer service online. Professional translation is too expensive and cumbersome, and free translation services such as Google Translate are too generic and often unintelligible. It’s time for something better.

Register for our webinar on November 6th, and see for yourself how companies like Nieman Marcus, Dell, and Intuit have solved this problem with GeoFluent. These testimonials will show real results in deploying Real-time automated translation solutions have delivered:
* Increase revenue and conversion rates
* Decrease support costs
* Minimize localized in-country support
* Boost Customer Engagement

Don’t let the failings of free Web translation drive your customers into the hands of the competition. Instead, own the translation process with guaranteed accuracy specific to your company. Register today!


And thanks, Randy, for telling me "professional translation is too expensive and cumbersome", much appreciated.


Well, it is, but you have to read more than just the opening line. It's too expensive and cumbersome... for the thing that they're using their new product for, namely the translation of instant online reviews and chat sessions.

Their produt is called GeoFluent, and it looks interesting:
http://geofluent.lionbridge.com/solutions/text-translator/

They don't say much about it on their web site, but it appears to be freeish machine translation with some added layers of quality checking (e.g. client glossaries, context matching, etc).

These are the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3QOpE3S5CA (online reviews)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D831HxyKW4 (chat)
http://vimeo.com/101129689 (text)

FWIW, geofluent.lionbridge.com is blocked by my malware scanner in the browser as an "unsafe" site.


[Edited at 2014-10-08 20:23 GMT]


 
Václav Pinkava
Václav Pinkava  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:02
Czech to English
+ ...
Ah Oct 8, 2014

"These testimonials will show real results in deploying Real-time automated translation solutions have delivered:"

That's all right then.

Pity it is not English.


 
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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 17:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
Oh how I wish Oct 9, 2014

Dominique Pivard wrote:

...

I sure hope Lionbridge's commercial MT solution is better at spelling than their "VP Customer Engagement", Randy Endemann.

And thanks, Randy, for telling me "professional translation is too expensive and cumbersome", much appreciated.


I really wish we were allowed to swear like troopers on this site. Unfortunately, according to the rules I am unable to fully express my umbrage at that last glib statement from these greedy, grasping (obscene descriptor deleted)…


 
Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales
Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:02
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Can you hear it? Oct 9, 2014

The great big Bronx cheer I just gave to the folks over at Lionbridge!

 
Andrei Shmatkov
Andrei Shmatkov  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 09:02
English to Russian
+ ...
spam :) Oct 9, 2014

just found this "offer" in my spam folder - Gmail spam filter got it right

 
Arianne Farah
Arianne Farah  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 12:02
Member (2008)
English to French
For those who didn't notice... Oct 10, 2014

... what Dominique was referring to when he talked about the VP's spelling, since the discussion seems to be over the content : the HUGE typo, in big, bold print!

Its time [sic]

... they just might be better off with MT


 
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Chié_JP
Chié_JP
Japan
Local time: 01:02
Member (2013)
English to Japanese
+ ...
Cost and nature of the document Apr 28, 2015

Hello,

I know of a company that provides unintelligible machine translated knowledge base with a disclaimer.

Customers usually find their answer in forums, not in help documentation.

Background is that they usually want to hide the fact they postpone or ignore claims by customers
(like they omitted a function in previous version and do not state anything about it etc).

They need to provide an explanation each time they find a security
... See more
Hello,

I know of a company that provides unintelligible machine translated knowledge base with a disclaimer.

Customers usually find their answer in forums, not in help documentation.

Background is that they usually want to hide the fact they postpone or ignore claims by customers
(like they omitted a function in previous version and do not state anything about it etc).

They need to provide an explanation each time they find a security hole or bug
and it wouldn't be translators' job to follow it every time
(too frequent and soon becomes obsolete.)

I do not think this would cause issue to professional translators and
translators get decent job for more conspicuous and productive texts.

If the quality is great then the software must cost as much as
or even more than human translation.
Collapse


 


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Free Machine Translation Doesn't Work (says Lionbridge)






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