Lists: Can I see if a message was sent to a list or to me personally? Thread poster: Samuel Murray
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 21:02
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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G'day everyone
This is not really a "job system" question but a question about the lists feature. I understand that agencies can use the lists feature to contact multiple translators simultaneously. They just create a list of tranlators, and then select all members in the list and send a single e-mail to all of them, in one go.
My question is: can recipients of such a message see that the message was sent to a list and not to them personally? In other words, can I ea... See more G'day everyone
This is not really a "job system" question but a question about the lists feature. I understand that agencies can use the lists feature to contact multiple translators simultaneously. They just create a list of tranlators, and then select all members in the list and send a single e-mail to all of them, in one go.
My question is: can recipients of such a message see that the message was sent to a list and not to them personally? In other words, can I easily distinguish between an e-mail in which the client says "we looked carefully at your profile page", which was really sent from my profile page, and an identical mail that was actually sent to a list of translators?
Thanks
Samuel ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:02
Hebrew to English
| From what I remember.... | Aug 10, 2013 |
When I have messages sent via ProZ to me personally, when I look in the "To:" field at the top of the email it actually has my email address in it, when it has been mass-emailed (apart from the generic salutations and valedictions) the "To:" field has "ProZ.com Lists" in it instead.
I may be mistaken though, so don't take this as gospel.
[Edited at 2013-08-10 10:44 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 20:02
Member (2007)
English
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| I'm not sure, either | Aug 10, 2013 |
I think there might be that distinction that Ty is speaking of, i.e. a message sent from one's profile looks a bit different from one sent from the directory of freelancers. I'm not sure though.
But it would be really, really useful to know how many freelancers a message has been sent to when selecting from the directory. I mean, it can be used as a way to contact one person, or a few of the most likely (I've done that myself for a possible collaboration), or...I don't know off-hand... See more I think there might be that distinction that Ty is speaking of, i.e. a message sent from one's profile looks a bit different from one sent from the directory of freelancers. I'm not sure though.
But it would be really, really useful to know how many freelancers a message has been sent to when selecting from the directory. I mean, it can be used as a way to contact one person, or a few of the most likely (I've done that myself for a possible collaboration), or...I don't know off-hand if there's a limit.
I've occasionally received messages that have 'apologised' for sending a message to several people therefore lacking the personal salutation etc. - which I don't see as a problem at all when it's made clear, especially when there's some urgency. But at other times, there's absolutely no indication, AFAIK.
It would be great if we could be advised of the number of addressees. Really great!!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | James McVay
United States
Local time: 15:02
Russian to English
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| Subtlest of wording | Aug 10, 2013 |
I can often tell if an email is sent to me personally from the way it's worded. If not, I just assume I'm one addressee of many. Then, unless I think I have a good shot at getting the job -- or it's something I'm really interested in -- I'll just ignore it. I have had the sender send a follow-up email occasionally however.
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| I think so too | Aug 10, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
When I have messages sent via ProZ to me personally, when I look in the "To:" field at the top of the email it actually has my email address in it, when it has been mass-emailed (apart from the generic salutations and valedictions) the "To:" field has "ProZ.com Lists" in it instead.
I may be mistaken though, so don't take this as gospel.
[Edited at 2013-08-10 10:44 GMT]
And I've definitely seen 'ProZ.com Lists' lately in the address field of what was definitely a professed mass e-mail.
James McVay wrote:
I can often tell if an email is sent to me personally from the way it's worded. If not, I just assume I'm one addressee of many. Then, unless I think I have a good shot at getting the job -- or it's something I'm really interested in -- I'll just ignore it.
So do I.
Edit: Sometimes it may be sent individually but still the same thing everybody else receives. A really targeted offer or inquiry wouldn't normally waste breathe on 'exciting opportunities' and such like. Even if marketing lingo actually is used, it's still more personal and sounds like a normal conversation when they write specifically to you. Otherwise, it doesn't really make much difference whether the mail is bulk or serial.
[Edited at 2013-08-10 23:48 GMT]
| | | | | Profile messages and directory messages | Aug 12, 2013 |
Hello all,
You can easily tell the difference between a profile message (those sent directly to you via your profile page) and a message sent to you via the directory of freelance translators and interpreters from the automatic content added:
Profile message:
You have been sent a message via ProZ.com.
Message sent via the directory:
This message was sent to you via the ProZ.com directory.
Hope this clarifies.
Lucia
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 20:02
Member (2007)
English
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| Would the number of addressees be possible? | Aug 12, 2013 |
Lucia Leszinsky wrote:
This message was sent to you via the ProZ.com directory.
Thanks for that info, Lucia.
It would be lovely if the message could read:
This message was sent to you, and nnn others, via the ProZ.com directory.
I normally hate to ignore these messages, unless they're written in a way that makes me feel I have no obligation to the writer (i.e. crazy rates/rude wording/no name given...). But really, if the message has been sent to 40 or so translators, then a reply to say "Thanks, but no thanks" is probably a bit of a nuisance to the sender, as well as to me.
| | | | Inga Petkelyte
Portugal
Local time: 20:02
Lithuanian to Portuguese
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| Dear Me, Dear Translator | Aug 13, 2013 |
For me, that's the most obvious indication.
In other cases, as it has been already mentioned:
when it is personal, the addressee is You; when it is listed (sent from Outlook), the addressee is the same as the sender.
Sometimes they say very clearly "Dear All". I've never believed in such lottery, but once hit "reply", just out of curiosity, and got the job!
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| 'Dear Agency' | Aug 13, 2013 |
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
For me, that's the most obvious indication.
In other cases, as it has been already mentioned:
when it is personal, the addressee is You; when it is listed (sent from Outlook), the addressee is the same as the sender.
Sometimes they say very clearly "Dear All". I've never believed in such lottery, but once hit "reply", just out of curiosity, and got the job!
I've just had a lucid dream about hitting 'send' on a bulk mail starting 'Dear Agency' and featuring some 100 items in the addressee line. Thank you, you made my day.
On the other hand, I do wonder what the reaction would be... And how many new contacts I'd have made in the end. Perhaps I...
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