ProZ.com Translation Forums

Business issues | ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected? | Oncall Interpreters Ltd. is independent of Oncall Europe SL

Andrew Campbell-Boross — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:15:00 +0000

Forum: Business issues
Topic: ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected?
Poster: Andrew Campbell-Boross
Post title: Oncall Interpreters Ltd. is independent of Oncall Europe SL

The insolvency manager has told me that the Spanish company is independent of the British company filing for insolvency, so I have to file my claims against them with the Spanish authorities. Judging by how they repeatedly ignore my messages, it is very likely that they are on the same path.

Off topic | Do you procrastinate? | Y a pas le feu au lac !

Daryo — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:33:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Do you procrastinate?
Poster: Daryo
Post title: Y a pas le feu au lac !

[quote]Philip Lees wrote:

I was going to respond to this topic, but then I decided to leave it until later in the week.

[Edited at 2026-08-03 04:36 GMT] [/quote]

'Next week' would be hasty - I'll be back in a month or two...

Business issues | ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected? | Bad news

Philippe Etienne — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:13:00 +0000

Forum: Business issues
Topic: ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected?
Poster: Philippe Etienne
Post title: Bad news

A French agency I used to work with extensively filed for bankruptcy in 2001 with 3700 of my euros. After a few years, I got 0 euros back from the proceedings.
A French sole trader got personally bankrupt in 2010 with 1500 euros of unpaid invoices, and I got about 1000 euros back after a few years.

Just send your unpaid invoices to the administrators, and wait until the judgment or whatever.

Philippe

[Edited at 2026-08-05 17:15 GMT]

MemoQ support | Import filter for markdown files wanted | Select file type

Rodolfo Raya — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:03:00 +0000

Forum: MemoQ support
Topic: Import filter for markdown files wanted
Poster: Rodolfo Raya
Post title: Select file type

[quote]Katja Heimann-Kiefer wrote:

I downloaded XLIFF Manager but it throws me an error: "Error processing JSON file [path][filename].md.xlf (The system cannot find the specified file)"
[/quote]

Check that "Markdown" is selected as file type before creating the XLIFF

MemoQ support | Import filter for markdown files wanted | Error in XLIFF Manager

Katja Heimann-Kiefer — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:23:00 +0000

Forum: MemoQ support
Topic: Import filter for markdown files wanted
Poster: Katja Heimann-Kiefer
Post title: Error in XLIFF Manager

Thanks, Rodolfo.

I downloaded XLIFF Manager but it throws me an error: "Error processing JSON file [path][filename].md.xlf (The system cannot find the specified file)"

Well I didn't do anything with JSON and if XLIFF Manager doesn't create the required .xlf file I don't know where it would be coming from because I pointed it to an .md file. I have no .xlf file.

I specified the .md file I want to translate, set source and target languanges, markdown and UTF-8 and hit "Create XLIFF". I don't see that I would or could do anything else. Yes, I did look at the documentation. I'm working under German Windows 11.

No luck ...
Katja

MemoQ support | Import filter for markdown files wanted | XLIFF Manager supports Markdown

Rodolfo Raya — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:25:00 +0000

Forum: MemoQ support
Topic: Import filter for markdown files wanted
Poster: Rodolfo Raya
Post title: XLIFF Manager supports Markdown

[quote]

I had a look at XliffManager, Rodolfo. It doesn't specifically mention markdown, so I a little reluctant to test it. So far it seems to import only what Trados itself can do anyway.

As for CafeTran's tips: thank you very much, they do look and sound useful. Just ... I don't know how to use them.
[/quote]

XLIFF Manager supports markdown. You can see it in [url removed]

Business issues | ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected?

Andrew Campbell-Boross — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:07:00 +0000

Forum: Business issues
Topic: ONCALL INTERPRETERS - Insolvency. Is anyone else affected?
Poster: Andrew Campbell-Boross

Hello,

I have been working as a freelance translator for the Spanish subsidiary of "Oncall Interpreters" (Oncall Europa SL) for the last few months. I have outstanding invoices for over 2000€, and my alarm rang when the oldest one of these, sent about 75 days ago, was still unpaid after the due date. I sent several emails to the administration team, which were ignored on the majority of occasions. Finally, last week, they admitted that there was a delay caused by and "internal audit" without specifying when the payment will finally be made. Therefore, I decided to stop accepting any new jobs from this company. However, they kept on assigning me new work on their system until today.

Fast forward to today. I receive an email from an insolvency manager of a company called Smith & Barnes ( [url removed] ), with the following text:

Dear Sir / Madam,
Oncall Interpreters Ltd - in administration (‘the Company’)

I write to inform you that on 24 July 2026, Philippa Smith and I were appointed as Joint Administrators of the
Company.

It is our understanding that you were instructed on a self-employed basis to provide translation services to
the Company’s clients. I regret to inform you that as a result of the Administration, the Company has ceased
trading with immediate effect. Consequently, the Company will not be fulfilling any existing contractual
arrangements, and no further services should be provided by yourself.

If you have undertaken interpreting assignments prior to our appointment for which you have not yet been
paid, please ensure that you submit any outstanding invoices to us as soon as possible. Unfortunately, any
invoices outstanding will not be paid in the normal course of business and will instead rank as an unsecured
claim in the Administration.

We appreciate that this news will be disappointing and thank you for the professional services you have
provided to the Company. We also thank you for your cooperation and understanding during the
administration process.

Yours sincerely

Jessica Thomas
Joint Administrator

If anyone else has worked for this company and is facing the same situation, I would like to get in touch to see how we should proceed to protect our interests.

MemoQ support | Import filter for markdown files wanted | Cool, thanks. But how do I run a macro?

Katja Heimann-Kiefer — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:58:00 +0000

Forum: MemoQ support
Topic: Import filter for markdown files wanted
Poster: Katja Heimann-Kiefer
Post title: Cool, thanks. But how do I run a macro?

Hi Rodolfo and CafeTran,

first of all: sorry for the late reply – I was pretty busy during the past few days.

I had a look at XliffManager, Rodolfo. It doesn't specifically mention markdown, so I a little reluctant to test it. So far it seems to import only what Trados itself can do anyway.

As for CafeTran's tips: thank you very much, they do look and sound useful. Just ... I don't know how to use them. I downloaded the macro, but in which environment do I apply it to the file? I also downloaded the chained filter from the io groups but same problem: How do I get memoQ to take note of this filter?

I'd be grateful for further directions.

Cheers
Katja

Getting established | New translator looking for career advice. | Your postgraduate course provider

philgoddard — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:35:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: New translator looking for career advice.
Poster: philgoddard
Post title: Your postgraduate course provider

should have told you the translation profession is on its last legs.

Interpreting | Interpretation projects in France and the country of Georgia.

yugoslavia — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:28:00 +0000

Forum: Interpreting
Topic: Interpretation projects in France and the country of Georgia.
Poster: yugoslavia

Dear French colleagues from Proz.com,

I hope you are doing well in France and also in other European countries.

I'm writing to you because I was hired for an interpretation project in Paris, France, and in the country of Georgia. I have some questions for those colleagues who live in France and are familiar with the country.

Do they have shuttle services from Orly International Airport in Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport? Or shuttle services to the hotels?

Do you know if they have trains or buses from both airports? (Orly and Charles de Gaulle)

I sent a message to the airport, but I haven't gotten a response.

I need to take a flight from that airport to Tbilisi, Georgia. I haven't traveled there in many years. I was last there more than 24 years ago. They have many new buildings in the city now.

Do you also know a good travel website or travel agency where I can find a hotel for a good price close to Orly Airport in Paris? Or close to the Latin Quarter neighborhood in Paris?

We may stay in Paris for two days. I will be interpreting in two conferences there.

We may travel there in around seven days. Feel free to write to me in Spanish. I'm originally from Spain.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Yugoslavia

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | After-glow

Dan Lucas — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:13:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: After-glow

[quote]Philip Lees wrote:
Don't forget that hers was the generation that lived through WWII - the Blitz and so on[/quote]
I often think of this quote from The Siege of Krishnapur.

"We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us....but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?"

My sense is we have an (understandable) bias that favours the accomplishments of living generations. There is this idea that all movement is "progress", and in some way inevitable and laudable. But suppose that the movement of some aspects of society is not a straight line but a curve, gentle enough not to be initially recognized as such. If that unperceived shift continues, the direction of travel will eventually be backward rather than forward.

Could we have survived let alone thrived under the conditions experienced by those who came before us, such as Philip's grandmother? Would we just buckle down and get through it or would we fail? And if the latter, what would that say about us?

I suppose the corollary would be to question whether Philip's grandmother could have survived the morally chaotic luxury of our times, where the vast majority of those living in western or equivalent societies enjoy better conditions than were available at any previous point in history.

Dan

[Edited at 2026-08-05 07:15 GMT]

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Grandmother

Philip Lees — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:46:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Grandmother

[quote]The Shredder wrote:

Older people previously didn’t have the money or health to be having fun later in life. And it wasn’t the done thing, perhaps. [/quote]
My grandmother used to throw great parties. Don't forget that hers was the generation that lived through WWII - the Blitz and so on - when having fun at home, despite what was going on, could be considered as a gesture of defiance.

Translator resources | Interpretation project in France and Georgia.

yugoslavia — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 01:52:00 +0000

Forum: Translator resources
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: yugoslavia

Dear French colleagues from Proz.com,

I hope you are doing well in France and also in other European countries.

I'm writing to you because I was hired for an interpretation project in Paris, France, and the country of Georgia. I have some questions for those who live in France and are familiar with the country.

Do they have shuttle services from Orly International Airport in Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport? Or shuttle services to the hotels?

Do you know if they have trains or buses from both airports? (Orly and Charles de Gaulle)

I sent a message to the airport, but I haven't gotten a response.

I need to take a flight from that airport to Tbilisi, Georgia. I haven't traveled there in many years. I was last there more than 24 years ago. They have many new buildings now.

Do you know a good travel website or travel agency where I can find a hotel for a good price close to Orly Airport in Paris? Or close to the Latin Quarter neighborhood in Paris? We may stay in Paris for two days. I will be Interpreting in two conferences there.

We may travel there in around seven days. Feel free to write to me in Spanish.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Yugoslavia.

Scams | Impersonation of Flynde Translation Solutions using real translators' names

Andrea Capuselli — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:33:00 +0000

Forum: Scams
Topic: Impersonation of Flynde Translation Solutions using real translators' names
Poster: Andrea Capuselli

ProZ.com has received reports of scammers impersonating legitimate translation companies and, in some cases, professional translators in order to recruit linguists for fraudulent translation projects.

One company known to have been impersonated is Flynde Translation Solutions, which has confirmed receiving multiple reports of this type of fraud. According to the company, the scammers frequently:

- Claim to represent legitimate translation companies while using generic email addresses (such as Gmail) instead of the company's official domain.
- Use the names and profile photos of real translators without their knowledge or permission.
- Offer unusually high translation rates or unusually attractive working conditions to encourage quick acceptance.
- Misrepresent their affiliation with legitimate companies.

If you receive an unsolicited translation offer, especially one that seems unusually lucrative, we recommend that you:

- Verify that the sender's email address matches the official domain of the company they claim to represent.
- Independently confirm the sender's identity through the company's official website or contact information.
- Be cautious of requests for personal information, payments, or other sensitive data.
- Report suspicious communications to the company being impersonated and, whether you received the communication through the site or not, to ProZ.com Support.

Please note that the use of a translator's name or photograph in these scams does not imply that the translator is involved. In one reported case, a translator whose identity was being used confirmed that they had no connection whatsoever with the company the scammer claimed to represent.

As always, if an offer appears too good to be true, take a moment to verify its legitimacy before responding.

You can always reach us at ProZ.com/Help

Scams | Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank | No evolution

William Bowley — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:53:00 +0000

Forum: Scams
Topic: Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank
Poster: William Bowley
Post title: No evolution

The strangest part of these "offers" is that with all the technology (yes, even AI) presently available, people still fail to write a remotely believable professional text, when this has never been easier.

It's as if it's a copy/paste from 30 years ago.

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Scraped knees and lasting friendships

expressisverbis — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:35:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: Scraped knees and lasting friendships

One memory that seems to unite many of us in Generation X is falling off our bikes.
We'd simply get up, brush ourselves off, wipe the blood from a scraped knee, and carry on as if nothing had happened. Looking back now, it still makes me smile.
Those were simple times, but they gave me memories and friendships that have stayed with me ever since.
I also think resilience is one of the defining traits of Generation X. Those childhood experiences taught us that falling wasn't the end of the story. You got back up, learned from it, and kept going.
Somehow, that became a lesson for life, at least for me. It's probably one of the reasons I don't subscribe to the idea that everything is doomed in our profession.

Confession: I absolutely hate the '80s. 😂
But I do love having grown up as part of Generation X. Those are two very different things.

Off topic | Do you procrastinate? | YES

Zea_Mays — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:50:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Do you procrastinate?
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: YES

I find procrastination annoying, but what I procrastinate even more.

Scams | Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank | @Sandra

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:47:00 +0000

Forum: Scams
Topic: Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: @Sandra

Red flags all over. It looks very much like an impersonation:

[url removed]
[url removed]

As I couldn't find her email address, I would contact her through LinkedIn...

Scams | Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank

expressisverbis — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:42:00 +0000

Forum: Scams
Topic: Impersonation of a legitimate USA bank
Poster: expressisverbis

Has anyone else received emails like this recently?

This morning, I received an unsolicited "project opportunity" from someone claiming to be the Chief Customer Officer of M&T Bank, USA.
However, the email was sent from a Gmail address rather than an official corporate domain.
The message was very vague, contained no project details, and simply invited me to reply for more information.
Whether this is a phishing attempt or another type of scam, it appears to be an impersonation of a legitimate company.
It's a good reminder to verify the sender's email domain before responding to unsolicited offers, especially when they claim to represent a well-known organization.
Has anyone else received similar emails impersonating banks or other major companies?
Be careful!

Here's the email:

"From: Krista Phillips

Dear sandra Flor Ferreira dos Santos,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Krista Phillips, and I serve as the Chief Customer Officer, M&T Bank, USA.

I am reaching out to present an exciting project opportunity that I believe could be of great interest to you. I would love to collaborate with you on this endeavor, and if you're interested, I’d be happy to share all the necessary details.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your positive response.

Warm regards,

Krista Phillips
Chief Customer Officer
M&T Bank, USA.
P.O. Box 1302 Buffalo, NY [phone removed] "

Translation Theory and Practice | Getting my book? | Yes

Samuel Murray — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:01:00 +0000

Forum: Translation Theory and Practice
Topic: Getting my book?
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Yes

[quote]Gregor Trebec wrote:
Who should I contact? The agency? [/quote]
Yes. You have no relationship with the end-client, so you should not communicate with the end-client.

If the book is truly published, and is free, you can of course follow the route that any member of the public would follow when they want to get a copy of the book.

Translation Theory and Practice | Getting my book?

Gregor Trebec — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:54:00 +0000

Forum: Translation Theory and Practice
Topic: Getting my book?
Poster: Gregor Trebec

Hi,

I want to get the book that i translated, when it is done. The book is free of charge therefore i assume it wouldn't be too much problem. It is Slovenian book translated into English by me, for Canadian region. Who should i contact? The agency?

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Nuance

The Shredder — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 06:25:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Nuance

You might well be right, Philip. My kids have turned out fine, despite my best efforts, but my partner’s daughter is stuck down a phone-based spray-tanned fast-fashion rabbit hole of unfathomable entitlement.

I find people bleeding on about lattes and avocados in the broadsheets somewhat irksome, but I do see the young wasting money left, right and centre. Their lifestyles seem much more lavish than ours at their age. But wages are low, jobs are being lost rapidly to AI and housing is so much more expensive now. At some point they’re going to have to buckle down and fund my pension.

My point about affording to have fun also works retrospectively, I think. Older people previously didn’t have the money or health to be having fun later in life. And it wasn’t the done thing, perhaps. And lots of them were still working.

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Fun

Philip Lees — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:50:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Fun

[quote]The Shredder wrote:

*can afford to have fun [/quote]
I do appreciate your point, Chris, but I really don't think that's it.

I would certainly not necessarily equate having fun with spending money, and actually I think I would feel sorry for anyone who did.

When I was a kid, in the 1950s, most of the things I and my friends did for fun didn't involve money at all. Apart from that, my family used to throw parties, where people would do "turns" and we played silly party games. They were great fun. Do people even do things like that any more?

Fun means different things to different people, and involves many aspects, but I would say that two essential components for having fun are: 1) exercising your imagination, and 2) having a well-developed sense of the ridiculous, the absurd. With those skills at your disposal, you can have fun doing not very much at all. But I think the constant media bombardment people are subjected to nowadays must make it much harder to develop those skills.

Back to my early childhood, we had a radio in the house, but no TV until I was 6 or 7 (most people didn't). We used to read a lot, which is a great way to develop the imagination, and we would take stories from the books and act them out in our kids' games. My parents would bring a new batch of books from the local library every couple of weeks.

Do kids even read books any more?

I know this isn't the kind of fun Maria Teresa's quoted article was talking about, but I think once you've learned to have fun, you never forget how to do it, and the fun you have as a child gets extrapolated into different activities during adulthood.

But some people never learn.

[Edited at 2026-08-04 04:52 GMT]

[Edited at 2026-08-04 05:45 GMT]

ProZ.com technical support | It takes forever for a job listing to open.

José J. Martínez — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:18:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: It takes forever for a job listing to open.
Poster: José J. Martínez

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | unique strengths

Lucas Fischer — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:06:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Lucas Fischer
Post title: unique strengths

Ageing disgracefully sounds more like embracing life than resisting it. Many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have shown how adapting to change — from typewriters to AI — keeps us vibrant. Instead of focusing on generational divides, it’s inspiring to see how each group brings unique strengths. Living with curiosity and humor may be the best way to age “disgracefully” yet gracefully.

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Ageing disgracefully?

Daryo — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:36:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Daryo
Post title: Ageing disgracefully?

Sounds like a far more interesting variant.

Off topic | Ageing disgracefully | Generations

expressisverbis — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:18:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: Generations

Much of today's public discussion focuses on Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z.
But Gen X is sometimes called the "middle child" of generations because it receives comparatively less media attention.
However, let's keep in mind that they learned to use typewriters, fax machines, floppy disks, dial-up internet, smartphones, cloud computing, and AI.
They remember finding information in libraries and paper encyclopedias, but they also adapted to search engines, smartphones, and now AI.
Of course, it's worth remembering that people's personalities and values are shaped by many factors (temperament, family, education, peers, culture, opportunities, and their own choices over time) besides the years in which they were born.

Off topic | Transferring PC-PC | .exes

Gjorgji Apostolovski — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:48:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Transferring PC-PC
Poster: Gjorgji Apostolovski
Post title: .exes

I think that from pc to pc for .exeS the best way would it be to reinstall them freshly on the new pc and new OS, but if you have any licensed software locked on machine Id you might got problems.

Winpinator allows you to transfer files (no .exes) via local wi fi network. So, no usb cables, external drives...
Also works from Windows to Linux and vice versa.

AI for translators and interpreters | What to do starting in September | Well..

Gregor Trebec — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:36:00 +0000

Forum: AI for translators and interpreters
Topic: What to do starting in September
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: Well..

What to do, what to do... :D

AI for translators and interpreters | What to do starting in September

MassimoA — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:04:00 +0000

Forum: AI for translators and interpreters
Topic: What to do starting in September
Poster: MassimoA

Translation will exist forever; the sector will never face a crisis.
The evolution of AI will necessitate the creation of new roles - such as AI verifier or AI-assisted interpreter (a role that, in theory, anyone could perform).
We need to give this serious thought starting in September.
Happy holidays, everyone.