Poll: Do you avoid checking your email while you are translating?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Oct 2, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you avoid checking your email while you are translating?".

This poll was originally submitted by Silvia Vallejo. View the poll results »



Mahtab Alam
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:08
Member (2006)
German to English
Other Oct 2, 2018

I always get a small notification at the bottom right side of my screen and if it is important then I look into it as soon as I can otherwise I just ignore it.

Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Mike Sadler (X)
José Henrique Lamensdorf
Philippe Etienne
Marcos Carou Balado
Felipe Oliveira
John Fossey
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 10:08
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Oct 2, 2018

I’ve turned off the alert pop-up, but I check my email every hour.

Catherine De Crignis
Mario Freitas
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 11:08
French to English
Can't afford to miss a request! Oct 2, 2018

My phone bleeps when an email comes in, so I can react quickly to any requests. That's the way I like it. I do lots of little jobs, so there's not usually much turnaround time, I need to be responsive.

Kay-Viktor Stegemann
John Fossey
Mario Freitas
Spyros Salimpas
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
no need Oct 2, 2018

When a new email comes, the server sends a sms to my mobile (cutting it significantly), so I can hear and check WHO sent WHAT, and then I decide to check it now or later.

 
Selene Desiré Bovo
Selene Desiré Bovo  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 07:08
English to Spanish
+ ...
I try to but... Oct 2, 2018

Michael Harris wrote:

I always get a small notification at the bottom right side of my screen and if it is important then I look into it as soon as I can otherwise I just ignore it.


I use the same system, because I understand PMs need prompt answers. However, I turn them off if I have a complicated job and/or deadline (and try to let PMs know as well).

[Editado a las 2018-10-02 11:49 GMT]


 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:08
Member (2006)
German to English
Mine Oct 2, 2018

Selene Desiré Bovo wrote:

Michael Harris wrote:

I always get a small notification at the bottom right side of my screen and if it is important then I look into it as soon as I can otherwise I just ignore it.


I use the same system, because I understand PMs need prompt answers. However, I turn them off if I have a complicated job and/or deadline (and try to let PMs know as well).

[Editado a las 2018-10-02 11:49 GMT]


disappears after about 5 seconds by itself.


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:08
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Other Oct 2, 2018

Normally I avoid checking email while being busy with other work related projects, usually creative writing/translating. The only exception is when I'm expecting an important email. Other than that I check my email every 60 - 75 minutes.

Diana Obermeyer
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:08
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Oct 2, 2018

I check my work mail from time to time to see if any new work-related messages have come in. One of clients regularly sends me jobs through an e-mail link to their online platform, and although they are non-urgent, I try to get them done ASAP so that they don't pile up.
I've just switched on my PC and checked my inbox, but there's nothing there, so I can get on with the other jobs I have in hand.
I do have the annoying pop-up thing from Cortana or whatever it is that Microsoft in its
... See more
I check my work mail from time to time to see if any new work-related messages have come in. One of clients regularly sends me jobs through an e-mail link to their online platform, and although they are non-urgent, I try to get them done ASAP so that they don't pile up.
I've just switched on my PC and checked my inbox, but there's nothing there, so I can get on with the other jobs I have in hand.
I do have the annoying pop-up thing from Cortana or whatever it is that Microsoft in its wisdom has foisted upon us, but it's only "synched" to my other accounts, which I don't use for work, so I usually ignore them.
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Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 07:08
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Are you kidding? Oct 2, 2018

Most of the job proposals I receive require confirmation of availability. Taking too long to reply is the same as throwing jobs down the gutter. My e-mail is open 24 hours a day, and it rings when a new message arrives.

Robert Forstag
 
Caroline Lakey
Caroline Lakey  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 11:08
French to English
Text to Speech Oct 2, 2018

I do lots of short turnaround jobs, but I find constantly checking my email wastes time and distracts me. I use a phone app that reads out the sender's name and subject line of emails from my clients (predefined list of addresses) as they come in. It's set to operate from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. That way, I'm aware of client emails immediately, whether I'm at my desk translating or washing up, but I'm not constantly checking for messages.
I've had this set-up for a couple of years n
... See more
I do lots of short turnaround jobs, but I find constantly checking my email wastes time and distracts me. I use a phone app that reads out the sender's name and subject line of emails from my clients (predefined list of addresses) as they come in. It's set to operate from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. That way, I'm aware of client emails immediately, whether I'm at my desk translating or washing up, but I'm not constantly checking for messages.
I've had this set-up for a couple of years now and it works well for me.
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Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:08
German to English
+ ...
Rewording it Oct 2, 2018

"While I am translating" - It could be a job lasting days. I have translation sessions with breaks "during" the time that I am translating. Checking my e-mail is one of the planned tasks during those breaks. It's not a matter of "avoiding" but planning when this necessary task is performed (how often, when).

Diana Obermeyer
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:08
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I try to, but ... Oct 3, 2018

Like others, I receive the notices in the lower right-hand corner of my screen. It's useful for hearing from clients, but most of my jobs are long and once I get started I don't hear back.

That said, I'm too easily tempted by the other e-mails that come in and sometimes I let them interrupt my work. In case anyone hasn't noticed, we have an election coming up in the U.S., as well as a Supreme Court nomination hanging in the balance, and I do like to see the latest news on the candid
... See more
Like others, I receive the notices in the lower right-hand corner of my screen. It's useful for hearing from clients, but most of my jobs are long and once I get started I don't hear back.

That said, I'm too easily tempted by the other e-mails that come in and sometimes I let them interrupt my work. In case anyone hasn't noticed, we have an election coming up in the U.S., as well as a Supreme Court nomination hanging in the balance, and I do like to see the latest news on the candidates and how key issues are unfolding.
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Debora d'Amato (X)
Debora d'Amato (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:08
English to Italian
+ ...
Always turned on Oct 3, 2018

I never turn my email notification off. Whether it's on my phone or on my PC, I always let the notifications on.

 


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Poll: Do you avoid checking your email while you are translating?






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