Category: Business

Inheritance Tax: The Hidden Tariffs of Folder Structure

~ Paul Filkin ~ Leave a comment

Cartoon of a businessman resembling Donald Trump standing next to a cloud labeled "Trados Cloud," with smaller clouds labeled "Group" and "Project." Another cloud labeled "Tariff" has tags reading "User" and "Customer" hanging from it.Today I’m going to talk about the greatest translation system the world has ever seen, maybe even better than the moon landing, which I could’ve done better, by the way.  Nobody moons over folders like me, folks – I’m the best at it, believe me.  And no more free rides for those sneaky users… joining the cloud like uninvited guests at a Mar-a-Lago party.  Let’s get inheritance under control – time to unleash the power of TRADERS (Trados Research and Development Efficiency Restructuring Squad) to slap some order on those free loaders, making them work for us, not against us.  Stick with me, and we’ll make folder structure great again!

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You can take a CAT to water!

~ Paul Filkin ~ Leave a comment

A cartoon cat in spectacles sits by a riverbank, intently working on a laptop, conveying a blend of nature and technology. He's not drinking!

The phrase “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” emphasises the idea that you can offer opportunities or advantages to someone, but you can’t force them to take action if they’re unwilling. This proverb has deep historical roots, with its first recorded use in Old English around 1175, and it has been in continuous use ever since. It’s often used to illustrate the limits of influence and the importance of individual choice, making it applicable in various contexts, from personal relationships to business settings.

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AI and Community

~ Paul Filkin ~ 2 Comments

An image representing a modern, digital flat icon symbolizing an AI-supported community. It integrates elements of technology and symbols of community and unity, with a futuristic color scheme of blues and greens.I’ve written quite a few articles in the last year or so on the use of AI in a localization setting, and in general as a tool to help you complete technical tasks you may not have been able to do without help until now.  Certainly I’ve been making extensive use of this technology to simplify my life in many ways since I can now achieve in a few minutes things I could only wish I had time to learn until now.  But I thought I’d share a little of the practical use of AI within a community setting as we’ve made great use of this technology to help our users in the RWS Community and I think it largely goes unnoticed.

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Going, going…. gone!

~ Paul Filkin ~ 4 Comments

@paulfilkin twitter profile imageIt may be a little small to read but my social highlights for twitter  were:

      • joined in July 2010
      • tweeted 24.3K times
      • follow 16 users
      • followed by 1878 users

With the exception of youtube twitter was the only social media account I had retained.  youtube is more of a place to host and share videos and less of a platform I have to visit for anything else, so my exposure to the material in there is limited.  Twitter on the other hand… I can’t bring myself to call it X which is one of the most stupid marketing decisions I have seen in years… was a tool I liked to use because through tweetdeck I could easily filter out the nonsense and only be exposed, pretty much, to what I wanted to see.

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Unlocking Linguistic Success: Navigating the Path to Translation and Localization Mastery for Academia’s Rising Stars

~ Paul Filkin ~ 3 Comments

Created by DALL·E: “Create an ink sketch of the Vitruvian Man wearing a students mortar board in the style of Leonardo da Vinci.”The Studious Translator, a pen-and-ink illustration inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s style, depicts a student immersed in the world of translation and localization at a University participating in the RWS Campus academic programme.  Just as the Vitruvian Man embodies the ideal human proportions outlined by the Roman architect Vitruvius, this diligent student exemplifies the harmonious balance of linguistic mastery, cultural understanding, and technical acumen required for success in the field.  The drawing showcases the student in two (hidden) overlapping positions—one representing the precision of translation within a square, and another showcasing the adaptability of localization within a circle. This intriguing illustration not only highlights the student’s dedication to comprehending essential concepts but also their aspiration to innovate and refine them.  Although not the first to capture the essence of translation and localization, the Studious Translator gains iconic status as a symbol of the modern Renaissance in language and technology.  It serves as a testament to the interdisciplinary nature of these fields, weaving together mathematics, linguistics, and art.  The original drawing is carefully preserved in a climate-controlled archive at RWS Campus, exemplifying the programme’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of translation and localization professionals.

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The elephant in my room…

~ Paul Filkin ~ 2 Comments

“In the style of Dali: the elephant in the room, sitting at the boardroom table discussing artificial intelligence.” DALL·EThe reaction I rarely see when discussing artificial intelligence with anyone is indifference.  The reactions I usually see are split between overflowing enthusiasm and overflowing concern.  I rarely have a conversation about them both.  But after writing a few articles on how useful it is, and obviously I spend most of my time in the overflowing with enthusiasm camp, I wanted to address the elephant in the room.

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What’s in a name?

~ Paul Filkin ~ 3 Comments

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

In Shakespeare’s soliloquy, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet isn’t allowed to be with Romeo because his family name is Montague… sworn enemies of the Capulet family.  Of course she doesn’t care about his name, he’d still be everything she wanted irrespective of what he was called.  The rose would still smell as sweet irrespective of what it was called.  “Trados”, “SDL” and “RWS” have endured, or enjoyed, a feuding history as competitors in the same industry.  Our names are our brand and now that they’re changing do we still smell as sweet?  Sadly things don’t end well for poor Romeo and Juliet… but in our story we fare a little better!

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