Only business members and Plus subscribers can contact or be contacted via profile message???
Thread poster: Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:23
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Jun 21, 2018

Am I reading this correctly?
I just downloaded the ProZ mobile app (because the website suddenly stopped working on my ipad - see separate thread about that) and trying it out - it looks and works much better than the first iteration that I uninstalled after 5 minutes, so I am trying it out to see if I can out it to use now.
I tried the directory search, and then tried to see what the little icons under the person's picture do. The blue ribbon does nothing, the Red-P does nothing, an
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Am I reading this correctly?
I just downloaded the ProZ mobile app (because the website suddenly stopped working on my ipad - see separate thread about that) and trying it out - it looks and works much better than the first iteration that I uninstalled after 5 minutes, so I am trying it out to see if I can out it to use now.
I tried the directory search, and then tried to see what the little icons under the person's picture do. The blue ribbon does nothing, the Red-P does nothing, and the little envelope displays a message saying what I put in the title. ("Only business members and Plus subscribers can contact or be contacted via profile message.") Tapping on the picture or the name, or on the phone icon does nothing, I cannot even pull up the person's profile. If I tap on the little heart ark, the app crashes. (I tried several times, the heart definitely crashes the app.)

What use is the directory if contacting people is not possible? I hope this is a bug, and not intentional.

UPDATE: I just checked the benefits list for Regular and Plus membership.
https://www.proz.com/professional-membership
"Exclusive access to ProZ.com services via ProZ.com Mobile (iOS and Android)" is listed for BOTH levels.
I think a useful directory and basic communication is one of the key services of the site.
Please fix this bug soon.

[Edited at 2018-06-21 21:01 GMT]
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Mirko Mainardi
Katalin Szilárd
Jean Dimitriadis
Helen Shiner
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Lucia Leszinsky
Lucia Leszinsky
SITE STAFF
Thanks Jun 25, 2018

Hello Katalin,

Katalin Horváth McClure wrote:

Am I reading this correctly?
I just downloaded the ProZ mobile app (because the website suddenly stopped working on my ipad - see separate thread about that) and trying it out - it looks and works much better than the first iteration that I uninstalled after 5 minutes, so I am trying it out to see if I can out it to use now.
I tried the directory search, and then tried to see what the little icons under the person's picture do. The blue ribbon does nothing, the Red-P does nothing, and the little envelope displays a message saying what I put in the title. ("Only business members and Plus subscribers can contact or be contacted via profile message.") Tapping on the picture or the name, or on the phone icon does nothing, I cannot even pull up the person's profile. If I tap on the little heart ark, the app crashes. (I tried several times, the heart definitely crashes the app.)

What use is the directory if contacting people is not possible? I hope this is a bug, and not intentional.

UPDATE: I just checked the benefits list for Regular and Plus membership.
https://www.proz.com/professional-membership
"Exclusive access to ProZ.com services via ProZ.com Mobile (iOS and Android)" is listed for BOTH levels.
I think a useful directory and basic communication is one of the key services of the site.
Please fix this bug soon.

[Edited at 2018-06-21 21:01 GMT]


Mobile profile messaging restrictions are not a bug, but the way ProZ.com Mobile has been designed, https://www.proz.com/faq/177020#177020. As the message says, directory contact is possible if one party is a Plus subscriber or a Business member.

As for the app crashing when you tap the "Mark as favorite" icon, I'll ask developers to take a look and fix it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Basic profile screens will be enabled soon (so will links to membership and the CPN).

Lucia


 
Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:23
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Very wrong - @Henry, comment please Jun 25, 2018

Lucia Leszinsky wrote:

Mobile profile messaging restrictions are not a bug, but the way ProZ.com Mobile has been designed, https://www.proz.com/faq/177020#177020. As the message says, directory contact is possible if one party is a Plus subscriber or a Business member.


Thank you for clarifying this.
I would like Henry to join this discussion, if possible.
I think introducing this restriction is a bad business move and reflects on ProZ very badly.
Here is why.
The ProZ mobile app is not an external channel, it is simply a different interface to the same underlying data that is the essence of ProZ.com. What I mean is that all of us (users, members) contributed our information to the huge database which makes it possible for ProZ to operate this "marketplace". We pay for membership so that our information is presented to potential clients. We jump through various hoops to get a better "placement" in the directory (contribute to KudoZ, declare our security procedures, go through "certification" processes, add our CVs, upload sample translations, upload TMs, disclose our client relationships, etc.), and all of that in turn enhances the quantity and the quality of the data that ProZ.com collects and uses.
This is a give-and-take kind of symbiotic relationship that we agree to.

When the idea of the Plus package was floated, there were discussions about it, and Henry specifically promised that there would be no discrimination against those who stayed with the Standard package, when it comes to the directory. Yet, as I have just discovered (quite by accident) there is this "no contact" restriction, and the directory is quite dysfunctional on the mobile app.

What is happening there is our info is being displayed, but the user is blocked from contacting the person or looking at the profile where other means of contact may be found. A message pops up telling the user they have to pay for Plus or Business membership to be able to send profile messages. What this means is that ProZ.com is using our data not to promote our services, but to promote their own (ProZ's) services. I find this practice dishonest and disgusting. It is not any better than those websites who used to swipe profile info from ProZ and display it on their own website as if we were "their" translators, therefore soliciting business for themselves. ProZ worked hard to shut down these operations (thank you), as these sites were exploiting our information for their own purposes. I thought ProZ was doing this to protect our (ProZ users/members) interest, but I guess there was a fair amount of protecting ProZ business as well in those protective actions.

Now, when I see this contact restriction "design feature", I feel cheated and betrayed. How do you dare using my information to entice people to pay more and at the same time blocking people from contacting me? I have not enabled such a block on my profile. I am paying for ProZ precisely to put my information out there for clients (or colleagues) to contact me. It is like I buy a newspaper ad which the newspaper prints, but it removes my phone number from the ad and instead replaces it with a message saying they need to call the newspaper and pay for that information. How scammy would that be?

I understand it is in ProZ interest to encourage people to upgrade to more expensive membership levels, but this is not the way to do it. The directory and providing means to establish contact IS the main service ProZ provides, so restricting that after we bought into the scheme and established ourselves is dishonest. Sorry, I just cannot find another way to describe it.
(Again, the membership benefits list includes access to ProZ mobile services for both Standard and Plus level users.)

Please revisit this decision and do what is right. You have thousands and thousands of loyal members who do not deserve being treated this way.Thanks.
Katalin

(post edited for typos)

[Edited at 2018-06-25 15:16 GMT]


Mirko Mainardi
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mughwI
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Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:23
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@Henry? Jun 26, 2018

Henry, would you mind joining this discussion?

Daniela Zambrini
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Michele Fauble
writeaway
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Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 14:23
Spanish to English
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Think GDPR Jun 27, 2018

I’ve said it before (and Henry knows better than I do myself where to find it). And I’ll say it again:

In recent times, on the mobile platform (which I have never visited) as elsewhere (eg: https://www.proz.com/topic/325651 ) Proz.com has been surreptitiously re-purposing members’ and users’ personal and professional data in ways that were never intended by those users and members
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I’ve said it before (and Henry knows better than I do myself where to find it). And I’ll say it again:

In recent times, on the mobile platform (which I have never visited) as elsewhere (eg: https://www.proz.com/topic/325651 ) Proz.com has been surreptitiously re-purposing members’ and users’ personal and professional data in ways that were never intended by those users and members when we provided it.

It ain’t right. And it most likely ain't legal.

RL
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Katalin Szilárd
 
Helen Shiner
Helen Shiner  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:23
German to English
+ ...
@Katalin Jun 27, 2018

I have checked this, and I experience the same.

I am really not happy that my data is being used in this way either, but no means of contacting me are provided via the app. Most of my clients do not and never will fall into either the business or Plus subscriber categories. This is effectively cutting me off from potential clients. (Worse, I am paying a membership fee to you, Proz, for you to do this??) I'm afraid this must be considered as misuse of data. It seems it is a roundabo
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I have checked this, and I experience the same.

I am really not happy that my data is being used in this way either, but no means of contacting me are provided via the app. Most of my clients do not and never will fall into either the business or Plus subscriber categories. This is effectively cutting me off from potential clients. (Worse, I am paying a membership fee to you, Proz, for you to do this??) I'm afraid this must be considered as misuse of data. It seems it is a roundabout way of promoting Plus members, and 'encouraging' users to sign up for the higher rate of membership.

The app is being heavily promoted and one must presume that many visitors are being encouraged to use it.

As things stand, it gives the impression that the app doesn't work properly, OR that the translators listed can't be bothered to provide means of contacting them.

So, yes, Henry, please explain your thinking here. My membership is due for renewal shortly. What with this and Proz's lack of response to queries about the non-functioning visitors list, I'm not sure I will wish to continue here.

[Edited at 2018-06-27 12:35 GMT]

[Edited at 2018-06-27 12:36 GMT]
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mughwI
Michele Fauble
Rachel Fell
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Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 01:23
Member
Chinese to English
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Plus subscriber Jul 4, 2018

As a plus subscriber, such restrictions diminish the value of my subscription rather than increase it. The exclusivity is of no value if it has the effect of paywalling other people from using it.

 
MollyRose
MollyRose  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:23
English to Spanish
+ ...
What about desktop Jul 4, 2018

Does the same problem apply to desktop computers, or only to the mobile app? I, too, don't want to be forced to pay more in order to keep what has already been accessible to me. (I'm not interested in the mobile app for myself; I like using "real" computers with a full-sized keyboard and mouse.)

 
Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:23
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Mobile app issue Jul 6, 2018

MollyRose,
This is an issue with the Mobile app. I am not aware of such restriction for the website.


 
Mirko Mainardi
Mirko Mainardi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 18:23
Member
English to Italian
2 months later... Sep 3, 2018

Any update on this?

Ivana UK
 
Ivana UK
Ivana UK  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:23
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
Multiple ongoing issues Sep 3, 2018

Mirko Mainardi wrote:

Any update on this?


I just found out about this today and would appreciate a response from Proz staff.

I also just found out that I no longer appear in directory searches (Find) when a range of rates is entered as a search criteria (even if my rates fall within the given range) - but that's another matter for which I have just submitted a support request...


 


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Only business members and Plus subscribers can contact or be contacted via profile message???






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