Dear colleagues,

At TranslationZone.com (TRADOS Corporation’s web site) they've got a Translator Directory that contains thousands of profiles created by translators from around the world. I also registered there on 02.03.2005. Everything was OK until the beginning of the current month when I started to get regular daily spam messages coming to the email address which I used for registering with TranslationZone.com. I'm very careful with spam issues and that address at the moment is the only one at which spam messages come to me.

I don't think that they are so malicious at the TRADOS Corporation’s web site that they sell translators' addresses to spammers. I suppose they are simply very careless concerning IT security and privacy of the TranslationZone.com member's data. I believe it's a shame for such a famous company as TRADOS Corporation!

My recommendation: If you want to register at TranslationZone.com never use one of your main email addresses.

NK

Below is the latest piece of 'indispensable' information I receiveved thanks to registering at TranslationZone.com (Thank you, Trados!):

Hi friend - >Do you have a product or service to sell? >Are you getting tired of promoting and getting nowhere? >Are you interested in increasing your sales by 1000%? >Are you sick of only getting counter offers in your inbox? >Are you looking for something with a money back guarantee? >Are you going from one safelist to another cutting & pasting your ads? If you've answered yes to any of these questions then the Solution has found YOU! What is the solution? Targeted email is the most direct and powerful method of marketing on the internet today. And, without having the guilt of spaamming. >> http://www.blpurl.com/g70 << >> http://www.blpurl.com/g70 <<   - - - - - - Hi... I'm jumping for joy... Just my way of thanking you for your service... I started a internet business about a month ago..Since I'm disabled, I'm on a tight budget if you know what mean..I kept trying to advertize my website through free offers, but was just not getting anywhere... Then I found you people... Wow, what a difference a day makes...My hits starting to increase... and I'm not such a soarpuss all the time..Things are lookin up ...Keep up the good service... KEEP SMILING." Don Britton Nebraska, USA - - - - - - >> http://www.blpurl.com/g70 << >> http://www.blpurl.com/g70 << Regards, Havanna, S.   P.S. To receive no more updates from me (TG Biz Group) about this service, simply send an email to tgbizgroup@netcityjp.com with "Go Away" on the subject line.   17QW Villa Namo, 6000 CB PH

Originally written by Harry Bornemann on May 19, 2006 2:55 PM I registered there 4 years ago and since then I only received 2 or 3 job offers, which some people would classify as spam..

=))

I am still doubtful of Trados' intentions; after all, be ready to be "forced" to buy either an update or a "new" version every year; their main focus seems to make millions rather than provide a decent service............

Laurens.

Dear Professional Translators,

I would like to apologise on behalf of SDL TRADOS for the problems caused by the directory on Translationzone.com. I can assure all members that we have not and do not sell our database on to any agencies. It would appear that spammers have managed to download the data from our search results within the directory. Our technicians have now been made aware of this issue and are working towards increasing our security in the way our data is presented so as to increase members' privacy. We hope to have this issue resolved as quickly as possible and will alert you when the directory has been updated.

Kind regards

Sharon Pinelli

e-business coordinator
SDL TRADOS Technologies