This is the latest version of the FAQs, with a few tweaks for this wiki format. Although the TOC numbers the sections automagically, we've left the original number of the questions in place to match the FAQs sent out to new members.

If you have any questions or comments concerning the FAQs, feel free to post them directly to the list so that we can all benefit from the discussion.

Shortlist of useful email commands

With the following email commands, you can manage your list membership right from your email mailbox without having to go to the website.

¡Gracias y disfruta! :)

Mary Maloof and Terry (TexasT)

La Fundadora/Moderadora y la Co-Moderadora

1. What are FAQs?

FAQs = Frequently Asked Questions. In other words, questions asked of the moderators (or among yourselves) more than once about list etiquette, what the group is about, and how it operates.

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2. Who may join this list?

All part-time, full-time, in-house and freelance translators working from Spanish to English, as well as from English to Spanish, are warmly welcomed.

People who simply have an interest in Spanish translation as a profession are also welcome to join, so that they can "lurk" and submit questions having to do with Spanish translation as a profession. But please be sure to submit only postings which are appropriate and relevant to the list, and don't abuse the goodwill of fellow list members by sending basic queries that can be answered by using a simple Internet search. (See #17 for details).

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3. Who are the group moderators?

The founder/moderator is Mary C. Maloof, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is certified by Georgetown University in Spanish > English translation. Although her specialty is Spanish > English legal and business translations, she does translations in many other fields as well, including social sciences, arts and humanities, tourism, and food and wines. Interestingly, before embarking on her translation career, she was an editor at a publishing firm in Washington, D.C.. This professional experience now serves her well in editing, proofreading, and revising the work of other translators.

The co-moderator is Terry (TexasT), who is located in Dallas, Texas, USA. She has decades of experience in Spanish/English translation. She’s a native Texan who grew up in Colombia, Peru, and Argentina, spent extended vacations in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, and has friends from all those countries as well as from Cuba, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela — if her Spanish sounds weird, now you know why. ;-) She doesn’t talk much about her translation projects or clients, but she’ll spout off on just about anything else if given half a chance.

If you wish to communicate with us but don't have a particular preference regarding whom your email will be sent to, email us at the website (you will see links to contact us via e-mail). If you want to contact Mary specifically, please send an e-mail directly to her [*]. If you would like to contact Terry specifically, please send an email directly to her [*].
[* Take out the "NOSPAM" in caps before sending.]

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4. Why does this discussion group need moderators?

This group is set to post messages automatically (meaning that none of the messages go through the moderators first for approval), so moderators are needed to:

• delete messages that were sent in error,
• delete truly offensive or inappropriate messages after they have been submitted to the list,
• change settings for list members if they have trouble,
• answer any questions that may be floating around about group policies, and
• spark discussion by way of introducing a posting on a specific topic.

5. Are the moderators guided by what the members want?

Absolutely!

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6. Do the moderators censor or filter messages?

Not unless they absolutely have to!

All messages that are posted by non-members must be approved by the moderators before they go to the group.

All messages that are posted by members go automatically and directly to the group a few seconds later, so it is extremely important that members use discretion when posting messages, making sure that they are relevant and appropriate (see #17).

The only time the moderators will reject a non-member's message, or delete a posted message from the group after it has been posted by a member, is when they discover that the content of a message is completely and truly inappropriate, offensive, or irrelevant to the group. This will happen only very rarely.

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7. What is the main language of this list?
Is it OK to send a message in my native language?

Although the "official" language of the group is listed as English, that is just for categorization purposes. You are free to send a message in your native language, whether it is Spanish or English.

However, many of us like to write in our source language to keep our skills sharp and simply because we just enjoy doing it (the moderators write messages in Spanish from time to time), so feel free to send one another corrections privately if we make mistakes!

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8. How do I know I am successfully subscribed to SpTranslators?

When you go to http://groups.Yahoo.com and click on the "My Groups" link, you will see a list of the groups to which you subscribe. If you have successfully subscribed to SpTranslators, it should be on the list. A more simple way of finding out is that if you are receiving e-mails from the group, then you are a member.

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9. I am subscribed to this list, but I am not getting my messages.
Why is this happening?

If you receive some messages and not others, you are "bouncing." This means that the server for your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is temporarily out of service. Call your ISP for more information.

If you are not receiving any messages at all, you are "permanently bouncing." That is, the configuration of the Yahoo! Groups server which is trying to send messages to your mailbox and the configuration of your ISP's server do not "like" each other.

If you are temporarily or permanently bouncing, you can ask the moderators to try to reset your bouncing status, which sometimes solves the problem. If this still does not work, you may want to consider switching to an Internet-based e-mail account such as Yahoo!, Hotmail or the like so that your e-mail server does not "fight" with the Yahoo! Groups server. Once you switch to your new account, you should unsubscribe your old e-mail address (from your old e-mail account) and subscribe your new Internet-based e-mail address (from your new e-mail account).

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10. Help, I'm being overwhelmed by e-mails!
Is there a digested or condensed version of the list?

There sure is! You can change your subscription via email (see the email commands shortlist at the start of the FAQs) or via the group's web site:

• Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpTranslators and click on the blue "Edit My Membership" link toward the upper left hand corner of the screen.
• After you verify your Yahoo! password, you will be taken to a page that has the settings for your subscription.
• Go to the "Message Delivery" category.
• Click on the radio button that says: "Daily digest. Receive a daily compilation of many emails in one message."
• Then click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen.

If you wish, you can also change your subscription setting to the "no email" option ("No email. I'll read messages on the Web site"). This allows you to read the messages directly on the Web without receiving any in your mailbox – pretty handy for when you are going on vacation. Just remember to change your settings back again when you return from your vacation.

Alternatively, you can change your subscription settings by sending email commands directly from your email mailbox without having to do so through the Yahoo web site. See the shortlist of email commands at the top of this page.

Please allow 24 hours for changes to take effect, due to the huge volume of traffic on Yahoo! Groups. If your new settings still do not work after 24 hours have passed, please contact the moderators so that they can manually change your settings for you.

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11. How do I change my other subscription settings?

Follow the procedure detailed in #10. If your new settings still do not work after 24 hours have passed, please contact the moderators so that they can manually change your settings for you.

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12. Can anyone post a message to this group?

No. Only members can post a message to this group. All non-members who wish to post something to the group must first clear it with the moderators. This is to prevent our group from being "spammed" with inappropriate and irrelevant messages. However, all messages which have already been posted can be viewed by the general public.

If you are a member, there are two ways to post a message to the group: you can do it directly at our SpTranslators web site, or via e-mail to: SpTranslators@yahoogroups.com.

If you wish to post a private message directly to the moderators and have no preference regarding to whom it will be sent, just click on the link at the web site. If you wish to talk to Mary specifically, you may contact her directly [*]. If you wish to talk to Terry, you may contact her directly [*].
[* take out the "NOSPAM" in caps before sending the e-mail]

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13. I am a member, but I am not allowed to post directly
to the group for some reason. The server has sent me a message
saying that my message has to be cleared by the moderators
for approval. Why is this happening?

You are probably trying to post a message to the list from an e-mail address that is different from the one with which you originally subscribed to the list. The Yahoo! Groups server does not recognize your new e-mail address as being on the subscription list, and therefore does not automatically accept your messages to be posted directly to the list - it sends them to the moderators for approval.

To solve this problem, you should make sure to send your message from the EXACT SAME e-mail address that you originally subscribed with. Or you can just sign in at the website and post your messages directly at the website (click on the "Sign In" link at the top right hand corner of the screen when you go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpTranslators ).

If you no longer have access to your old e-mail account, you need to have the moderators unsubscribe your old account and subscribe your new account.

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14. If I no longer want to subscribe to the group,
how can I unsubscribe from it?

We’re sorry to see you go, but if you truly must, simply go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpTranslators and click on the "Leave Group" link toward the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Alternatively, you can send a blank e-mail to SpTranslators-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . You will be sent a confirmation e-mail from the Yahoo! Groups server. If you have trouble, contact the moderators and they will go into your settings and unsubscribe you.

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15. I have tried many times to unsubscribe, but
I keep getting messages.
Why is this happening?

You have probably subscribed to the list with an e-mail address that is different from the one which you are trying to send your unsubscribe command from. The Yahoo! Groups server does not recognize your new e-mail address as being on the subscription list, and therefore does not unsubscribe you (it can't unsubscribe you when you're not on the subscription list anyway).

Example: You have subscribed to the mailing list from the e-mail account that you got when you signed up with Mindspring (a popular Internet Service Provider, or ISP). Later on, you sign up for a Hotmail account, an Internet-based e-mail address that is not tied to your Mindspring account. Later, you decide to unsubscribe from the SpTranslators mailing list. You send your unsubscribe request from the Hotmail account. The unsubscribe request comes in to the Yahoo! Groups server from the Hotmail account, not your Mindspring account, so the Yahoo! Groups server does not recognize your Hotmail address as the Mindspring address where you are actually receiving the mailing list.

To solve this problem, you should make sure to send your unsubscribe request from the EXACT SAME e-mail address that you originally subscribed with. If you still have problems, or if you no longer have access to your old e-mail account, ask the moderators to manually unsubscribe your old address.

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16. I have switched Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
and wish to get my messages at the new address.
How do I do this?

Unsubscribe your old address from your old e-mail account (see #14 and #15) and then subscribe your new address from your new e-mail account. If this does not work, contact the moderators.

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17. Which topics may I post about?
Which types of messages are considered appropriate
and relevant to the group?

As long as your message concerns an issue that is directly relevant to Spanish translation, then anything goes. You are free to discuss terminology or a difficult word or phrase, trade leads on useful dictionaries and Internet resources, talk about software and operating systems, discuss rates, education and accreditation procedures, ethics and client problems, etc..

The types of messages which are discouraged or prohibited outright are the following:

(a) One-line "thank you" and "me too" e-mails are discouraged, except in special cases where one or more members have helped someone out and have truly gone above and beyond the call of duty. The "thank yous" and "me toos" make the recipient of the sentiment feel very nice, but they don't add anything substantive to the discussion. It's understood that when somebody sends a useful resource to the list or says something that really resonates with us, we are all appreciative and grateful for that member's input. If you really feel that a "thank you" or "me too" is in order, in most cases it's appropriate to send an e-mail offlist, directly to the person involved.

(b) Messages of a purely "chatty" or personal/social nature - jokes, personal photos, personal websites, lengthy personal anecdotes that don't have anything to do with your professional development, etc. – are discouraged after they exceed two or three messages. This list is intended and designed to be a professional group and not a social group or "cyber-bar" for Spanish translators.

Some chat and socializing is good, even vitally necessary – it adds a bit of warmth to the group, which is greatly appreciated by all of us. The remarkable, unique camaraderie we enjoy in this group is a tremendous advantage and benefit which should be encouraged and nurtured, not curtailed. But in the real world, chat takes place around a water cooler in consideration of coworkers who are extremely busy or working on a tight deadline, and the same principle is enacted here, especially since we have many members who pay by the minute for their Internet access. Our cyber-"water cooler" is SpTranslators_chat. When chatty threads exceed two or three messages, we take them over to SpTranslators_chat out of consideration for our fellow list members.

(c) Virus warnings are prohibited unless they are real. Do not post virus warnings until you have verified their authenticity at the Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center. They maintain lists of bogus viruses and real ones and update them every day.

(d) Job leads are strictly prohibited. There are several other discussion groups which are exclusively dedicated to job leads (tj_opps, jobs-translators, etc.), so the sender is strongly encouraged to go to those mailing lists to post the assignment there. If you are with a translation company and need to post a call for CVs, please go to the job leads lists instead. Many of our list members already subscribe to those lists anyway.

(e) All job solicitations, résumés, CVs, etc. are strictly prohibited.

(f) All messages of a commercial nature – even if they are ads for translation-related products and services – are strictly prohibited.

(g) "Flaming," or posting messages that insult another list member or directly attack another person's character, is also strictly prohibited. The first "flaming" offense will receive a warning, which will be either private or public in nature depending on the situation and subject to moderator discretion. A second "flaming" offense will cause the sender to be permanently banned from the list. It is worth noting that in the seven years this group has been running, only 3 or 4 members have been banned for "flaming" out of 1000-plus members overall. As mentioned previously, we have a remarkable, wonderful camaraderie in this group and we are proud of it!

Please note: These rules are not designed to put a damper on the discussion or punish or censor list members, but are followed simply for the sake of organization and for keeping the list manageable, relevant, and appropriate. They are also followed out of consideration for the many subscribers who have very busy schedules, as well as those who pay a sliding fee instead of a flat fee for Internet access and don't have the time or money to wade through irrelevant messages. Everyone should feel free to express themselves freely within the structure that these rules provide.

Of course, there is a "gray" area between what is relevant/appropriate and what is not; and since all member postings go straight to the group without going through the moderators, it is VITAL that members police themselves and use the utmost discretion when posting messages that could be in the "gray" area. 99 percent of the time, when a "gray" message is posted the moderators will usually just let it go, because overmoderation can curtail free discussion and, after all, the sender means well and is just trying to help the other list members. If you have any questions about what is and is not relevant and appropriate, please contact the moderators.
(Back to #2) (Back to #6)

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18. What is the best way to post my reply to the list if I wish
to reply directly to a previous posting?

The best way to this is cut and paste ONLY the sentence(s) or phrase(s) that you're responding to, deleting the rest – including footers, headers, and such. If your e-mail program is set to automatically stick the entire original e-mail in your reply, you will need to delete the old text manually before you send your message, or at least delete everything but the most relevant sentence(s) or phrase(s).

This 1) saves fellow members a lot of bandwidth when receiving messages and 2) keeps them from having to wade through tons of old information to find your comments, both of which can be very costly when you have to pay a sliding fee and not a flat fee for Internet access.

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19. Is this mailing list free?

Yes. And it always will be. Of course, there is a tradeoff – Yahoo! doesn't have the best technical support in the world – but we're willing to put up with that inconvenience in exchange for a free list.

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20. What do I do if I make a mistake, have sent a message
to the group and want to change my message or remove it from the system?

Simply post the corrected e-mail to the group and ask the group to disregard the previous one. But if you're absolutely mortified by what you sent, send your corrected e-mail, and ask Mary [*] or Terry [*] to delete the offending e-mail from the archives for you.
[* Take out the "NOSPAM" in caps before sending your e-mail.]

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21. Some characters appear in my subject line
(such as *=&#$'?-345768-?-) which I did not put there. What happened?

If you have written a word with a diacritical mark or accent in the subject line, e.g. á, é, í, ó, ñ, ü, etc., some servers pick up the MIME coding. To prevent this from happening, simply type your subject in the subject line with NO accents, e.g. traduccion, espanol, etc. For the rest of your e-mail, you should be able to type as usual, with accents and diacritics.

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22. Why can't some of the members read the messages
that I post to the list?

This happens because you are sending your messages to the group with HTML coding. HTML coding cannot be picked up by some UNIX servers, and those subscribers using UNIX servers will not be able to read them unless they save your messages in TXT format and reopen them in their browsers, which is a real hassle. To make it easier on your fellow subscribers, please send all your messages in plain text.

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Co-moderator's Unofficial Addendum 10/31/06

If you want to keep the Co-mod purring instead of hissing, spitting, and clawing like a Halloween cat, please be considerate and trim your messages!

This list is a wonderful resource for terminology queries, specially now that Yahoo! has improved the search engine for the message archives.

When you leave a bunch of garbage at the end of your messages, you have a negative impact on any searches conducted on the site, and you cause the person doing the search to waste time that could be spent translating.

Please place your responses after the text you're replying to, so it's more like a conversation. If you're responding to part of a paragraph, please do not quote the whole thing!

Folks, not only does this make sense (a year or two down the road when searching, it's far easier to skim messages and find the gold), but it's a simple matter of being considerate, thoughtful, polite, well-mannered. It's what's called Netiquette -- etiquette for the Internet.

Here's some relevant material quoted from Wikipedia:

Inline replying

In practice, "bottom-posting" is usually performed as "inline replying" (or "interleaved reply" or "point-by-point rebuttal", though it is sometimes also called "bottom-posting"), where quoted material and replies are interleaved, giving a specific response to each paragraph or sentence.

The request to "trim quotes (leaving only the relevant quoted material)" is a common companion to this, and some refer to this style as "trim-posting". Paragraphs which are not replied to are frequently "snipped" (see below).

This style of posting is frequent on Usenet, Internet forums, and other situations in which the previous discussion is publicly available. . . .

Inline/interleaved posters generally use the following arguments:

• Inline posting creates a natural, chronological ordering to each segment of the discussion stored within a message.

• Inline posting promotes the practice of trimming quoted text to prevent signature blocks, free-mail-service ads, and corporate disclaimers piling up in a growing useless "tail" at the end.

• Inline posting doesn't require the poster to recap each issue being addressed, as comments can be made point-for-point against the original message, making for a more structured, disciplined and unambiguous reply.

• Inline replies keep related sections of a discussion together within a message. As such it is easier to fork off parallel 'threads' of discussion from a single source message, each perhaps dealing with only one specific point (or subset of points) from the original.

.
Give me a treat by trimming and I won't give you a trick by lashing you with a wet noodle (o un merecido tirón de orejas).
Happy Halloween!
Thank you for your attention.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. ;-)

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