Usefulness of FIT membership Thread poster: Samuel Murray
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 09:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Hello everyone
Those of you who are members of a society that is a member of FIT, what use is it? A local association recently stopped being a member, and another is considering membership. From what I can see, the main potential benefit is slightly increased access to somewhat more affordable CPD (i.e. discounts to other members' events).
Any other thoughts?
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
Samuel Murray wrote:
From what I can see, the main potential benefit is slightly increased access to somewhat more affordable CPD (i.e. discounts to other members' events).
This is hardly an exclusive benefit to FIT member associations.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 09:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Okay, well... | Apr 23, 2023 |
Mr. Satan wrote: Samuel Murray wrote:
From what I can see, the main potential benefit is slightly increased access to somewhat more affordable CPD (i.e. discounts to other members' events). This is hardly an exclusive benefit to FIT member associations.
Thanks, but my question is not about the benefits of FIT member associations, but of FIT membership for those associations.
When I look at the list of benefits, a word comes to mind: graft.
Most of the benefits of FIT membership are benefits for the chairperson or representative of the association. For example, FIT membership gets the association a free subscription to Babel... but only the chairperson gets it (the individual members of the association don't all get a copy of Babel or an online subscription to Babel). Or, FIT membership gives the association access to the "FIT Presidents Forum"... and what is that? It's an annual event whereby the chairpersons of individual associations go to an exotic location to rub shoulders (and surprise, FIT doesn't pay for this).
It's not all bad, though. The other benefits worth mentioning have to do with activism and advocacy -- FIT membership gives associations access to humanitarian projects that they can contribute to. Not all associations participate in this, but for those that do, I suppose FIT would give them the ability to contribute to international charities that they would otherwise not have access to. I'm not downplaying this benefit: contributing to the promotion of human rights is quite an important issue for some translator associations.
Finally, there is CPD, but seeing that the first two benefits that I mention above are meant for the chairpersons only, I wonder if their CPD isn't for chairpersons only as well. Their benefits flyer says "Attend CPD events of other FIT members (e.g. webinars), often at member price[s]" and "Access to training and CPD initiatives through webinar training and series for FIT members" (these are listed as two separate benefits, by the way). Elsewhere on the benefits flyer they admit that their webinar series is still being developed, though.
I was just wondering. If our association chooses to pay the €125 for three years and €450 per year thereafter, how would that benefit our members? Or would it only benefit the chairperson?
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Benefits: {1} {2}
Mr. Satan wrote:
This is hardly an exclusive benefit to FIT member associations.
Oh, wait, I see now that I may have misinterpreted your reply -- did you mean "this benefit is not exclusive to FIT member associations", i.e. that it is possible to get CPD at discounted prices from associations that are not FIT members? Sorry if I misunderstood your reply.
[Edited at 2023-04-23 09:32 GMT]
| | | | Sadek_A
Local time: 11:29
English to Arabic
+ ...
| Language service providers are left completely alone! | Apr 23, 2023 |
No more need for any memberships, subscriptions, affiliations, etc., whatsoever, for as long as these organizations are accepting money and providing no profession reforms in return.
A variation of the infamous Ponzi Scheme, actually: FIT milks associations, associations milk members, and members logically try to milk clients just to realize they're totally dry.
So many lose for very few to win.
A member of one of those FIT-member associations here, btw. Di... See more No more need for any memberships, subscriptions, affiliations, etc., whatsoever, for as long as these organizations are accepting money and providing no profession reforms in return.
A variation of the infamous Ponzi Scheme, actually: FIT milks associations, associations milk members, and members logically try to milk clients just to realize they're totally dry.
So many lose for very few to win.
A member of one of those FIT-member associations here, btw. Did not get a single *d*ucking benefit (no matter how lousy it could be) for the money I paid.
Let them go milk themselves instead! ▲ Collapse
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Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
| FIT Membership | Apr 23, 2023 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
did you mean "this benefit is not exclusive to FIT member associations", i.e. that it is possible to get CPD at discounted prices from associations that are not FIT members?
Yes.
Most of the benefits of FIT membership are benefits for the chairperson or representative of the association. For example, FIT membership gets the association a free subscription to Babel... but only the chairperson gets it (the individual members of the association don't all get a copy of Babel or an online subscription to Babel). Or, FIT membership gives the association access to the "FIT Presidents Forum"... and what is that? It's an annual event whereby the chairpersons of individual associations go to an exotic location to rub shoulders (and surprise, FIT doesn't pay for this).
Good for them, I suppose. But you know me. I’m not the type who would gleefully approve of such… um, frivolities for the elites.
It's not all bad, though. The other benefits worth mentioning have to do with activism and advocacy -- FIT membership gives associations access to humanitarian projects that they can contribute to. […] I'm not downplaying this benefit: contributing to the promotion of human rights is quite an important issue for some translator associations.
I’d love to give a more detailed reply, but that’s going to be completely OT. Let’s just say if the associations’ programs do not benefit my business whatsoever, I wouldn’t care about any of them. I’ve been inhaling way too much hot air from politicians in my life, and I’m really sick of it.
Finally, there is CPD, but seeing that the first two benefits that I mention above are meant for the chairpersons only, I wonder if their CPD isn't for chairpersons only as well.
That sounds awfully corrupt, if it was true. Why would I pay for the training of the association’s board members–who more than likely have strong financial capabilities to begin with, mind you–so they can be better than I am? It must be for all their individual members, surely.
Elsewhere on the benefits flyer they admit that their webinar series is still being developed, though.
You mean one of those meme webinars where the speaker talks about walking her dog every morning before she starts translating on her 2008 iMac?
I was just wondering. If our association chooses to pay the €125 for three years and €450 per year thereafter, how would that benefit our members? Or would it only benefit the chairperson?
It depends on that CPD bit. If FIT membership grants access to lower fees to attend events, or embark on courses for the grassroot translators who joined its member associations, then maybe the costs can be justified. Otherwise, we’d all be fools for supporting those bourgeois leeches.
[Edited at 2023-04-23 16:00 GMT]
| | | | RobinB
United States
Local time: 02:29
German to English
| Quick comment | Apr 24, 2023 |
Samuel,
FIT associations generally give CPD discounts of between 10 and 25% to members of other FIT associations, i.e. members of FIT associations normally pay the same rates as members of the association offering CPD. This is particularly common in Europe, where all associations belonging to FIT Europe have an agreement to offer this sort of discount. ATA in the USA now offers (I think) a 10% discount, and I'm pretty sure that FIT associations in Central and South America also offe... See more Samuel,
FIT associations generally give CPD discounts of between 10 and 25% to members of other FIT associations, i.e. members of FIT associations normally pay the same rates as members of the association offering CPD. This is particularly common in Europe, where all associations belonging to FIT Europe have an agreement to offer this sort of discount. ATA in the USA now offers (I think) a 10% discount, and I'm pretty sure that FIT associations in Central and South America also offer CPD discounts. These discounts are available to all members of a FIT member association, not just the chair or president (who probably doesn't have much time for CPD in any case). So paying the annual membership fee to FIT actively saves money for the members of an association. If an association only pays €125 a year for FIT membership, that will probably save its members CPD costs running into the thousands of euros.
These types of discounts are NOT generally available to members of non-FIT associations (though there will normally be a discount for registered students, that sort of thing).
Disclaimer: I was associated with FIT for a number of years as co-chair of the FIT ISO Standards Committee, and the one thing I can't really associate with FIT is "graft". I can think of plenty of things to label FIT and its activities, but graft ain't one of them.
Maybe it's different in NL, but I don't know any T&I association anywhere in the world that can be reasonably classified as even moderately wealthy. Yes, many associations send their chairs/presidents or other representatives to conferences and other events like the FIT Presidents Forum, but that is merely a modest reward for the hundreds of person-hours that these volunteers put in for the benefit of the associations' members. Incidentally, I seem to remember that the last Presidents Forum was in Vienna in 2019. Vienna is really one of my favourite cities, but personally, I never thought of it as "exotic". More like "shabby chic".
€125 a year? Really? That's cheap!
Robin ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
RobinB wrote:
These types of discounts are NOT generally available to members of non-FIT associations (though there will normally be a discount for registered students, that sort of thing).
Nothing prevents associations outside FIT sphere from setting up the same arrangement, though.
[Edited at 2023-04-25 02:35 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 09:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
RobinB wrote:
Disclaimer: I was associated with FIT for a number of years as co-chair of the FIT ISO Standards Committee...
Thanks, Robin, it's good to hear some information from a horse's mouth.
I apologise if me playing devil's advocate struck the wrong nerve, but I looked at the list of benefits listed in the FIT benefits document and was trying to figure out what the benefits are, and I got the impression that benefits can be grouped into three types: perks for chairpersons, access to CPD, and access to humanitarian opportunities.
Only access to CPD would be of any monetary value to the association that I'm a member of (as we have our own humanitarian involvements... accounting for 10-15% of the budget). I'm glad that you were able to confirm that the CPD is for all members and not only the chairpersons. The FIT benefits document is written in a vague, flowery language, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to read between those lines.
Mr. Satan wrote: RobinB wrote:
These types of discounts are NOT generally available to members of non-FIT associations... Nothing prevents associations outside FIT sphere from setting up the same arrangement, though.
True, but it's easier to arrange a discount for an association's event if an existing agreement (e.g. via FIT) is already in place.
[Edited at 2023-04-25 19:17 GMT]
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