Lesson 1: Freedom to use two computers

You can use Fluency on two separate computers simultaneously with a single code.

Fluency has always allowed its users to use its software from two different computers. From Fluency 2011 to Fluency 2013, they gave out two different codes when you purchased their product, which I then used to install Fluency on my desktop and my laptop. Fluency Now has a slightly modified authentication method now, which enables users to log-in from two different computers simultaneously using a single code. Regardless of this change, users can still use Fluency on two separate computers as they did before.

What if you want to use Fluency on three computers instead?


So what if you want to use Fluency on three different computers? What should you do? If the reason for wanting to do this is because you have three person workload, you would probably need to purchase another code. However, if it’s just one or two people using three computers, you don’t need to.

The following method isn’t perfect, but it does work.

  1. Install Fluency Now on three computers. Then use Fluency by logging on from two most frequently used computers (lets call them computer 1 and computer 2).
  2. If you need to use Fluency from computer 3, simply log off from either computer 1 or computer 2 and log in from computer 3.

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An example of using two computers

I’ve been using Fluency on two different computers. However, some people who’ve only been using it on a single computer say they don’t see the benefits of doing so. I will illustrate the benefits with this example.

Using a desktop and a laptop: In this case, I normally do my work from my desktop which has a larger monitor. On days when I’m on my vacation or traveling, or when I feel like going to a coffee shop to work or, on a beautiful day when I want to be listening to the birds while working in my backyard, that’s when I use the laptop.

Using two desktops: You don’t need to use two different desktops for the most part. In this case, you can let your family member or a colleague use Fluency from one of them. You are perfectly allowed to do this.

Synchronizing the two devices.

Synchronization is less relevant to the second example above, but for the first, it is a must. The trouble with using two computers is that TM stored in one device won’t be stored in the other, and vice versa. In these cases, you may run into a frustrating situation where you are not able to access TM from your previous work while working on a current project. To prevent this situation, you need to synchronize the two devices when you’re about to start working from your laptop or after you’ve finished working from there and are about to switch over to your desktop.

 

1. When switching over to your laptop after using the desktop

Step 1: Open Fluency from your desktop. Go to Tools->Synchronization Wizard (see picture below).

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Step 2: In the next pop-up window, select “Export my data to another computer (Back up)” (See picture below), and check all options as in the picture and click ‘OK’.

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Step 3: Once you click ‘OK’, you’ll be asked to select the location and the data name for your TM. I use Dropbox, but if you don’t have it, you can use a portable USB drive, though that’s slightly more inconvenient. You can even send it to your email and download it from the other computer, which requires a bit more effort. Regardless, figure out how to transfer the data to the other computer and then decide where you want to store your TM. After, it’s a good idea to insert today’s date in the file name. I used “TM backup 30 April 2016” for mine. If you’ve completed all the steps thus far, click ‘Save’.

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Once that’s done, Fluency will store your TM as you see in the picture below and let you know once it’s finished storing. Click ‘OK’ and you’ve just finished saving it externally. This process is called ‘export’. When you go to where you stored your TM, you will see a file has been created there with a synced extension.

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Step 4: Now you have to import the exported data to computer 2 (in my case, my laptop). The importing process is similar to the exporting process we went over just now, except you have to select import instead of export. First, open Fluency on your laptop and once again, go to Tools-> Synchronization Wizard.

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Step 5: In the next pop-up window, select ‘Import data from another computer (Restore)’, check all options as in the picture below and click ‘OK’.

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Step 6: In the next window, select the location where you’d stored the data previously, and you’ll see the file. Click on it and click ‘Open’.

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Once you’ve done that, Fluency will begin storing the data on computer 2, and the two computers will be synced. If you want to start working from computer 1 again after you’ve finished working with computer 2, just repeat the above process one more time. In other words, export the sync file from computer 2, then import it on computer 1.

Some confusions that may arise when using two computers.

I will not name names, but a very close female acquaintance of mine is perpetually confused about the above process despite my having explained it to her for several years (despite her excellent linguistic and other intelligence). In case there are others who may find it similarly challenging, I will include some pointers to prevent any confusion that may arise.

If you have been working on a project using Fluency, and you stop midway, save the file and end the session, it creates a Fluency work file (with an ftfx extention). When you later come back to it and open it, it will open at the exact spot where you left off the last time. The same thing goes if you transfer a file created on computer 1 to computer 2 using Dropbox, a USB drive or email. Your file will open at the segment you left off.

This creates the illusion that you may simply resume working on the file as it is. However, you shouldn’t because something is missing. Since you haven’t synchronized the computers yet, TM on computer 1 will not match TM on computer 2. You may not even realize this if you already have a lot of TM accumulated on computer 2. If you already have a large enough TM on computer 2, you may not notice a huge difference working from computer 2 than computer 1 even without synchronizing.

This is especially true if your present file doesn’t contain a lot of repeats. But you will probably notice something strange as you continue with the project. You may start to question, “I think I translated this sentence before, so why is it not showing up in TM?”. You go back and see that you have indeed translated this particular sentence before. Yet, TM is not catching the repeated segment. You may feel irritated that you have to re-translate or dig up the sentence and then copy, paste it. When this happens, people come to me upset, saying their Fluency is not working. In such moments, I feel a great sense of pride from knowing there are people who are worse at computer than I am.

As to why this happens, you need to understand that Fluency work file is but a small file which stores the segments that are particular just to the current file. And moving this work file to another computer doesn’t move the TM you were using while working on the file. TM is not stored in the Fluency work file but in your computer 1’s C drive. (More specifically, it is stored in Fluency Now folder under Western Standards under Program files.) See the picture below.

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Each time you are working on Fluency, it displays relevant texts by digging up TM that’s located there. Hence, you need to remember that when you move your work file to another location, it doesn’t mean that you’re also moving the enormous TM along with it, and this is why you need to go through the synchronization process I’ve explained above. Put simply, synchronization transfers TM (and terminology) from computer 1 to computer 2 and vice versa. Work files don’t have anything to do with it. First, synchronize then transfer the work file separately. Once you do that, if you open your work file, you can continue to work as you did from computer 1. (I just hope and pray nobody will be able to identify this perpetually confused person.) This wraps up Lesson 1. Thank you for reading.

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Bryan
Bryan

브라이언은 의료분야에서 한영번역을 하는 번역가입니다. 캐나다 온타리오의 작은 시골 마을에서 아내와 둘이 삽니다. 여행과 독서와 음악과 커피를 좋아합니다.

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