Studio 2015 (and now 2017) introduced automatic smart quotes as an option. I.e.,  You type the straight single or double quotes from the keyboard, and Studio automatically replaces them with curly quotes. 

So far, so good, but although a translator may choose to enable smart quotes in his work, SDL disables smart quotes when track changes are active (e.g., when you are in review or sign-off mode).

Support says that “This currently is by design so that no uncontrolled/automatic changes should happen when typing in review mode.”

SDL developers have failed to anticipate that disabling smart quotes during review or sign-off may lead to real errors.

For example:

1) The translation is done with smart quotes enabled. So the translator writes his translation with smart double and single quotes, and smart apostrophes.

2) The translation is then sent to a reviewer. Working in review mode, the reviewer edits the translator’s work. Any changes she makes that involve writing quotes or apostrophes will be the wrong kind (and the translation will now have a nice mess of mixed straight and smart quotes.)

3) The translation is sent back to the translator for sign off. In sign off mode the translator cannot correct the quotes back to “smart” mode either.

Bonus problem: quotes and apostrophes are tiny characters, so it is entirely possible that editor and translator won’t realize what has happened… perhaps, only the customer will discover the whole mess, after printing the final document.

For myself I have a solution: I’m back to using AutoHotkey to replace straight quotes with smart quotes no matter what straitjacket Studio imposes; but this should never have been allowed to happen. At first I thought it was a bug… it’s worse than that: it’s a deliberate decision taken without considering the outcome.

I imagine that there may be use case in which autosubstitutions should be disable in review and sign-off mode... but this should be an option, not something decreed from on high for everybody.