Am I the only one?

[colettelewis]

Am I the only one who finds the rolling (not exactly rolling but hopping) side menu, both irritating and too large? It takes up a third of the page and distracts from the actual questions in the forum. 

Also at the moment, it seems to have two featured contributors.

[2a05aa63]

I'm fine with the layout. The 2-1 layout is pretty common for forums with a column for promotions.

[colettelewis]

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Viacheslav K wrote:

I'm fine with the layout. The 2-1 layout is pretty common for forums with a column for promotions.

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____________________

Well at least the mistakes stand out in great big green letters: 

FEEDBACK ON THINGS THAT INTERESTS YOU

Just sayin' ... 

(ETA: Big white letters on green - not that it makes the mistake go away!)

[petra_r]

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Nichola L wrote:

Am I the only one who finds the rolling (not exactly rolling but hopping) side menu, both irritating and too large?

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Me too. VERY!

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Nichola, 

We sorted out the issue with two featured contributors showing and now it's only Viacheslav. We also appreciate your feedback about the forum layout. We often hear suggestions to better highlight important announcements as well as resources to help newer members of the Community to get started. We're planning to use the space on the right hand side for that purpose.

[colettelewis]

Thanks Valeria, but its size is distracting, and certainly detracts from what I imagine the forums are intended for. 

[wescowley]

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Nichola L wrote:

Am I the only one who finds the rolling (not exactly rolling but hopping) side menu, both irritating and too large? It takes up a third of the page and distracts from the actual questions in the forum. 

Nope, you're not. The cycling announcements are very distracting.

[gilbert-phyllis]

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Nichola L wrote:

Am I the only one who finds the rolling (not exactly rolling but hopping) side menu, both irritating and too large? It takes up a third of the page and distracts from the actual questions in the forum. 

Also at the moment, it seems to have two featured contributors.

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I  dislike it, too. It feels like ads. I know it's not but that's how I experience it. The size could be reduced by 75% and it would still feature prominently, without being so abominably intrusive.

[boshoffirene]

What they all said 100%

[wendy_writes]

And another "What they all said".

[colettelewis]

I would just like to add - as this "feature" is here to stay - that the topics should be consistent with Upwork's ToS. 

The  "Best Cover Letter Tips & Examples"  article must be extremely confusing for new freelancers,  who have been told that giving out personal contact details (phone numbers, emails etc.) is against the ToS until a formal Upwork contract is in place. Whereas this article makes it quite clear that this is what you must include in your cover letter. 

There is nothing wrong with the advice, except that it is intended for people applying for jobs in the B & M world to prospective employers, not to clients who are hiring service providers. I'm surprised Upwork has published this as a model of how to write a cover letter that is not applicable to the site. 

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Nichola,

While this article is talking about writing cover letters in general, not specifically for a job on Upwork, I do see what you mean and how it could be confusing. I have already shared your feedback about the article with our content team.

Thanks!

[mwiggenhorn]

I have to second what Nichola said.  Generic articles like that should not be used and/or should be edited to be in compliance with Upwork's TOS.  The placement of the article clearly indicates that it's an Upwork product, even though it isn't.

[wendy_writes]

Just as an FYI to the possibly UW **Edited for Community Guidelines**

This  continues to be a colossal eyesore!!!

[gilbert-phyllis]

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Mary W wrote:

I have to second what Nichola said.  Generic articles like that should not be used and/or should be edited to be in compliance with Upwork's TOS.  The placement of the article clearly indicates that it's an Upwork product, even though it isn't.

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I couldn't agree more. If you wanted to deliberately trip up newbies, this would be a great way.

[colettelewis]

I see the article is still there. So the next time a newcomer comes to Upwork asking for advice about how to write a cover letter, I will direct them to this model. 

[a_lipsey]

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Valeria K wrote:

Hi Nichola,

While this article is talking about writing cover letters in general, not specifically for a job on Upwork, I do see what you mean and how it could be confusing. I have already shared your feedback about the article with our content team.

Thanks!

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Valeria, it's also just really generic, and often bad advice. It's written from the POV of a freelancer and not a client, and repeats a lot of the generic, bad advice that is out there that's given to newbies. It really amazes me the quality standards Upwork accepts internally. It's kind of embarrassing. 

[roberty1y]

People seeking advice would do better to look it up in the forums where members answer questions from other members, rather than in the useless side menu. There's some really good advice here, and the search facility makes it easy to find (you can use Google to find it too).

[a_lipsey]

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Robert Y wrote:

People seeking advice would do better to look it up in the forums where members answer questions from other members, rather than in the useless side menu. There's some really good advice here, and the search facility makes it easy to find (you can use Google to find it too).

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I agree. Advice is contextual, and putting it into these generic formats usually perverts the advice and actually makes it bad advice. 

[wendy_writes]

Kudos and applause to Amanda for her words:

"

Valeria K wrote:

Hi Nichola,

While this article is talking about writing cover letters in general, not specifically for a job on Upwork, I do see what you mean and how it could be confusing. I have already shared your feedback about the article with our content team.

Thanks!

Valeria, it's also just really generic, and often bad advice. It's written from the POV of a freelancer and not a client, and repeats a lot of the generic, bad advice that is out there that's given to newbies. It really amazes me the quality standards Upwork accepts internally. It's kind of embarrassing. 

[a_lipsey]

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Wendy C wrote:

Kudos and applause to Amanda for her words:

"

Valeria K wrote:

Hi Nichola,

While this article is talking about writing cover letters in general, not specifically for a job on Upwork, I do see what you mean and how it could be confusing. I have already shared your feedback about the article with our content team.

Thanks!

Valeria, it's also just really generic, and often bad advice. It's written from the POV of a freelancer and not a client, and repeats a lot of the generic, bad advice that is out there that's given to newbies. It really amazes me the quality standards Upwork accepts internally. It's kind of embarrassing. 

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Well it doesn't surprise me. For quite a few days Upwork has been posting images on their social media that would never pass any accessibility standards, and they never seem to include alt text. It's embarrassing that their standards are so low and that their DEI excludes disability. 

[astepanov83]

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Amanda L wrote:

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... It's embarrassing that their standards are so low and that their DEI excludes disability. 

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Such programs are pure virtue signalling. The only reason why these programs exist is to not be accused of anything bad. I'm pretty sure UW don't care. They will say otherwise of course.