The problem is, if you get free connects, so do the people and scammers who are your competition. So, now you have tripled everyone's ability to throw hundreds of proposals at the clients. This helps no one, but hurts every legitimate freelancer. While you can apply for three more jobs per day, so can everyone else. The primary problem on the platform is too many people who have no skills or experience, or are under-skilled. They throw connects and apply for every job, making the clients angry, and then they leave, because they receive hundreds of proposals since there are plenty of free connects. Three proposals for free, for all the freelancers, is an even bigger disaster than it is now.
Upwork doesn't care who leaves, because they have millions of people who will never get a job (fact) but they will believe Upwork, and throw connects at anything until their money is gone. They have put penalties on those who earn the most money, while reducing fees for those who earn the least. Professional experienced freelancers are not going to be chained to their device, applying for everything and boosting like mad. However, new and desperate people will, because they are told they must boost to get jobs. Since the platform is running on connects and reduced staff, Upwork is not going to change. If the majority of the freelancers left, Upwork would likely still make money.
