Is Upwork the New Fiverr?

[#1]

For quite some time, all I see for the most part are extremely cheap jobs and very little quality.

[#2]

you forgot to add that applying to jobs is now easy more expensive too. so y now it's a load of jobs you don't want to do coupled with increased cost of reaching out to jobs. not efficient at all. 

[#3]

I never boost - but it takes so much time to weed through really ridiculous job posts.

[#4]

Let's be honest, fiverr would never allow the level of scams we get here. I'm also quietly confident they wouldn't purposely profiteer off those scams!

[#5]

Absolutely true. I'm sure most experienced freelancers have checked out and use other platforms. I tried 5 a long, long, time ago and realized it was low paying crap jobs. However, I have checked back and know people who use it, and the scams are few and far between. The platforms, almost all of them, work to get rid of scams, not encourage and allow them freely.

5 makes money off lots of people constantly working for low amounts - Upwork's goal. 5 has their business model, but it does not include allowing scams for more connects. This is the only platform I have seen, and I have checked out or work with over 100 sites, that actively allows ongoing scams. Let me preface that, there are a few very bad, scam sites that have virtually no members that are total scams. If you fall for those sites, you need to take an Internet safety class.

[#6]

Yes, I quite agree. Upwork is not a major part of my business plan this year. I have a few long term clients that will be moving off platform when the rate change happens, which is a shame as I would happily stay for the convenience of the messaging and payment facility. However as for as finding new work goes I intend to make a big push on local advertising and trying a few of the other options for more remote work such as PPH and twine which I tried briefly a few years ago. Obviously if I happen to see jobs on upwork I will apply, but I won't waste to much time searching through the rubbish!

[#7]

I've been saying that for a long time. Yes.

They will remove the name unless you spell it like 5      v          rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Yep, they want you glued to your computer, constantly refreshing the job page and apply for jobs. They don't care if you can write your own name, you can apply and spend those connects. Apply for any job, write a 50 word proposals, so you can write a bunch and apply for every single job. It's always weird to see a business purposely go for short term cash while destroying a valuable business.