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» Forums » Freelancers » Re: 18 connects required to apply for a job !
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Akash's avatar
Akash S Community Member

Is that connects are incresed to 16 to 19 connect

I have recently seem that my proposal are about to 19 connect is that true? 

431 REPLIES 431
Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member

And yet, you're still here. Why should Upwork reduce their prices if this is what people are willing to pay?

Ivaylo's avatar
Ivaylo G Community Member

Because otherwise freelancers will not apply for jobs and instead wait for invites from clients.

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member


 wrote:

Because otherwise freelancers will not apply for jobs and instead wait for invites from clients.


Is there any evidence of that happening? Every job that I see still has 20-50 invitations within an hour.

 

If the number of proposals per project goes down to an alarming level, you can bet that Upwork will lower the connects requirement. But, that hasn't happened yet.

Jyoti's avatar
Jyoti S Community Member

You got a point.
I also noticed the same amount of proposals submitted within a few minutes and that too on a 19 connects job.

Khushbu's avatar
Khushbu G Community Member

20 to 50 showing is illusion might possible only 10 people applied on it

Khushbu's avatar
Khushbu G Community Member

Since last week I am thinking same 

Lisa A.'s avatar
Lisa A. B Community Member

Agreed. The only way change will happen is if there's a signficant reduction in proposals/purchasing connects. I don't see that happening, especially as there continue to be proposal boosts to  30, 40 or 50+ connects.  If freelancers have long term projects with recurring revenue they can afford to use 19 connects to apply and boost every time.  Some even have stockpiled connects if they are not applying to jobs due to heavy workload. 

Ivaylo's avatar
Ivaylo G Community Member

Stockpiling takes months - Upwork gives only 10 free connects per month. Is there any evidence those 20-50 proposals in the first 3-5 minutes (especially the top 3 boosted ones) are real and not just an attempt to make the illusion how many people are desperately willing to spend dozens or even hundreds of connects on every job post?

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member


 wrote:

Stockpiling takes months - Upwork gives only 10 free connects per month. Is there any evidence those 20-50 proposals in the first 3-5 minutes (especially the top 3 boosted ones) are real.


Yes, I think they're real, although a lot of them are bots. The problem is that dishonest freelancers keep starting new accounts over and over again just to get free connects. Upwork needs to stop giving out any free connects in order to address this problem.

 


 wrote:

and not just an attempt to make the illusion how many people are desperately willing to spend dozens or even hundreds of connects on every job post?


People ARE desperate and are bidding on every job they see; it's not an illusion. This website - and every other freelancing website - is absolutely saturated with freelancers who are competing for a relatively tiny number of jobs. I've seen people saying that they're spending hundreds of dollars each month on connects and boosting. If connects were cheaper (or Upwork gave out more free connects) the amount of proposals on every job would go up even more. 

Khushbu's avatar
Khushbu G Community Member

I am thinking same...and it might be illusion....I can confirm and when I know it's illusion!? When my client said no one applied in his job only me is there I said when I applied there are already 3 person apply and on job post also showing 5 to 10 after applied by me but fact is he said no, no one applied in his job only me and he hired this I know during our discussion so obviously those 50 boosted, 37 boosted, 25 boosted are not real 

Ivaylo's avatar
Ivaylo G Community Member

So my suspicion might actually be true .... If these 20-50 or even more proposals are real but come from bots - then the solution is to prevent bots rather than increasing the required connects for applying to a job.

 

I was under the impression that every freelancer's account goes through a KYC (know your customer) checking and verification in order to prevent money laundering. If we can create infinite number of new accounts and apply to hundreds of jobs - increasing the number of required connects can not prevent it in any way, it can simply make it more expensive.

 

Now imagine a situation where one or more ransomware hacker groups decide to invest the ransom(s) they have gotten from multiple victims and feed their bots with huge amount of money. The money is cheap for them - in the end it's just someone else's ransom.

Can you imagine something like this? Because I would not wonder if it is even partially true.

 

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member


 wrote:

I was under the impression that every freelancer's account goes through a KYC (know your customer) checking and verification in order to prevent money laundering. If we can create infinite number of new accounts and apply to hundreds of jobs - increasing the number of required connects can not prevent it in any way, it can simply make it more expensive.


Where did you get the impression that freelancer accounts are vetted in any way? You don't have to do any kind of verification until you make some money, and even then, it's easy to fake. And no, increasing the connect requirements won't prevent this, but if Upwork stopped giving free connects to new accounts, there'd be no incentive to keep creating new ones.

 

In any case, Upwork didn't increase the connect requirements for any reason other than to make more money. 

Rekha's avatar
Rekha D Community Member

Your suspicions are valid, and it's true that preventing bots is a crucial aspect of maintaining the integrity of platforms like Upwork. While requiring connects for applying to jobs can serve as a barrier, it's not foolproof against sophisticated bots or malicious actors who may be willing to invest in circumventing such measures.

KYC (Know Your Customer) checks are indeed important for preventing money laundering and ensuring the legitimacy of users on the platform. However, even with KYC processes in place, determined individuals or groups may still find ways to create multiple accounts or employ bots to manipulate the system.

The scenario you mentioned, where ransomware hacker groups invest their ill-gotten gains into feeding bots to apply to jobs on freelancing platforms, is not entirely far-fetched. While it's difficult to estimate the likelihood of such a scenario, it's certainly a possibility that platforms like Upwork need to be vigilant about.

To address these concerns, platforms like Upwork continuously work on improving their security measures, including implementing advanced fraud detection algorithms, enhancing account verification processes, and actively monitoring for suspicious activity. However, staying ahead of determined malicious actors is an ongoing challenge in the realm of online platforms and marketplaces.

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member


 wrote:

I am thinking same...and it might be illusion....I can confirm and when I know it's illusion!? When my client said no one applied in his job only me is there I said when I applied there are already 3 person apply and on job post also showing 5 to 10 after applied by me but fact is he said no, no one applied in his job only me and he hired this I know during our discussion so obviously those 50 boosted, 37 boosted, 25 boosted are not real 


I think that your client must have been mistaken. What are the odds that only one person applied to a job here? If this is the only example you have, it's not very good evidence.

Tony's avatar
Tony E Community Member

You can purchase connects and use to boost proposals.

Jeanne's avatar
Jeanne H Community Member

Is there evidence they are not real?

Thomas J's avatar
Thomas J M Community Member

When I post as a client, I often get 20-50 applications, but the majority are from unproven Freelancers who do not have a JSS or any earnings and a larger percentage are people who can't speak the language of my posting (English) even though I've requested fluent speakers.  

Mivaan's avatar
Mivaan J Community Member

Today I saw 23 connects

 

Rekha's avatar
Rekha D Community Member

You're spot on! Upwork, like any platform, operates within the principles of supply and demand. When they increase their prices, they're essentially testing the market to see how much freelancers are willing to pay for the services they offer. If most freelancers continue to use the platform despite the price increase, it indicates that the value they perceive from Upwork outweighs the higher fees.

Khalid's avatar
Khalid M Community Member

We should stop using Upwork for atleast a week. This is the best way to teach them. If we will not apply to any jobs for a week just do the math how much they loss.

Emmanuel's avatar
Emmanuel N Community Member

People are still boosting on jobs.... People are still busy spending beyond the increased connects. Hahaha... The funny thing is even if Upwork makes it 30 connects to apply to jobs people will still apply and naughty ones will still boost for 35 or 40.... The amount of freelancers on Upwork makes it very attractive to exploit them... Upwork is quite slow in increasing prices to be fair... Some certain people running same business with this number would be charging close to that 30 connects per application and be draining their users to the bone

Marjan's avatar
Marjan K Community Member

We should stop using Casino Upwork until changes are made! 

Thomas J's avatar
Thomas J M Community Member

Recently I cancelled Upwork Plus and stopped boosting posts.  I'm done giving extra funds to this casino until management listens to our concerns and constructive criticism on how to grow this platform for everyone (not just the shareholders).  

Khalid's avatar
Khalid M Community Member

I just want to know the reason behind increasing connects for applying from 16 to 19. Do this help us in anyway? Why Upwork increasing the connects to apply to job post most often? This is a new way to earn from freelancers?

Mykola's avatar
Mykola A Community Member

It is simple: them need more money with no additional effort. 😸