This freelancer spent more on this job to get noticed.

[martina_plaschka]

Upwork, a lesson in basic human psychology: This message will most likely create a negative emotion, namely guilt. Now there are two possibilities: the client hires the freelancer because of guilt, or hires somebody else but still feels guily for not hiring the one who spent more money. 

In any case, the client's experience starts with a negative emotion. Is that what you want to achieve? I don't think so. 

At least change it to something like: This freelancer is very interested in your job. Keep it positive.

After all, people that pay for google ads don't have a message like: Hey I spent extra money on this, now buy whatever I'm selling. Why don't they do that? See above. 

It conveys a message of desperation, a terrible look. 

If you're so heck-bent on this truly awful feature, at least change the wording please. 

[roberty1y]

How about "Upwork makes more money by convincing this freelancer to boost their proposal"?

[feed_my_eyes]

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Martina P wrote:

At least change it to something like: This freelancer is very interested in your job. Keep it positive.

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They WERE saying that initially - the problem is that it's not true. Google ads clearly say "Ad" next to them, and so should boosted proposals. Then there would be no need to hover over them for an explanation; it's still intentionally deceptive.

[gilbert-phyllis]

I disagree. IMO the language should be even more unequivocal. In addition to the note on each top-listed proposal, there should be a note at the top of the list saying, The first three proposals in the list purchased their positions with extra connects.

[roberty1y]

I suggested this in another thread:

 "Note: This is not necessarily a more qualified candidate, only someone who paid extra to put their proposal at the top of your list. Its prominence is in no way an indication of greater suitability for the job in question".

[pgiambalvo]

I like this one.

[alexandernovikov]

If you ask me, i'd have no guilt at all, but rather, negative emotion because my conclusion would be "that person is completely desperate so they are even willing to pay to get noticed at all, that's clearly a red flag, good consultants are chased by clients not other way around". I can't see how it can be viewed positively or convince anyone to hire, in my world, it just simply a reason for rejection in itself.

[wlyonsatl]

If I were an experienced client who thought Upwork's proposal ranking algorithm was useful, I'd ignore proposals that were at the top of the list Upwork presented to me on a new project only because the freelancers had paid Upwork to improve their proposal ranking.

If I had no faith in the hekpfulness of the algorithm in choosing freelancers, either because I was a client new to Upwork or an experienced Upwork who didn't have faith in Upwork's ranking algorithm, I'd probably look at the boosted proposals first just because I'd assume these freelancers had some enthusiasm for the work needed.

[pgiambalvo]

Wow, this really shows up to the client? That is awful. I will now include in my proposals a promise to give them my first-born if hired.