Upwork Contributors

[claire-bacon]

Hello

I'd like to know if Upwork contributors are paid. And if so, to whom are they accountable? 

Thanks

[petra_r]

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Claire B wrote:

I'd like to know if Upwork contributors are paid.

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No, they are not.

Only staff are, and staff are identified as such by an Upwork badge and title.

Like this        

[claire-bacon]

I find you calling my sensibilities delicate, personal and abusive. I asked a genuine question. 

[florydev]

I guess I will sound off that I have not been paid.  I have never even received any Upwork schwag.

[kfarnell]

I find it odd that someone would think it likely that Upwork would pay people to post on an active public forum.  Whatever, I don't get paid. And maybe you have to be special in a special sort of way to get the Upwork schwag. I'm not that special. 

[martina_plaschka]

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Mark F wrote:

I guess I will sound off that I have not been paid.  I have never even received any Upwork schwag.

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I feel for you. I was asked if I wanted to be features contributor, which I declined, and they sent me a mug. I guess saying no was the right response. 

[wlyonsatl]

It's a fair question, Claire.

Asked and answered by at least two of Upwork's most active contributors.

A moderator will no doubt also confirm the answer to you.

[prestonhunter]

re: "I find it odd that someone would think it likely that Upwork would pay people to post on an active public forum."

The quality of customer service provided by Forum participants is so high, and so professional, that I do NOT find it surprising that some people think we are paid.

There is simply no getting around the fact that Upwork's Community Forum provides extraordinarily helpful information and service to Upwork users. What happens here far exceeds what can be found on most websites.

Someone who is not familiar with the Forum may well assume that regular Forum participants are paid Upwork employees. To many people, this level of volunteer service is outside their experience and seems to defy logic.

[wendy_writes]

Claire, to set the record straight - I don't believe anyone "called my (your) sensibilities delicate, personal and abusive".

You've asked if contributors were paid by Upwork in two threads.  The answer remains the same. No.

Petra has explained how you can identify moderators who are Upwork staff - ergo get paid.  Preston explained the rest.

[petra_r]

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Wendy C wrote:

Claire, to set the record straight - I don't believe anyone "called my (your) sensibilities delicate, personal and abusive".

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Wendy, that comment was in response to another person's post which has (weirdly) been removed since so now Claire's response to a post that is no longer there looks odd because it lacks context.

[wendy_writes]

Aha - thanks.  🙂

[jmlaidlaw]

If we were paid, I would like to be remunerated per unit of snark.

Mmkay. Thanks. 'Bye.

[florydev]

What's the exchange rate on that and sarcastic witticisms?  I am asking for a friend.

[datasciencewonk]

If I was paid, I'd respond way more than I do. 

Just sayin'.

[kfarnell]

"Someone who is not familiar with the Forum may well assume that regular Forum participants are paid Upwork employees. To many people, this level of volunteer service is outside their experience and seems to defy logic."

Fair enough. I guess it depends on what other forums you've been involved with and what level of involvement you've had. 

Laudable though people's efforts are here, I've seen similar in other places. (It's sad that some people find it hard to accept others like to be helpful without any obvious incentive.) What I haven't seen is someone who has an official role (paid or unpaid) not declaring that. (The occasional exception might be someone trying to get a forum off the ground.) I should have been more specific.

Allowing this level of engagement is one of the things Upwork gets right. I'd send them some schwag if I could.

People who feel excluded simply need to join in.

[versailles]

They used to pay me in booze, but they had to stop because there were too many complaints.

[kfarnell]

It wasn't the quality you wanted to become accustomed to?