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maksymganenko
Community Member

Upwork Desktop App in the context of Environmentalism

Hello,

 

I've been working with Upwork for several years and I can say that I got very annoyed with its desktop application. Someone got a great idea that javascript is a good language for instant messenger and time tracker. As a result the desktop application eats 7-10% of CPU in idle mode. I work within MacOS and Arch Linux OS and both show the same behavior.

 

Well, 7-10% might not sound too loud, but imagine that when you work on laptop it drains battery quickly. C'mon, that just time tracker and instant messenger. Why should it consume so much CPU resources? Why I can't see, say, Slack or Telegram within my top-10 idle consumers?

 

Now multiply 7-10% of CPU usage onto all Upwork online freelancers they like to boast. I wonder why eco activists haven't noticed this nuisance yet. Imagine how much danger Upwork does to the environment with a sh#tty code of its main application!

 

What do you think, guys? Is it only me who cares to have better experience with Upwork Application?

 

 

5 REPLIES 5
JoanneP
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Maksym,

 

If you are using a Windows PC and will be performing more complex tasks, I would suggest investigating the optimal requirements of the programs you`ll need to install on your computer. If you`re only using the Upwork Desktop App to track your time, it will use less than 256MB. You can also view the performance by opening your task manager. From there, you can also check your background programs to see how much CPU they consume. 

For MacOS computers, you may refer to the troubleshooting steps shared in this help article under Excessive CPU Usage (Mac). Thank you.

~ Joanne
Upwork

Hi, Joanne Marie P,

 

It didn't help. Even if I select "Conserve CPU and memory" Upwork Desktop App still consumes 7-15% of CPU.

 

It's not a problem of my OS because I observe this behavior across several OS'es and computers. It's the problem of Upwork Desktop App itself. You've got a lot of resources and mighty contractors base. Is it so hard to hire developers to make native applications for each OS to stop using so much CPU for a simple instant messenger and time tracker?

Thank you for your feedback, Maksym, we will share it with our product managers.

 

One of our team members will also reach out to you via ticket as soon as possible and assist you further with the Desktop app. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork
lucioric
Community Member

Hi. As i have had problems, not only with this app but also when having more than 4 webpages open, I came to the conclussion that the problem was the amount of memory. my memory occupancies were always around 90%, which means that a swap file was using to keep the programs running, with its consequent amount of time used, that made that opening a word document took like 5 minutes. My memory was of 4 GB, so I bought a 8 GB memory card for the expansion slot, and now all the performance problems has gone. but that filter out has its drawbacks: I received a call by a prospective Upwork client (because now upwork disallows contact via other platforms, including platforms specialized in calls, like skype or Zoom, not Upwork competence but compliment), and although I answered the call I couldn't hear the client. I switched to the mobile app, and noticed that the call by phone to the client didn't work and the call by upwork took me to the Upwork website where the login-required barrier came and i had to go to the password manager to get the password to the clipboard, all with the client waiting.

lucioric
Community Member

Yes, i also think that JavaScript is not a good language to develop a performance-critical application, neiter a memory-critical application. I think that such an application should be written in C or C++. Neither Python my beloved language is good for it. Python and Javascript are good to have an app ready soon (and to explore for example GUI models). but i think that, for the app to behave well, especially now that Upwork is forcing that all the pre-contract interviews are done by the Upwork app, the calling experience through the app should be OK.

Best regards.

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