Upwork must stops giving free connects for interviews IMEDIATLY.

[81f2681a]

I will shows how it is easy to farm free connects:

A small group of 5 freelancers can do it. So, if you have a group 4 freelancers friends in platform, call them and says to each of them post a job and invites everybody in the group. You and each of them will receive 4 invites, then reply the invites of course. You will receive 10 free connects for each reply. The total ammount of free connects you will receive in 1 day is 40. Easy no?

Now imagine if each one in your friend group post 2 jobs and invite each other? There is no limit how many jobs a client can post, right? Sooo, if each of you posts 2 jobs there is 10 jobs! Its 80 free connects in minutes! Now imagine if each of them posts 5 jobs and invite each other? Its 200 free connects in minutes! Wow!!!! Thats amazing! This is realy a gold mine of connects!

Doing it isn´t agains any rule and don´t violate any TOS, I supose. There is no limit how many jobs a client can post, he is free to invite anyone he wishes, and a client isn´t forced to hire anybody right? So why not doing it? Because doing it is obviously unethical.

This pratice explain how someone can spend 45 connects boosting a single proposal and still being outbided! Like in this post: 
https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/No-Invitations-Boosted-Proposals/m-p/1139346

Free connects for being invited to interviews is an infinite source of connects. And easily done, requires no efforts to do it.

Upwork, please stops giving free connects for answering invites imediatly.

The possibilitie of earning infinite free connects may destroy Upwork and all platform´s economy.

This connects farming process explain a lot of things that is happening in the platform nowadays.

What is the consequences of this farming?:

- Hundreds of fake jobs may be posted everyday.

- It turns so easy to spamm every legit job post. This explains how a job post gets 50+ proposals in minutes!

- It turns so easy to boost a proposal with absurd numbers! Someone not skilled may boost 50 connects while a good match that boosted 7 connects will never be on top! This explain how someone may boosts more than 45 connects as shown in the link above. 45 connects is $6,75! Who would spend $6 in just one proposal? Anyway, I thinks boosted proposals is a feature that must be removed.

- Ethical freelancers is doing proposals and losing their time, money and efforts in connect farm jobs. Imagine the same group of 5 farmers mentioned above. If each posted 5 job post, it is 25 fake jobs in same day, and if each job post has at least 20 proposals from honest and ethical freelancers trying to get a job, then it is 500 honest and ethical freelancers fooled.

Again: Upwork, please stops giving free connects for answering invites imediatly.

Now it is clear to me that giving free connects for answering invites benefits unethical and scammer freelancers, while damage those ones that is honest, ethical and wants to work for serious in this platform.

If Upwork keeps giving free connects for answering invites, and just ignore this problem, and let farmers keeps farming connects, and do nothing about it, so Upwork is saying that being unethical pays off, while being an ethical and honest worker is for fools.

Upwork, please stops giving free connects for answering invites imediatly.

[maresah-robinson]

Upwork has known about this for awhile. It's been mentioned numerous times before. Some freelancers wouldn't mind if Upwork did not give out free Connects. 

The amount of Connects is limited to 50 every seven days. https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057604814-Free-Connects-to-Do-More-on-Upwork-Nov-24-...

[81f2681a]

---

Maresah R wrote:

The amount of Connects is limited to 50 every seven days.

---

Anyway, 50 connects per week is a lot! Why someone would pay for freelancer plus membership and get 80 connects monthly if they can farm and get 200 connects monthly? It isn´t worthy anymore paying for membership.

Technicaly, farming connects isn´t against Upwork´s rules. So Upwork must stops giving free connects for interviews, now, as soon as possible, imediatly.

[martina_plaschka]

Technicaly, farming connects isn´t against Upwork´s rules.

You are very much mistaken. Of course it's not allowed, these are fake jobs that some freelancers not connected to the scam will apply to and maybe even use paid connects for it. 

I don't know if there is a specific stipulation that a job has to be real, or where in the ToS to find that, but it is self-evident that this is cheating and fraud on the part of the freelancers engaging in this activity.

[81f2681a]

If I post 5 jobs then invite my friends do to proposals, then hire no one and close the job. How Upwork can say that this is a fraud?

As a client I have rights to post as many jobs as I want, invite anyone as I wish and I´m not forced to hire anyone. Same to my friends if they are clients. Isn´t fraud. Thechnicaly I´m not against the rules.

The only way to stop connect farms is stoping the motivation to do it: don´t giving free connects for interviews.

[martina_plaschka]

Of course it's fraud. There is no intention to ever hire anybody and pay money for a service, the only goal is to get free connects, instead of buying them. That is stealing. 

[81f2681a]

Of course it´s fraud! But how can Upwork prove that it is a fraud?

Upwork: "Had you intention of hiring someone?"
Farmer: "Of course, I just didn´t find anybody qualified."

And thats it.

[kochubei_valeria]

Thanks for sharing your observations and feedback, Andre. We hear you and the team is actually planning to address the issues you're bringing up here in the next few weeks. We'll be sharing updates with the community once they become live.

[martina_plaschka]

Good to know. Getting rid of the free connects for interviews would help increase the quality of the platform by a huge measure. 

[64cd5f44]

Martina That is not gonna work to make upwork a morébetter and reliable Platform. Whenever a platform gains huge hype, some cheats are also created automatically by the Public.

[nmelssx]

The easiest way to fix this is simply to only give free connects when responding to interviews with different clients. Replying to interviews from the same client should only give free connects once. Limiting the amount of free connects given per week is a little harsh, especially on new freelancers who are spending $1 on average per proposal and receiving replies on average only 1 out of every 100 proposals submitted. However, I am quite confused. As Maresah R mentioned above, it seems Upwork already has a rule in place that does not allow you to get more than 50 connects per week, so what you mentioned above would not have worked. But then Valeria K came up with a reply that completely contradicted that. Her reply seems to imply that your complaint is still valid and that Upwork does NOT limit free connects to 50 connects per week. 

[81f2681a]

---

Wei L wrote:

However, I am quite confused. As Maresah R mentioned above, it seems Upwork already has a rule in place that does not allow you to get more than 50 connects per week, so what you mentioned above would not have worked. But then Valeria K came up with a reply that completely contradicted that. Her reply seems to imply that your complaint is still valid and that Upwork does NOT limit free connects to 50 connects per week. 

---

According to the link that Maresah sent, that´s right, someone can earn until 50 free connects per week. Although it´s not possible farming infinite connects as I thought, it is still possible farm 200 connects per month (a month has 4 weeks), that is still a high ammount of connects farmed. And this ammount farmed still can destroy Upwork´s eco-system.

Why someone would buy freelancer membership that gives 80 connects per month, if can farm 200 per month?

But what is realy worrisome is that the link that Maresah sent is from 2020, two years ago. And seens that Upwork just knew that is possible to farm connects to high ammounts, seens this topic was said a lot of times, and that Upwork doesn´t care about people farming connects.

So, why Upwork doesn´t care? The only reason I can imagine (And I don´t want to believe), is that Upwork earns with fake jobs and freelancers spending connects like crazy.

If Upwork prefers to earn with fake jobs and connects spending, instead of legit jobs and contracts seted, so the situation in this platform is completely lamentable. And I knows for sure: Everybody that works dishonestly and unethical will, sonn or later, falls. If Upworks knows all the situation and don´t care, the platform will wither for sure.

[sofia2008]

Replying to a direct Invitation to interview do not generate 10 free Connects since it does not cost any Connects.

---

Andre A wrote:

You and each of them will receive 4 invites, then reply the invites of course. You will receive 10 free connects for each reply. The total ammount of free connects you will receive in 1 day is 40. Easy no?

[f774ded3]

For instance, a few freelancers, set setting unreasonable fees for some jobs such as $5 so that the client responds to them and so they get 10 Connects back to further apply to other jobs.
Sometimes the freelancers don’t even have any idea about the job in the first place. That affects the desire of other freelancers to apply for the job, or the client feels that there are no professionals on the site to do the job.
I think Upwork should monitor how many 10 connects the freelancers receive per day and warn them or freeze their accounts for a while so people would refrain from such activity.

[tomzilla1]

Great post Andre. Glad someone is smart enough to put this big issue into words. Bottom line, from my perspective, free connects simply hurts both the client and freelancers - jobs never hire, or hire the wrong bottom feeder. Someone up in the ranks at Upwork should look into this months ago.

[tjmisny]

Strongly disagree.

My recommendation is to improve your profile and portfolio so you get more interviews... instead of trying to take connects away from users who are more successful on the platform.

[tomzilla1]

---

Thomas J M wrote:

Strongly disagree.

My recommendation is to improve your profile and portfolio so you get more interviews... instead of trying to take connects away from users who are more successful on the platform.

---

Be nice there Thomas J M. I sense a patronizing language here from you to the OP. And I don't think the OP asked you for advice on his profile. As for "people who are more successful" -- the free connects has nothing to do with "success."

[tjmisny]

It's not patronizing to point out an objective fact - OP has several completed jobs and has not devoted nearly as much time to the platform as the more serious users who are benefiting from these free connects.  And it's sincere advice (unsolicited as it may be), that by improving porfolio and profile, OP can too benefit from free connects.   

Free connects does have everything to do with success.  More established users with higher quality portfolios, rates that reflect quality work at a reasonable price and better reviews are more likely to be interviewed than more junior users without the track record.  

[tomzilla1]

---

Thomas J M wrote:

It's not patronizing to point out an objective fact - OP has several completed jobs and has not devoted nearly as much time to the platform as the more serious users who are benefiting from these free connects.  And it's sincere advise (unsolicited as it maybe), that by improving porfolio and profile, OP can too benefit from free connects.   

Free connects does have everything to do with success.  More established users with higher quality portfolios, rates that reflect quality work at a reasonable price and better reviews are more likely to be interviewed than more junior users without the track record.  

---

I think you are referring to a completely different free connect system that I'm aware of. The one that the OP and I are speaking to, is one such that your account, no matter what, gets 10 free connects a month for Freelancer Basic.

The OP is referring to a farming method such that is now commonly used: a group of friends posting fake jobs and inviting each others' freelance accounts - when you get an interview, you get 10 free connects. There is a limit of 50 free connects every 7 days. So essentially you can farm all that in 1 day and just spam every decent or indecent job offer you see.

[tjmisny]

OP is suggesting removing the free connects for interviews system entirely.  He said this several times in bold.  Not just closing the loophole - removing the entire system of free connects for interviews.  

The free conencts for interview system (loophole nonwithstanding) benefits users who are qualified enough to land interviews.  I'm sure you and I as top users, both benefit from this system and would prefer it stays intact.  

[tomzilla1]

---

Thomas J M wrote:

OP is suggesting removing the free connects for interviews system entirely.  He said this several times in bold.  Not just closing the loophole - removing the entire system of free connects for interviews.  

The free conencts for interview system (loophole nonwithstanding) benefits users who are qualified enough to land interviews.  I'm sure you and I as top users, both benefit from this system and would prefer it stays intact.  

---

I don't classify myself as top or low user - I'm just another user. And yes I very much prefer it to be removed, the free connect is being exploited as being pointed out by the OP and ending up with clients who post a job and within minutes they get 50+ proposals from these farmers, and typically clients would just give up on the platform because who has time to deal with 50+ low quality/obvious fake proposals. When clients quit, lower jobs are posted, and that's what we've been seeing. Lower # of quality jobs, many spam jobs. And when jobs are gone, so will freelancers.

[tjmisny]

Why not just close the loophole and keep the system intact?  I think it's helpful to get free connects for interviews... it certainly helps take the sting away when a Client disappears / ghosts / turns out to be a spammer / asks for free work, etc. (which I would say happens 80% of the time at least).  

[tomzilla1]

---

Thomas J M wrote:

Why not just close the loophole and keep the system intact?  I think it's helpful to get free connects for interviews... it certainly helps take the sting away when a Client disappears / ghosts / turns out to be a spammer / asks for free work, etc. (which I would say happens 80% of the time at least).  

---

I think that's what the OP is trying to say... yes, reward free connect for quality, but close the exploit of cases outlined by the OP.

[tjmisny]

That isn't what OP is saying in reading the actual language, but it's good that we agree on this.  

[81f2681a]

---

Thomas J M wrote:

Strongly disagree.

My recommendation is to improve your profile and portfolio so you get more interviews... instead of trying to take connects away from users who are more successful on the platform.

---

Ok Thomas, so please tells me what must be improved in my profile and portfolio? I realy believes that my portfolio has a good quality and my art is beautifull. Of course I´m not the best artist in the world, but I´m not the worst for sure. I realy don´t have poor quality.

Also, I saw a lot of top freelancers saying in this forum that they can´t get a client since months ago. So, I strongly believe that the problem isn´t me, since, being realistic, althought I´m a new user in Upwork, I´m skilled in my field and I do have a very good portfolio.

Anyway, I would like to hear your opiniom about my profile and my portfolio. Please help me.

[tjmisny]

My honest feedback is that most of your work is in 1 similar style (character based mobile game / anime style).  You are banking on clients who desire that exact style.  There might be clients seeking that style, but there are many more clients that you are not able to appeal to with this style.   It seems like the most successful animators/designers are those who can work in a variety of styles and have diverse portfolios.  (I can speak to this because I regularly hire designers/animators for video work).  

So try to build a more diverse, wide ranging portfolio and try to make yourself more relevant for a wider range of jobs!  (Not easy... it has taken me 15+ years to build my portfolio, but I can say I am an expert in a ton of different types of work).  

[81f2681a]

I have a wild range of skills (all related to art), I can draw in many styles and even animate 3D characters. I readed in foruns that is best to focus and be specialized in something than showing to clients you have a lot of skills. So I tryed to be more specialized.

As I didn´t get many results, maybe I will take your advice and show all my skills together.

[5aaf6738]

Upwork doesn't give you free connects when you get invited, also I have noticed if you get 2 interviews within the same day. You don't get 20 connects, you get only 10 connects. 

[yofazza]

This is a sad suggestion but the argument is imo so true. 

If you don't like this idea then you need to find a way to prevent the gaming of this free-connects-from-proposal-response system.

[kochubei_valeria · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

I encourage you to check out the Product Update we posted for more information about recent changes in this area.

Thank you all for feedback and discussion. 

[spectralua]

Secret rules won't disclosing the number of connects? Great. We already had one mystery box with unpredictable behavior, JSS. Now we have second one! 🤣

Please make the rules accessible and open. Here is not a casino, we need to understand how it works.

Valeria, thanks for sharing update info.

[81f2681a]

Thanks for the information and the solution given to us Valeria.

Although not reveling to us the number of connects a freelancer will receive for interviews, your reply and Upwork´s update shown us that Upwork is hearing us.

I completely agree with earning free connects when registering first time, earn a rising talent badge and completing an Upwork skill certification, but disagree with free connects for every interview.

According to the update:

"Freelancers receive free Connects (the number may vary) when they win an interview with an established client on Upwork"

I don´t know if it is the best solution, but indeed is a good solution. I supose that an "estabilished client" is a client that just hired someone before.

I hope things turns to be better in Upwork from now on, and this solution helps to eliminate the dry spell that a lot of freelancers is facing these days.

Thanks Valeria