"Hidden" Applications?

[lanwanman]

If a Freelancer's application is "hidden," at least show an indicator to that effect on the "My Job Applications" page adjacent to each application that is hidden. It's easy to foresee that most clients will not spend the time to review "hidden" applications--hidden as a result of "mindless" computer algorithms. All of this because clients have asked for better ways to "filter" their applicants? Give clients better tools and options to use to filter applicants. The new system seems to have caused as much bad as good--especially bad for freelancers.

[margaretphillips]

Believe me, this is not benefitting anyone. Clients hate it as well.

[stephenbrightman · Accepted solution]

It's amazing to find that this problem is still ongoing. Search and you'll find (hopefully!) a load of threads going back six months about it. For a lot of people like me it knocked out two months of earnings then miraculously suddenly disappeared - but it's evidently still going on and ruining people's livelihoods. I believe I read a response recently from a mod to file a ticket... what for? to complain about something that is working (in their view)? Consider that the forums are visited by a small minority of users... then how many are just hanging on unaware of what is happening (or not happening)? I feel for you, hang on in there...

[mandylula]

From the many complaints appearing in the forum, it seems that oDesk is hiding freelancers with a lot of hours and high ratings. Perhaps their logic is to give the incapable a chance at work. I can see no other reason for this stupid "system".

[marciamalory]

Maybe that explains why my job feed now contains job posts that don't have any of my keywords and require skills that I don't have. Magento developer? Voice over artist? Video producer? Really. It's bad enough I have to go through ridiculously low-paying jobs that I am at least capable of doing. Now I'm supposed to go through jobs I'm incapable of doing, too.

[lanwanman]

For me the job feed has become useless. My custom searches still seem to produce mediocre results. Of course, I cannot see what might have been filtered out of the results. Actually, now that I think about it, I thought that the types of jobs I seek are no longer available on oDesk. Hah, they must be filtered out!

[tahir-k]

Exactly the same happens to me as well. Job feeds are not working properly. The jobs which were in abundance and I would receive 7-10 invites a week & now its been quite a while since I've received an invite.

[andre090904]

Hmm, this is rather logical to me as experienced freelancers are most likely to complain in the forums. I hope that your theory is wrong...

[smith_sam]

Hi I have more 7000+ hours and 630+ five star feedbacks. I applied jobs that best suited my skills but i'm not getting interviews for last 3 months. I think its time to say good bye odesk if they donot listen us or give appropriate solution. Thanks Vivek

[sultanarajiatani]

hidden policy has been caused a threaten for client and freelancer not to get the proper job done . it is a great sorrow that for hidden policy while searching by skill many many experienced(may be 10 years experienced) does not show in the search and it shows ever very new one . and i am sure these new one can never do the perfect job . experience of years has a value . it also should be mentioned the freelancers those who have done more jobs may be more than 80 like me are getting more flag that is normal because they are facing with more people . and we can not deny that the word cheater is applicable for not only for freelancers but also for clients. i am sure this hidden policy will hide all the experienced one .

[g_nembhard]

Ronald, An indicator sounds like a good idea. I also have a client account, so I can see things from that perspective too. This hidden tabs thing is annoying. As a freelancer, sometimes it takes a while to create a tailor-made cover letter for a job and then you can't even tell if it has been received. It's difficult to know if my application has been hidden or if the client isn't answering for another reason.

[benny66]

[quote=Vivek G.]Hi I have more 7000+ hours and 630+ five star feedbacks. I applied jobs that best suited my skills but i'm not getting interviews for last 3 months. I think its time to say good bye odesk if they donot listen us or give appropriate solution. Thanks Vivek[/quote] odeks sold itself to elance , now by the look at everything, elance try to kill odesk slowly to win over to elance site .... why dont they just anonse we closing odesk for busines, all whats going on has made odesk worse ever than it has been . They resently blocked my job applications down to zero , and when i contact them, its all silly dumb story, I have worked more than 5000 hours, now i get into this crapiola...soon i say bye bye odesk,,,, RIP

[sgamanyuk]

[quote=Vivek G.]Hi I have more 7000+ hours and 630+ five star feedbacks. I applied jobs that best suited my skills but i'm not getting interviews for last 3 months. I think its time to say good bye odesk if they donot listen us or give appropriate solution. Thanks Vivek[/quote] Agreed. I had a chance to see this hidden tab on my own when participated in hiring process of my prev. employer. Saw really good potential candidates hidden by system automatically and was wondering why. They were pretty good fit and employer ended up hiring a person from hidden list after I accidentally saw this tab and pointed that out, otherwise we would have lost a great person to work with. From freelancer point of view its stupid to hide profiles automatically, but in the same time give employers ability to SPAM freelancers with a jobs which do not fit their skills ("I'd like to personally invite you ..."). Recently I get nothing but SPAM offers for the jobs which is not really my type as well as get low level of response when i apply myself. And believe me i have really good profile, cover letter and resume which proved themselves before, not only within "old" oDesk. Really disappointed in this "auto-hide" feature. Even if freelancer is copy-pasting 70-80% of the Cover Letters, - who cares? Every normal human being do such and myself as well. Its NORMAL. Normally I address few things employer asks or needs and then goes standard application. I agree that if freelancer copy-pasting 100% of the texts of his cover letters and SPAMS clients with his applications then its a reason to hide such application, but in other cases its not. To odeks: Do not "think" instead of clients or freelancers, - its a road to death. Its too many automation now. Give us an ability to control on our own who is spammer or who deserves to be considered or not. You have created a problem for community because of few lazy clients and spammers. Please return "old school" oDesk we all liked.

[gareth_esutera]

Pardon my ignorance, but who decided which applications become hidden? As a freelancer, I do not see any checkbox that would make my application hidden? Do clients have certain criteria, that if you fit or do not fit those criteria, you go to the hidden tab?

[marciamalory]

Clients have no say in this.

[stephenbrightman]

A universally despised mad robot decides it.

[gareth_esutera]

Yeah just browsed around the forum and yes, both clients and contractors despised this new feature. I have yet to hear a single soul who supports this feature. Not even the moderators can defend it, they just resort to some generic scripted answers. I also noticed that despite my long experience here, I am not getting any offer. Then, when I checked who got hired, I am seeing people with projects way fewer than mine and has lesser scores in ODesk tests. Not that I don't want to give newbies a chance but if it's happening consistently that newbies beat veterans in the bidding process, something weird must be going on. Yes, let's give newbies a chance because soon we will find ourselves as newbies in other freelancing websites.

[kashyryaku]

I like the idea, but it only looks good in theory. Use an automated system to make judgments like this one will end up with a lot of false positives. Also, it puts competing contractors to an uneven playing field, with newbies gaining the upper hand. Simply put, the system has more cons than pros, and oDesk would be better without it. But with so many in opposition of this system in place, why is it still there? CS's replies don't seem to help, either. Whatever the reason may be, whether it be that it's actually stuck in development or it's just part of Elance's plan to drive oDesk to the ground, your guess is as good as mine.