Tabling Feature Requests to Upwork

Robin

Thought which popped into my brain:

Could we use this forum to collect Upwork Feature Ideas / Requests, put a little bit of definition around them, and use a bit of friendly collective weight to put these forward to the responsible team at Upwork?

In my experience, you can make headway on these things solo, on occasion; however, when I did so, that was by posting on the forum, and a moderator picked it up and passed it into the development team and I think that may have strengthened the case.

I'd like to write out feature ideas/requests on here, 1) as a way of getting them out of my head, and 2) to get feedback from anyone else here interested in such a feature so that, perhaps, 3) we can thrash out a good requirements / benefits definition to strengthen the case for their development.

Seems there's some long-time Upworkers here who are / were close to people at the company?

I'd like to get things done if we can. Thoughts? 💰🥕 (a small bag of money and a carrot for them, dangle-dangle)

Mark

Over the years I have seen very little evidence that they respond to this. My favorite example is people have been clamoring for a dark mode for as long as I have been on the platform. Last year they did it and the actual dev who did it posted on reddit and got housed by people complaining how they did it wrong.

The feature I would want more than anything is more and better clients. Anything else that might be nice to have is so unimportant to that. I want their only focus is on bringing in more and better clients.

Petra

To be honest whatever you may come up with has probably been suggested dozens of times over the years.

Mark

The feature I would want more than anything is more and better clients.

Exactly.

Robin

Mark I have had them (half) implement a feature I requested. So I have first-hand experience that it can be done. I think much of it comes down to how beneficial the feature is going to be for the platform / freelancers & clients, and in how such requests are communicated.

I have experience before that in getting software companies to add features. I believe it comes down to how you advocate. Also in assisting Upwork with bug fixing, for which I've received thanks from them in the last couple of weeks.

Good features & platform improvements will improve the experience for both freelancers & clients, and lead to more work being secured.

That's the kind of thing that's in my mind. There's definitely opportunity for those sorts of improvements.

Particularly if a respected group can be formed over here.

In any case, I will offer my some of my own time to such an effort if there's some ways we feel we can improve the platform.

Petra

I have had them (half) implement a feature I requested.

How do you know if your suggestion had anything to do with it being implemented?

Robin

Petra Because I was the only one to suggest it, as far as I could see when I was active on the forum. It was picked up by forum moderators and forwarded on to the development team, and that was clearly communicated.

Dev team implemented some weeks later (not all the way, as described), and support circled back informing me that the feature had been developed and asking for my feedback.

Ravi

Robin Because I was the only one to suggest it, as far as I could see when I was active on the forum. It was picked up by forum moderators and forwarded on to the development team, and that was clearly communicated.

Perhaps it was picked up, and perhaps it was a coincidence.

I had made a recommendation once that Connects required should be shown in the RFP listing just as the client’s rating, budget, and country.

Coincidence, I suppose, but it did appear, and then in a day or two, disappear.

Anyone remember the renaming of Coffee Break to Coconut Break?

Robin

Ok, I won't be driving myself crazy proving anything to people. I've described that situation adequately.

If good energy can be applied to such an effort, I am willing to contribute my own.

Kelly_E

This is not at all to naysay the idea, just a small data point—

A couple of years ago... I forget, maybe Aug 2023? Somebody from UW got in touch with me and asked if I'd like to do a call with Hayden to discuss the site experience.

I don't flatter myself that it was because experience design is something I've specialized in for many years... it was probably because I had done calls with lower-down people a couple of times in response to forum posts I'd made. Maybe back then Hayden liked to pluck a few out and dig deeper?

Anyway, we scheduled it, I got some notes together so I wouldn't forget things that should be said, and then—it got cancelled last second.

(Just like the rest of UW...)

My contact said they'd be rescheduling it shortly. Shortly turned into not very shortly—so I just made my notes nicer and sent them.

To my contact.

To Customer Service.

Even posted a slightly different version on the forums.

And I never heard a single word from anyone, at all, again.

[And remember: this is for something where she (or her peeps, on her behalf), asked me.]

I still think what I suggested back then was all quite reasonable. But I'm not sure, based on that weird situation, how much interest there is in potential changes or improvements.

I mean, maybe a group effort would be more effective... but then again, group efforts happened on the forums all the time, and the forums are now gone so there won't be any chance for a fresh idea to accidentally slide by them.

Just my .02 USD...

Ravi

Kelly_E I mean, maybe a group effort would be more effective... but then again, group efforts happened on the forums all the time

And group "loggerheading" too.

Robin

A little test going on at the moment. Submitted a bug report for something that's been broken for weeks at least. So their awareness does not seem great.

They've been pretty responsive on bug reports lately. I had feared the worst with having to go through Support after the Community was closed, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

Will see where this one goes.