Is Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer just clickbait?
Tags: freelance, career, community, discuss
Published: 2024-01-31 11:30:22

Something is just not right. I cant put my finger on it. Just like 'smelly code', you know it will trip you over but you cant see why (yet).

For some time now I am having that same feeling with Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer and many other job sites. Suddenly it hit me, they are just 'clickbaiting' us. Let me explain.

This morning I was reading several posts here on Dev and than I switched back to my email inbox. There was a email from Malt (another freelance platform). It said: _'Now the freelance projects on Malt are covered by a new insurance company, so now you can work with piece of mind'_ I am thinking: '_This is not right_'. If you work as a freelancer and have to pass the ownership of your fruits of labor to the customer, THEY become the owner, so if something goes wrong, it is THEIR responsibility! If that company is not able to take on that responsibility -due to lack of knowledge in that field- than they should not hire a freelancer, they should contract another company as a service. Than that company can get the ownership of any problem. The company that owns the product/service/code is liable. It is a simple rule. Incorporated companies are based on that rule. 

It seems that we live in a time, that all responsibilities are getting pushed down to the people that had no stake in the decisions but are made responsible for EVERYTHING. 

We get 'baited' all day long and have to 'click' to accept insane conditions. It is like getting strip-searched just to enter a plane. 

Why this need to humiliate us all day long? So finally it hit me, this is what Fiverr, Freelancer and Upwork are actually doing. Want work? (bait), than click here and accept our (crappy) terms. But they dont deliver. They dont give answers, they dont solve problems. Anything that is not in your favor is ALWAYS YOUR FAULT. 
Their fees and conditions are crazy. Many times I think the posted projects are posted by their own AI to give the illusion that there is lots of work.

Couple of weeks ago gigs on Fiverr where finally ramping up and out of the blue I get an email from Fiverr saying that they suspect me of identity fraud. I have been on Fiverr for 12 years as a buyer and seller, never a payment problem and 5 star ratings. So I get that email. My account gets blocked and that is it. One email and you are out. No why or how or what. Nothing. 

Upwork does it different. I can work there, but for '_my own safety_' they will never transfer my earned funds to my bank account. Who dreams up these crazy excuses? 

There is tons of work out there but due to the limited flow of official money people can not hire other people. Did you know that the American economy **exploded**, when they kicked out the British and started their own currency. Dont take my word for it, this is what Benjamin Franklin talked about a lot when he was the ambassador for the USA in the UK. It is still true today.
The last example is the wealth that the crypto boom created. The clickbait governments/organizations dont allow you to spent them. 

We need to empower ourselves and stop baiting what the people in power have dreamed up for us. It is leading us nowhere. A case in point: Why are there no job marketplaces that DONT reek all over like power hungry humiliators? 

We all deserve more. Tips/suggestions, please leave them in the comments.