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I wanted to take a moment to explain why I’ve been less active on the Fiverr forum lately. Not because I think I'm sorely missed, but because my last real post on this forum should be about the forum that I've grown to love, hate and use over the years. Why? Because I think my ideas might still carry some weight, if not with Fiverr, perhaps with some of you fellow sellers out there. This community has been an incredible space for sharing ideas, learning from one another, and building friendships. I’ve learned a lot, shared a lot, and made some great connections. Just to make it clear: I'm not quitting Fiverr. I still think the platform has a lot of to offer me as a freelancer. While we're certainly in a situation where we can no longer trust Fiverr as a stable source of income, I can still enjoy working here. The keyword is working. Helping other sellers succeed has become nearly impossible in an environment where you can't be honest when people make mistakes. So, here are my reasons for stepping back from the community: 1. Lack of free speech: The forum feels less like a place for open expression and more like a controlled echo chamber. Disagree with how Fiverr's AI decides if your business lives or dies? Brace yourself for a smackdown from management. I’m not a fan of companies playing puppet master with our words and right to free expression, even though it is on a corporate forum, and especially not when it impacts our livelihoods. They call it transparency. I call it the thought police. 2. The good people left already Many users who once provided valuable insights, sparked great discussions, and brought some fun to the forum have jumped ship. Some bailed because of the reasons mentioned above, while others ditched Fiverr altogether thanks to the platform’s increasing gamification. The quality of discussions and useful information has hit rock bottom—and that’s saying something considering every other post is about "giig rank on fiber." 3. Health impacts I’ve talked to several sellers who’ve developed serious mental and physical health issues thanks to the stress from Fiverr’s gamification strategies. Some have even gone public about it. The relentless pressure to perform and compete is taking a toll on many, and it’s a problem that desperately needs addressing. I’ve tried to raise this issue over the years, but it’s fallen on deaf ears. So why bother anymore? 4. Pointless GPT-drivel The forum is now a dumping ground for copypasted GPT content, which Fiverr management seems to prefer over actual, useful information. In fact, most of the content posted by Fiverr staff is among the worst examples out there. When other sellers and I have pointed this out, we've been told to be “more open-minded” about Fiverr’s use of AI. It’s not about being anti-AI; it’s about upholding a standard of quality and transparency, something the management on this forum seems incapable of doing. 5. Spam: Being active on the forum is like putting out a welcome mat for spam. Desperate sellers bombard you with AI-generated novellas claiming expertise. It's simply a waste of time. The more active you are, the worse it gets. To be honest, it doesn't feel like I'm stepping back from a community anymore. It feels like I'm saying good bye to a micromanaged, stress-inducing circus. Thanks to everyone who's made this journey worthwhile. You know who you are. I might be back when the people running this place realize their AI obsession cost them their jobs. Oh, wait, they won't be around to see that, will they? Oh well.

I'm not saying it isn't progress, or that all progress is bad. Maybe we won't need them. Until a solar flare hits us and we're all running around like headless chickens wondering how to repair the grid now that we can't just send a robot or ask MindGPT.

I linked to an article about it in my post above. It has to do with multiple reasons. Our critical thinking skills can become worse and we tend to rely on AI even when it proves incorrect information. It can cause humans to lose our cignitive abilities and knowledge, resulting in a h omogenization of thought processes, create echo chambers, and diminished collective intelligence due to loss of thought diversity. This article touches on similar subjects: https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7 As one Norwegian professor put it: "The second, and perhaps more alarming find, is that solving tasks with ChatGPT weakens cognitive abilities such as memory, partly because the automation of task solving removes the possibility of critical thinking." He goes on to speculate about the frenetic need to embrace AI technologies being a psychological response to the fear of being left behind. At the intro of his Khrono article, he jokingly writes about a talk he held on this very subject: "At the beginning, I jokingly said that if the predictions about ChatGPT were to come true — that it would be used both by students to write and by teachers to correct — the future of Norwegian subjects would consist of texts that no one had written and no one had read." Professor David Raffo, who lectures in Business Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, noticed changes in student behavior due to AI tools. Students had more trouble interacting with others and taking constructive feedback. My point here is that I think the rush to rely on AI for everything that we used to do ourselves, most certainly has the potential to screw with out cognitive and critical thinking abilities over time.

I never said AI is bad. It's the way Fiverr uses it I don't like. I'm not "anti AI". I'm anti copypasting meaningless garbage. With that said, I truly think AI will make people dumber. Science agrees with me.

Your question has a very obvious answer: work on your communication skills. I'd look into using both apps, online courses and in-person classes at the same time. Surround yourself with English-speaking people, watch movies and TV in English with the subtitles off, and in general, consume as much content as possible in English. You're trying, and you're interested in improving: that alone will make you successful, if you use it right.

Have you tried using a different browser or device? At the moment, I'm actually experiencing similar problems here on the forum, and that's an entirely different platform to Fiverr. Whenever I type something, the marker moves and types at the beginning of the sentence, erasing what I've already typed in. I can type in Notepad just fine, so I'm not sure what is going on. ------ ¿Has intentado usar un navegador o dispositivo diferente? En este momento, de hecho, estoy experimentando problemas similares aquí en el foro, y eso es una plataforma completamente diferente a Fiverr. Cada vez que escribo algo, el cursor se mueve y escribe al comienzo de la oración, borrando lo que ya he escrito. Puedo escribir en Notepad sin problemas, así que no estoy seguro de qué está pasando.

I've asked my SM. As I'm in the EU, I actually have a legal right to know how, why and what.

I couldn't agree more. I've had the exact same experience and timeline as you've described. Fiverr treats us like "assets". That's all we are to them. A critical flaw, in my view, is that Fiverr isn't raising the bar in terms of quality, but rather in terms of who can best survive intense pressure. I've watched multiple sellers go from being highly successful, even some poster boys/girls of Fiverr,, to openly discussing the mental and physical health issues caused by Fiverr and its gamification strategies. This includes mental health problems like hallucinations, anxiety, and fatigue, as well as physical issues like autoimmune disorders, hypertension, and exacerbated symptoms of existing conditions. When the same illness prevents someone from being at their absolute best and most competitive, even for a few days, that's enough to permanently derail their career on Fiverr, regardless of the years they've spent striving to stay on top. The truth is, if a Western company treated their "employees" this way, it would make headlines. It has — just look at Amazon, or gig economy giants like Uber and JustEat. But since we're just part of the gig economy, Fiverr manages to get away with treating us like garbage. Bonus points on their ESG if they host a mental health webinar and tell us our mental health matters. It doesn't.

You're not being open-minded enough about AI. Be careful, or the overlords might come for you, too. Disclaimer: Pursuant to directives issued by upper management, I have been mandated to adopt a more expansive perspective regarding AI technologies. Any feedback, whether laudatory or critical, that implies AI is anything less than flawless in all aspects at all times, is purely incidental and should not be construed as reflective of the official stance of Fiverr, its affiliates, or any of its subsidiary entities.

Vegans. Don't get me started on vegans.

Rejecting Fiverr's brand of AI shows a regressive mindset. You're now being disruptive, resisting progress and innovation. 🫡 Disclaimer: I've been graciously instructed to adopt a more "open-minded" perspective. Therefore, I'm employing meticulously crafted corporate jargon to mask my less than boundless enthusiasm for Fiverr's ingenious strategy. After all, who would stand in the way of progress?

I'll tell you: it's because gen alpha and Z aren't able to hold a job for more than six months before moving on (unless they get to "change the world" and "make a difference" ending up with a promotion to "Chief Humbug Officer" within a month of them starting their job). The people who found out about this years ago are already retired and to weak to work.

I agree. And all of this could have been avoided if they just bothered running in by some of their senior sellers, like us, before they launched it. Like they used to do. But I guess someone knew that this would piss off a lot of people, so they didn't want it leaked.

I'm mostly positive, or just meh, about these changes. Fiverr hasn't really done anything to deserve my goodwill except sending me work, and I'm not complaining about that, but let's just say I'm so little impressed with the changes, mostly to the way Fiverr have been communicating, that I'm meh about most things. Overall, I see this as a good change. They've listened, probably not to us (even though they say this is because of our valuable feedback), but to the data that shows what a sh*tshow this has been.

But I guess we can't have the cake and eat it too. They're fixing the emojies. Great! The rest probably won't matter that much for most sellers, unless they rely on old reviews while the new ones aren't that great due to the new system.

And that was Fiverr's fault in the first place for messing up the entire review system overnight.

Yes, of course, but if you forget... But yes, I agree, it's pointless. The other changes I completely get. But surely, if the problem is buyers leaving the wrong review, something is wrong with the review system, and I think they're partially fixing that now that they return to star ratings.

About time. Some gen alpha intern must have come up with that idea in the first place. I don't know what to think of this, honestly. This will make our support after the order is completed more important as well. If they buyer has a question or want something changed after the order is technically complete, and you say "no", they can fry you in an updated review. Just something to think about for sellers who are very strict on their revision policy. This change would only be "fair" if sellers also could edit their review. But that won't happen.

Yup, of course it does. And then they make up claims about the buyers remaining being of a higher quality. All I've seen is more haggling over price. Indeed. When everyone and their grandmother is allowed to just copy/paste gunk from ChatGPT in order to pretend, it will naturally increase the amount of unhappy buyers as well. I've seen more and more complaints coming from buyers, not just sellers, because they've had trouble with a seller not delivering as promised. And for the everyman it's becoming increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, when even a 12-year-old in their momma's kitchen can pretend to be a corporate lawyer. Disclaimer: I've been told by forum management to be more open minded about AI. Any reference, negative or otherwise, to AI in this post, is purely meant as constructive criticism to aid new sellers on their AI journey, helping sellers like you, one prompt at a time.

For some, it has definitely become an unstable source of income. Whether this is due to their performance or the new level and success score system is hard to say, because some of us are thriving under the new system, while others are struggling. Many sellers seem to be trying new tactics to stay on top, but I think they're doing it wrong. Just a week in, people were already panicking about dropping sales and throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick. AI-generated gig descriptions? Just because Fiverr has an AI fetish, it doesn't mean our buyers do. They might think they do, but people still buy from people, not AI. You're still selling to humans, not bots, even if Fiverr wants us to think we're all just cogs in the AI grinder at this point. Instead of trying to "game the system" to survive, try working smarter and better, and learn marketing strategies that actually work. You know, the tried and true methods like writing your gig description to convert instead of to please an algorithm (actual sales beat keywords every time) and delivering top-notch services consistently. This includes being proactive with your communication to make buyers feel secure, being friendly, responding promptly to all messages and requests, and carefully selecting the right projects to ensure you're working on something you're truly an expert at. Instead of quantity, your goal should always be quality, even if that means you have to charge three times as much. If you did that, you might succeed. But of course, we're all at the mercy of an AI developed by the same people who brought us Neo, so there are no guarantees. Even though I think Fiverr made a huge mistake with this new system, I still believe it comes down to us and our performance. Some of us are succeeding because of the quality of our work, our services, and our systems for vetting buyers to pick the right clients, not because of or in spite of the new system. That said, Fiverr has lost 300,000 buyers. We're in a time when companies are trying to cut costs left and right (don't think for a second that layoffs are only affecting employees; freelancers are just as impacted), and we're experiencing existential changes to the way we work due to AI. Companies are experimenting like crazy to ride the AI wave. It's the worst case of FOMO I've ever seen. So, while some of us have surely done all of the above, we can't pretend the AI developments aren't affecting us. Blaming Fiverr alone is foolish. Disclaimer: I've been told by forum management to have a more open mind about AI. Any interpretation of this as a defence of Fiverr is purely by direct order from our AI overlords.

@Kesha Why is my book launch not pinned yet? It even has AI! ☺️

It must mean that people are not yet open minded enough about AI.

I guess I'm now part of the Recently Failed Book Launch club at this point. But now the book is finally on WeTransfer, thanks to you guiding the way towards the three dots. Not bad at all - the work we put into this thing is a true achievement in the art of achieving nothing. Practice what you preach, I say!

Since @Kesha really wanted my book to become a reality, I decided to actually write it. Ok, it's a guide to modern inactivity, and since I really champion achieving absolute nothing throughout, I used AI to write it for me. I think that will be heartwarming to certain people who have seen my dislike of certain AI use cases here on the forum, especially given that I was directly told by the forum management to be more open minded. Can't say no to that! 🙃 So here it goes: The Participation Trophy Generation: A Guide to Modern Inactivity and the Art of Achieving Nothing, by yours truly (and mostly ChatGPT). Can be downloaded here for a few days, then it's gone. Get it while you can! https://we.tl/t-i1tflJqLsg Thanks to @emmaki for turning it from a boring Word document into what I can only call the most awesome book cover evah.