Suggestions and Feedback

**anjansid** · 07-19-2012, 12:48 PM

In freelancer.com, to ask a question, a programmer has to place a bid first! OK what does a project clarification mean and what is the purpose of it! A project clarification board (PCB) is to ask the client more about the project, clear any doubt, ask technical stuffs etc. at the very beginning of the project.

Suppose sometime clients posts projects as "Redesign my website with this this this feature and function..." but they don't post their website link. Now say I am a php developer and I want to bid on the project, but before that I want to confirm that the current website is in php framework, so I want to ask him the current site url. But for this only I have to place a bid first on the project!!! Is it fair?

OK if I place a bid there to know about the url and after that I come to know that "Oh no! it's not php! It's in ASP.NET or JSP." Then??? That mean I have just wasted one of my limited bids for a project which is out of my skills. So is it fair too?

And after placing a bid, why shall I use the PCB to communicate with the client??? I will definitely act as a cleaver and selfish. After using one bid, why shall I help other programmers (those who haven't yet placed a bid) by asking any question via PCB? Won't I use the private message board to communicate with the client?

So I don't know what is freelancer.com's company policy behind that, but my question is that is it logical to force the programmers to place a bid before clearing any doubt regarding the project or checking his/her ability to work on the project before the project and via the project clarification board.

I don't think the PCB in freelancer.com is useful for anyone these days. They must see websites like peopleperhour, twago and their partner scriptlance etc.

**vangogh** · 07-19-2012, 03:35 PM

You'll have to ask your question to Freelancer support. The forums here are something of a separate entity and none of us who moderate it have any control over what happens on the Freelancer side nor will we likely be able to answer questions.

I certainly appreciate your concerns and questions, but there really isn't much any of us can do on this side of the site and it's unlikely that those who can answer of do something will see this thread.

**anjansid** · 07-19-2012, 03:43 PM

Hi, thank you so much for your reply. I know you can't do anything with this. I just wanted to draw attention regarding the topic, because, there is no use of contacting freelancer support. They are just the general support team, they will say "We will forward it to the concern department" etc...

Is there a way I can post it to freelancer team like some suggestion/feedback where they can reply to it publicly?

**vangogh** · 07-19-2012, 03:53 PM

Oh got'cha.

There's a support desk here. You'll need to log in to post anything.

Also if you're on the main site at the bottom right there's something to open an online chat session with support. It might take a few seconds to load before you see it.

One of those two places is probably the best place to ask. Sorry if it hasn't been helpful before. I'm not aware of any place where you could have a public discussion on their side of things. I wish I could help more, but you probably know more than I do about how things work on Freelancer.

**anjansid** · 07-19-2012, 04:18 PM

I tried that before

Anyways thanks for your time. I really appreciate it.

**vangogh** · 07-20-2012, 03:45 PM

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

**Torjoman** · 09-18-2012, 06:01 AM

I haven't tried yet my self, but I see it useful in bids on work that have various or big difference in lower to maximum range of budgets.
it would be good to explain more details since it would more professional to talk to project owner in the same view of the project around the bid so that even other bidders can relate to why I bid that price or so.