Working with clients and setting up the Upwork site?

Question

Upwork

Hello!
Just started working on Upwork, 3 days, haven't been able to get any work yet. More precisely, there were 3, on one we are still discussing the process, they have not yet hired, and on the other two, I dissuaded customers from hiring someone (it is technically impossible to do the work there).
After three days there were a lot of questions. Something decided with the caliper. I'll post the rest here.
1. A job appears in the feed, time passes, a record appears that "1 hires", but the "apply" button is active ... I.e. it seems like someone was hired, but the application was not closed, you can beat it.
What is that supposed to mean? Want multiple performers?/Forgot to close the application?/Think the hired one is screwed up and another one will be needed?
2. Now we communicate with one client in messages, I made several test pictures for him, but he does not click "hire" yet and there are no hired ones in the application ... The client is not one-day, it is written that he paid only 50 thousand for the whole time ... Work penny for $20, fixed price. How to evaluate it? Maybe so used to it? Like, when will he be sure that I will do the job, then will he hire me? It is unlikely that he is going to throw it (in any case, I will not give the final pictures until it is clarified).
3. There are no portfolio views in the statistics. Really, none of those with whom he talked did not come to see for the sake of interest? At least with one eye ... But 0 views for all days. Maybe something is wrong in the settings ... And hence the next question.
4. I set the portfolio as "Public", but if you go to it without logging in, you can only see "Overview" and what tests were passed. And the work in the portfolio is not visible. There is no such section at all. Is that how it should be?
It seems that for now everything is the most painful thing that does not allow you to live in peace)
Thank you!

Answer 1

2) After discussing all the details, and when the client has already "ripened", you just need to tactfully hint that, they say, "Isn't it time to heat the bathhouse?" The work itself does not need to be done, much less given away, until you are hired (confirmation should come and you need to press the ACCEPT button). You also need to check that the project is funded, otherwise the customer may throw.
3) My stats is updated xs like. Somehow I didn't pay attention.

Answer 2

1) Understand as you like, which means that the work indicates the hiring of several people, what difference does it make to you, all payment is now guaranteed, the second you are for one and the same job or for another, money is money.
2) What is the point of hiring a person if there is no certainty that you will do the job?
3) By and large, portfolios are still not the first three in terms of the importance of criteria. That is, if you have no first three criteria, then not a single employer will reach the portfolio.