OPEN LETTER: Forbidden Sharing

I decided to write an open letter to Episode and its team @Liz @Arlene @Tyler . I always tell my opinion and without reason to make argument, troll comments or whatever negative - like some think of me - but to clarify there are also other aspects and to get or give more view into other side.

Now here’s this big news Rules Around Using Episode Art Assets and Community Edits - #614 by ViviOfficially about using Episode backgrounds, assets and community drives, forbidding is to share and help each other. First before you continue reading this, know that this news doesn’t affect me, because I’m not one of those who use Episode assets or those few which I did, can be removed in second (are already)

This involves community which I’m part of!

I didn’t sign petition from @RudeInception (check it out and sign if you agree!) because it’s only one side petition, and the problem is wider.

Let’s be objective and say directly that Episode gives us little, and by forbidding us the use of all things mentioned, is limiting us even more.

  • forbidden use of hidden backgrounds and it’s parts (assets) - this I agree with Episode!
  • forbidden use of hidden props - this I strongly disagree! I agree only for props exclusively made only for featured stories for which they have contract with other companies - not individuals!
  • forbidden use of assets from published backgrounds- completely disagree! Episode is a company which wants money and money it gets from good community stories - and not from Episode original stories or featured ones! I’m one of those who monthly brings money in the house- not with my stories- but with buying passes to read community stories! Good community story isn’t a story with “boring” same backgrounds seen in every other scene - but with different ones - because a variety helps me to not fall asleep while reading! It’s completely understandable that some jerk is standing there behind in a corner of the scene and is smoking cigarette - so how come we don’t see that? Because Episode doesn’t give us what’s already made to make it possible / props. As for backgrounds - if you don’t make them enough and you don’t have staff for it, how do you expect from us to write? If you give little- you will get little in return!
  • forbidden selling of any art Episode related- isn’t that understandable to everyone? Who even dares to sell what’s not theirs? Well it’s their problem to have a problem with Episode. But that doesn’t mean we all need to carry the consequences! But let’s talk about selling templates. If a person, and let’s name @MdSava because she’s was named also before (sorry for pointing at you) - lets say she would sell her time for tutoring someone to understand the template, that would be quite understandable that this has a price and it’s nothing wrong if the student gets free template at the end of tutoring. In this case no one has right to point at this person for selling her time (charging tutoring).

So from Episode what I expect is to respect us writers! We want sharing - because sharing is caring and we’re community and that means we care. We’re here because we love what Episode is and not what Episode rules are. Rules are not to be broken, but rules are to get curved when they have to be. Listen to community wishes and curve them - because I know I’m not the only one thinking this way.

When you say the word “hidden is forbidden” that means many things are forbidden for us! Not only those things which I talked above, but also tappables, pannables, phone text format and all other things which you share only with beta testers. Don’t say this is not the same - because every logic says that if you went so far now with saying that people aren’t even allowed to share custom backgrounds from Episode assets - this comes same way!

When you say the word “Episode published Art is forbidden - this goes same for character edits! Don’t say it doesn’t - because it uses the same logic as forbidden assets from published Episode backgrounds. Now where are the admins @Jeremy @Sydney_H of this Forum and why don’t they do their work and close all those threads where people are offering character edits!? (To explain the way Liz explained about backgrounds: one person should not be doing any art from Episode Art for others constantly, but can do it once in a while for a friend if needed and can do it for themselves.) Last year my story was removed by violating TOS because it’s not a story but it’s customization game - and 2 of your reviewers told me when I tried to explain them that Editor Helper (as Amanda’s Editing Assistant) is there to help editors in creating characters edits (and art scenes for stories) - and they told me: if you want to help community with your tutorials, do that on YouTube! No one is saying this clearly that editors are not allowed- that simple. And yet on Instagram you repost their work and even when someone makes meme from Episode characters! Don’t say that’s not the same, because it is. If you set limits to one child - that means by being good parent same limits go for every child. Same is with rules - you make rules and ironically you don’t even know them.

So it’s time to curve your rules and make them understandable not only for us but also for yourself!

If Community doesn’t agree - who’s Episode without community which brings money in the House? Make the rules (TOS and Guidelines) with which majority agree and with which you’ll be satisfied.

If I forgot to add something, I’ll add it afterwards in this same thread first post. Comments which disagree and walk on my integrity and my believing, will be flagged immediately!

25 Likes

You have my support, I myself heavily rely on the drives as I don’t know how to edit for myself. I don’t see the problem myself. All the drives I have ever accessed don’t ask for money to make the backgrounds, they just ask for credit, its that simple. Episode are heavily limiting us with our options now, what they need to do is add more varied backgrounds to the art catalog or employ some of these editors to make backgrounds for their drives so that people like me who can’t make their own have a more varied choice :slight_smile:

9 Likes

I support this, and my point exactly, this is why we create backgrounds FOR THE COMMUNITY, and if they want to get backgrounds from public domain sites, thats their choice whether they want to or not. I think art made backgrounds are better because it kinda blends in with the characters art style. Yet, they don’t want us to PUBLICLY SHARE THEM?!

Who’s idea was to create backgrounds, and other things…huh? who? THE COMMUNITY! WE DID THAT! WE DID THIS FOR EVERYONE! People who CAN’T make backgrounds, do splashes, overlays, covers, etc, just can’t because they don’t know how, so they ASK US! THE COMMUNITY , for help, and this is why we THE COMMUNITY are HERE TO HELP PEOPLE with these things that episode doesn’t have.

We DON’T ask for money for these things, but WE WANT CREDIT, has Episode came to anyone asking about their backgrounds being edited or anything like that? Nope, everything was going so perfectly fine, until this happened, which makes no sense at all.

10 Likes

another one which I agree. :+1:t3:

5 Likes

I support you, and I agree with you. If we can’t use backgrounds by very talented editors, Episode can at least add more backgrounds and overlays to the art catalog.

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Exactly, there are so many, who don’t have the knowedge on how to make the backgrounds or even edit them, WE NEED THESE DRIVES!!!

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Thanks, it just makes me angry that they’re doing this, there are tons of people out there who rely on these drives, its just wrong!!!

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Abso-frigging-lutely!!!

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This is straight forward, so we call know that we can’t use hidden backgrounds, and take things from it as well.

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Yeah, this one makes sense, I think that some people only put the hidden backgrounds on their drives just so that the rest of us know what we can’t use.

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they said that we can use their edited assets, BUT THEY NEVER said anything about not sharing them publicly from the very beginning.

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We can use backgrounds custom made from Episode’s - only for ourselves :woman_shrugging:t4:

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Episode needs rethink that, people needs backgrounds that we make for them and if they want to use it, we need to let them use it publicly. How are they gonna get edited backgrounds now? I guess private message.

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But please don’t forget- the word is also about hidden props which have nothing to do with props for STORIES WITH OTHER COMPANIES! So many others will have to fix their stories! And check the app - how many stories won contests using them! Episode doesn’t know their own rules! But mostly I feel bad for writers which will now have to fix everything and rewrite their stories.

5 Likes

agreed, and which they are lacking of.

7 Likes

I’m currently going through my backgrounds and making a list using drives that are still open so that I can remember what I gtot from where, I’m also downloading some backgrounds I like that I come across, just in case and things shouldn’t be like this, we shoudln’t be in a panic over Episode. It’s something that we should all be enjoying, something that brings us joy and right now, its not that is it really?

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I completely agree. I don’t know how to make backgrounds so I need the drives. Plus, so many reviewers want authors to use backgrounds outside of episode for some reason…

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Imagine seeing same kitchen in every story - it gets boring to read them.

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Exactly what I mean.

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That’s another reason the drives should stay open, variety is the spice of life as they say :slight_smile:

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