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My *actual* thoughts on this policy update
2 years ago
Just in case it wasn't 100% clear to everyone, my previous journal in response to FurAffinity's policy update was entirely facetious and laid thick with sarcasm, because a ridiculous policy update deserves ridicule. Only a few days after that, FurAffinity continues to draw ire with some... Questionable clarifications to say the least. Go read it if you haven't already, I'm now skipping to the part where it concerns me, my art, and the people who like it and are wondering what I'm actually planning to do.
As far as I'm concerned with FurAffinity, I can barely interpret this nonsense, and I'm not intending on deleting my content or packing up and moving so easily. I am also not going to bother with those trouble tickets to ask admins whether my art is cub or not, I already know it isn't. If my drawing style gives off vibes they don't like, they can tell me themselves, or ban me, and then I'll have my answer of whether or not I am truly welcome on this platform anymore. I am not going to change the way I draw or what content I will draw for the people who want to commission me. However... It may affect what art I end up posting here, since we've gotten confirmation that Eevees and several other first evolution Pokémon are apparently not acceptable anymore.
I think it's important to point out that this isn't the first time FurAffinity has made controversial changes accompanied with very poorly worded clarification and responses to concerns. A lot of artists and fans were outraged, they threatened migration to other sites like Weasyl, and then they came back after nothing really changed. We could be doing the same thing all over again. It is possible that their intentions are good and the policy update really is just closing a loophole by extending the existing policy to Pokémon/Digimon, and then proceeded to completely fuck up simply explaining that to everyone... Twice.
So what comes next? Outside of FurAffinity, I am browsing a couple alternatives to set up a space on. Turns out I already have a Weasyl account I never fully set up, but I might as well. I am also interested in checking out Artconomy and setting up a page on Carrd to have something simple to point to for contact info. If I can muster up the courage, I may also create my own discord server, though membership to this would be invite only, especially while getting started. If I get set up anywhere else, I will post another journal here on FA to point them out. I am open to hearing any suggestions for alternate galleries as well.
Maybe nothing will happen, maybe very little will happen, or maybe it will ruin FurAffinity as we know it. We can't really tell right now. There is still over a month until the policy officially goes into effect, and a lot can happen in that time. It doesn't hurt to have a plan just in case.
Thank you for your support everyone. I just hope that these changes don't disrupt people from commissioning art they enjoy. My biggest worry is having to scour the internet to find artists I love all over again if I hope to get any commissions, as if it wasn't difficult enough already to find artists who draw feral Pokémon. In the meantime, I have a Telegram group where I am active, as well as Twitter, though I wouldn't count on me becoming more active there, as Twitter is an entirely different dumpster fire on its own that I use begrudgingly. Feel free to share your thoughts~
https://t.me/LukosArt
https://twitter.com/LukosArt
https://www.weasyl.com/~unownace
I only have the bandwidth for a small handful of sites and currently Weasyl isn't one of them. But maybe in the next few months that will change. I don't care, I'll follow where ever the artists go.
(Except Twitter.)
In more seriousness, yeah I see no reason to play along and delete stuff or send them the ticket. If they want to make bullshit changes, let them be the ones to carry it out.
Carrd is neat! Its a good way for artists to point to "Hey here's all my stuff!" And would be a good thing to have in the case you get yeeted off FA.
I figure I should look into other sites too just cause though, so if you find a good one you should definitely let us know of its upsides. (i'd still suggest discord too but for all purposes it's not great for much more than contact lol). hope you'll be largely unaffected by this... absolute clusterfuck, heh.