I’m going to address this once and for all. Recently, this was posted on a site by the name of FeralFront after I discussed with the administrators to take my art down from their website. They claim that I wanted to take legal action. They also claim I stole it. They also claimed in private messages with me that they would not use it within the sites, but look what they are doing now. Making an example of me because I apparently caused drama. Simply, I am not the one behind the spam, nor will I ever be, because I respect the integrity of the site but every day that respect dwindles with actions like these. So here. Let me explain MY side of the story.
Part One: DeviantArt
Image One + Two
I was messaged on DeviantArt to take this art down. For those of you who know me, I am inactive on DeviantArt and was busy around that time, so I did not find out about these messages until 7/9/18 during my morning check. The art in question that was taken down was this:
Image One
This was a map I was told to produce by Alakatritous, Dynamo, and Frostsoul during my time as a community assistant. I volunteered to create a rough draft and I did. Though, once I was removed from staff, I requested for this art not to be used elsewhere as apparent to the DeviantArt description when I uploaded this, along with my private conversations from this. I expected them to not use it elsewhere. Hence, I was frustrated to see that with the rebuild coming up, there was no other map for them to use besides their drafted photo:
Image One
Part Two: Contacting Administrators
So I contacted them. With some help, I looked up copyright laws and proceeded to back up my points, but I had no intent of threatening legal action. Here are my messages:
Image One + Two
“I do not want it to come to legal action.”
Yet, in their announcement they say “Star then messaged the admins on FeralFront, saying he would take legal action against us if we used his art. “
Simply, I was asking for them to remove my art in any possible way. Here were their responses:
Image One
How can I steal something I was told to do? And why am I being told that I used the artwork elsewhere for my own good? Yes, I may own Beasts of Beyond, but I would never use that map for my own good when we already have an established one.
Image One
I used it nowhere besides DeviantArt to show that I made a concept for the website, but I feel as if my good work has went to waste, especially now that it’s taken down. Perhaps, I would allow for my art to be used if you did not take my art down and claiming it was yours, then I would be more sympathetic, but since I am forced to defend myself in the public, then please, go ahead.
Further along then.
Image One
Next reply. As someone who staffs, that last comment was very unneeded, but that’s not what we’re here to discuss.
Image One
Thank you for saying you aren’t going to use it. I really appreciated that, until you decided to do this and post it within the announcement. You took back your word. In the announcement, it’s stated: “We told Star we had no plans of using the drawing of my map that he created, but he had no ownership to the map due to the laws listed above.” So I was lied to. This was between us, not the whole site. You even agreed within our private messages. This should of remained between Ala and I, but I figured messaging all the administrators would make more sense rather than the entire site like you did.
Next:
Image One
Again it’s stated that my map isn’t going to be used. That was my whole point. Then… they took that back, so where do I lie?
Image One
That’s it. That was the conversation. Simply, in a very short tl;dr, I told them thank you for not using it and it was handled just fine… until other things arose.
Part Three: The End of a Reign
Within the FeralFront Discord, which I was still in because I was apart of the website at the time, I saw this message concerning me and hopped in:
Now, I didn’t reply to this message with anything besides a simple ‘What’s happening?’ but after thinking it over all this time and reading through this again, I can’t help but to think…. Oh? So you made the art? Would you like my PSD file for map versions one and two, along with their alternative river jobs? If it’s necessary, I’ll make sure to post the OneDrive link later on. Even so, let’s move on from that.
Not even seconds later, I was removed from the Discord(banned, I assume) and went to check the website. Obviously, if you’re familiar with FeralFront’s ban policy, it’s one and done. This was my one and done. That’s it. I was banned.
Image One
I had no intentions of contacting or discussing it further, but with this in mind, I went to my own hidey hole by the name of Beasts of Beyond and took a great look at what I now had come to appreciate. The freedom of the stress from FeralFront.
Even so, I felt unarmed and unprepared for what was about to come, as my ban was not because of this apparent copystrike, but because of something else… that wasn’t my doing apparently. On site and on the Discord, other things were stirring up. With the recent rebuild launching on 7/10/18, the day after this problem started, it was no surprise to me that things were getting a bit rowdy.
Image One + Two + Three + Four + Five + Six + Seven + Eight + Nine + Ten + Eleven + Twelve + Thirteen + Fourteen
People speaking up against some unfair bans in the Discord / on-site because they were voicing their opinion. They wanted explanations, yet they too got banned. This is nothing new. Here is Bravo standing up and getting their message deleted + a kick:
Another person, former staffer INFJ, standing up:
Another former staffer Lokisarus:
Former global moderator, Maple, everyone!
Image One + Two + one final message from her based on her experience of three years staffing the website
Bonus! Euthanizing the autistics. Image One + Two
Bonus! ‘The community is heard.’ I don’t think so. Even as staff, we were ignored and beaten down(admittedly, I did not support the rebuild after reading it in its entirety). Users are blindsided every day and staff members feel oppressed to admit to every whim of theirs while they follow the word of a mindless dictator. Once I thought of this man as something I could pity for his past actions, but now I see that there is nothing that will change his egotistical attitude.
'I am not sure why there is spam.’ [Is it the rework?] 'No clue honestly.’
Then why am I being blamed for their actions? WHY are you pinning it on me? But here I am, being blamed for their ruckus: Image One… So why? Am I being banned for disagreeing? Was I banned for stealing your art that I did not steal, but made on your orders and for your clan layout? Am I banned for spamming when I have not done a single thing that is considered spam whatsoever? If you’re going to make an announcement about this publicly, you might as well explain it publicly and well. When I tried to talk like an adult(for a minor like me), I still was not met with truthful answers that you ended up back tracking on.
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