Allowing Advertisement in RPH Channels, #skins and #art

[HedeonRP.]

What's your Minecraft Username?: HedeonRP
What's the title of your suggestion?: Allowing Advertisement in RPH Channels, #skins and #art

What's your suggestion?:
Today’s discussion or “Suggestion” Is on the topic that recently arose in #skins channel when the tailoring community was informed of a new rule preventing advertisement of skin sales and the removal of Kofi-Links in the channels.

My opinion on this matter is that it’s widely unfair on the community that doesn’t have access to becoming a professional tailor in a server or solely prefers to not conform to restrictions or quotas to make skins, it’s very pressuring on someone in school, or who works to spend their free time worrying about if they’ll be removed this month for not making their quota. Lots of people lack the free time needed to be a full-time skin-maker.

As PolarLols said in #skins “I know ppl who depend on skins for rent dawg theuly boutta get evicted”


(MSG LINK) - https://discord.com/channels/345656956809117696/725152388171825192/1269384545594249282


This is such a true statement. I am a tailor though I’m able to not worry about rent, or utilities, this isn’t the same case for many. I on many occasions have had to advertise skins for people so they can make enough commissions to pay their rent, there was a separate time where someone I knew couldn’t afford their insulin and they struggled every day, working and making product to afford their life-saving medication. A lot of these people are underage and don’t have access to the places where they can make money aside from the internet. By taking away the right to advertise in #skins or #art they are losing money, and they are losing time to pay for items that may be life saving every minute this rule is in place.

These unfortunate situations aren’t a byproduct of the server but SRP’s discord has saved so many people from being evicted. I know someone who was able to feed themselves and their youngest siblings from art commissions they advertised in SRP’s art channel.

If we consider all the factors, yes someone may fish or lie for more money but that doesn’t change the fact there are real people with real needs that require the extra income from skins or art, these aren’t even a guarantee, but by cutting off a valuable resource for them to advertise and let people sympathise with their situation, to help them out is in my opinion far too harsh.


The Rule was implemented with no warning to the community had we been aware this would be put in place we could’ve made alternative provisions for people in need. If I was aware of this, we could have made a discord server for this purpose and had it verified by the time it was in place. Many servers have a limited number of slots and spaces for tailors and artists, applications are cut-throat and unless you have an impeccable reputation or are well known across the server for a distinct style of skin you’ve not a chance to make it to one of these spots and it’s the harsh truth. The unfortunate reality for many of these people that require commissions to survive is that no matter how hard they try – some of them slip in the cracks, some can’t dedicate time or re sources for a server and thus will be removed.


Here are some quotes I think make it clear about people’s opinions.

“you should never have to adapt your tailoring just because someone who runs a company doesnt like it thats not it chat” – 6Pancake

(MSG LINK) - https://discord.com/channels/345656956809117696/725152388171825192/1269388707681534096

“alex that's how it is with most tailoring servers unfortunately” – Dreamsongs

(MSG LINK) - https://discord.com/channels/345656956809117696/725152388171825192/1269388760093818890

These are just some of the few people that are unfortunately effected by this new rule and I’m aware there’s a vast community of people that are upset and even scared of this new rule, for some people the difference of a $5 skin is them able to eat and them going without food.


I speak for myself and those who are affected by this rule, for those that don’t have a reach, for those that can’t speak up. We, the Tailoring Community hope for this rule to be reconsidered and removed, for the benefit of those who need our help the most.

How will this benefit the server and community?:
This is to benefit those who cannot speak up and those that need a voice to speak for them. These are people that rely on commissions for several reasons, some they may not be comfortable sharing. People are desperate, and people need help. This is for the benefit of our community and the health and wellbeing of our players and tailors. Many of us are upset and some of us desperately need the reach that the main server has. With more than 15,000 people in the server the reach is so incredibly large that no Tailoring service can offer. By implementing this rule those who need that reach that they can attain nowhere else are left in the dark, this is for those that struggle, this will help them as it has done in years prior and hopefully years to come.

 

[LordI'mCrafty]

+1.

 

[imgayforwomen]

+10000000000

I think you've highlighted a lot of good points here, especially with how people actually depend on commissions. As someone who's worked in a LOT of tailoring discords, I do have to point out that some of them are just biased and don't accept unique tailoring styles, which makes it more difficult for people to join those servers to advertise.

This entire ordeal feels stupid, to stop a few scams by preventing so many others from doing genuine work.

 

[LordI'mCrafty]

To add, to my +1, lots of people who are new to tailoring can't really apply and get accepted to servers, because of the High standards, so being bale to advertise there is the better option.

 

[Polar]

I hit unc status and reached 4 years, this is a big fucking change yall got no idea. This SRPs equivalant to banning car shows in a parking lot. my old headed skin ancestors are rolling in their graves. I dont know how one gets scammed in skin chat either. You gotta be consuming skibidi toilet spiderman and elsa youtube shorts to get finnessed outta a skin comm

 

[astri]

+1

I think the fact this rule had to be implemented in the first place when there was seemingly nothing wrong with it is - and I say it as it is - insane. Nobody was told about this change until it happened. Tailor servers constantly look for people that fit their tastes and not of the tailor's, I've seen it happen more than once. Why are we, the people affected by this change, being the ones silenced? Multiple times have I had to advertise my commissions just to get a plate of food at my table when I couldn't. And I can also say that nobody wants to join 700 tailoring servers just to find skins they want, I literally did it myself and that's why I'm in only maybe 3.

There's this thing that we call 'bias' in the SRP community that I am sure everyone is familiar with. People are biased when it comes to tailors, tailoring servers are also guilty of this as well.

As I had said in the #skins channel, the RPH server is one of the best places for publicity when it comes to skin commissions and tons of people are always actively looking to buy/commission people- when it comes to tailoring servers however, its much more of a gamble than anything else, because tailors can deny and accept people however they like and it becomes a lot more difficult to get the skin you want. You can't even advertise auctions you've put up, when people have been doing this for years. How come it's now that we can't?

We're told anyone can start their own tailoring service if they wish: so why, pray tell, do most tailoring servers flop? There's only a little few that are still standing and aren't dead. Tailoring servers also force quota onto people, if you don't meet that quota, say goodbye to your commissions because then you'd have to either reapply OR find some other way to make the money you need.

My question is this: what caused the SRP staff team to collectively make this change? What was wrong with it? What needed to be prevented?

​

 

[lamby :3]

+1

 

[Heimdallr]

+1 We should EMBRACE this. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people advertising their kofi to make some money that they may need or even if it's some extra money to keep aside. Seriously, if someone wants to spend their money on some skins there's nothing wrong with that too, like it's THEIR money. It's not like it'll harm anyone and both the buyer and the tailor will be happy in the end.

 

[ezriei]

+1 ]
I was apart of this conversation today and I am extremely upset at how staff have handled the situation.
There was absolutely no warning and still (as of writing), is no pinned messages, announcement, or written-rule to enforce this new change. To me, it seems as it this rule was just starting to be enforced with no warning or prior knowledge to the public, and it simply shows how SRP staff are making changes that are not needed.
There is no reason to stop people from using the #skins or #art channel to advertise their commissions, it does not hurt anyone. The main point that I've seen is to encourage people to join tailor servers (Such as Euphoria, Misfits, Cartier, etc.) and apply there. However, there are many reasons someone might not be able to do this
1 - Someone may lack motivation or time to consistantly meet quotas of these servers
As an artist myself, it is so draining to know I have to meet a quota each month to be able to stay in a server to be able to get commissions. It is extremely stressful (to me) and a much easier fix (and a previous one) was to post in #art to let people know I am taking commissions, where I did not have to apply or meet a quota. This was much easier for me and my previous clients.
2 - Someone may not get accepted into a server & get commissions
As said in this forum, “you should never have to adapt your tailoring just because someone who runs a company doesnt like it thats not it chat” – 6Pancake - As nice as this would be, this happens in most popular servers. If you do not have a 'trendy' or 'popular' skin or art style, you can get denied simply for that. Therefore, having no place to advertise your commissions publicly. "Well, thats not the staffs fault" Well it's not ours either.
Assuming someone gets into a server, that does not gaurentee commissions or as many commissions as you would get from advertising in a RPH (#skins/#art) channel. If the server you are accepted into does not have a ton of members, it is extremely difficult to gain commissions too. Once again, a fix for this was to advertise in an RPH server.

There are more reasons, but those are the two main points I've made today.
I am extremely privledged and grateful that I do not depend and have never needed to depend on commissions to support myself, my medication, or my family, However not everyone else is, as said in the original post, and I feel as if they are not being in mind at the time these rules against advertising were made.

Staff, Instead of making changes that are not needed in the community, please spend your time solving actual server problems. Such as unresponsive tickets, and biases. This is extremely saddening to see in the community.​

 

[kustomzero]

I agree with this. I understand that they don’t want people to advertise servers that are unrelated to SRP. However, those who did express their work through Ko-Fi links through the art and skin channels are related to SRP. Some players can’t join tailoring/art servers because it’s picked with bias majority of the time- or they deny you because they don’t like your style or whatever their reasons are. It’s also hard enough trying to make your own tailoring server because you’re not well known or you are well known and get some attention but there’s no success.

It’s also very true that some people do depend on their tailoring and art work through Ko-fi by advertising it in the art and skins channel because they need rent, or need food on their table, college tuition for theirselves or siblings, or even bills.

I also believe that this new rule should’ve been announced so that no one gets called out and embarrassed to learn that they can’t do it anymore. It’s honestly ridiculous.

All the points Hedeon and others have point out are very true. I think the tailoring and art community as a whole can agree that this new rule is unnecessary. The art and skin channel is mostly active because of people expressing their work and commissions they’ve done. It’s not like they’re begging people to buy from them.

I also want to point out tailoring and art became a huge thing in this community because people started to ask those people who made skins or art if they took commissions- the chain began there. And the chain is still growing today from asking to showing off their work and what they can do, to advertising their work, to making tailoring servers. However, the skin and art channel will always play a huge role when it comes to tailoring and art marketing. In my opinion, advertising your work and expressing it is basically discussing your work.

So why is this a huge problem now? What made the staff team decide to take this away from us? At least an explanation to this decision would be helpful and help the community understand why it came to this.

 

[imgayforwomen]

Seriously, if someone wants to spend their money on some skins there's nothing wrong with that too, like it's THEIR money.

This is THE biggest point EVER!!!!!
It's THEIR money, not yours!
I think people should research into what they buy first to make sure it's not a scam, but it's also... NOT your problem on what they spend their money on. Their money, their responsibility. Cutting off an entire server just to manage a couple of scams is so, so, utterly, stupid.

 

[Eclipxa]

+1

 

[ezriei]

I also believe that this new rule should’ve been announced so that no one gets called out and embarrassed to learn that they can’t do it anymore. It’s honestly ridiculous.

This!! Just 'enforcing' rules randomly has always been a huge issue in RPH communities, and simply announcing this 'change' could have saved so much confusion. Similar with the rules now against short skirts or exposing clothing :(

 

[6Pancake]

I understand the frustration of this situation, however, for those of you responding to the post, please ensure to keep your responses respectful and and the discussion itself on topic, as otherwise risks the thread being locked, or unnecessary replies being deleted.

I'll re-explain the conditions of the rule itself in this reply itself as well, as an explanation was given in the skins channel (but there were plenty of questions at the time). This rule is just the same as it is within the #art channel (which has been noticed earlier), as both of the rules were put in place at the exact same time. It is just today that it was caught up with and enforced properly

However, #skins is made with the intention to post and discuss skins. It is not a channel made for advertising your commissions (as such can be done via other means, such as DMs, tailoring discords, and so on). However, that raises the question of What does a standalone tailor do? And that is where this rule has been misunderstood - You cannot post a skin within #skins and state "Hey! I'm open for commissions" or "I'm open! Buy from this from me!" or as has been done most commonly, posting a Ko-Fi store link, but you can still, for example, advertise it within your about me and whatnot for if players click on your profile, or, you can post a skin, and answer questions regarding your status on commissions.

Take this as an example:
totallycooltailor32093232: I just made this for gncme!
Randomplayer123: Yooo!!! That's so cool!!! Do you take commissions?
totallycooltailor32093232: Yes!!! I tailor in superawesometailoring company!! There's a link in the SchoolRP discord in #skin-tailoring! I can DM you it if you want

Or,
totallycooltailor32093232: Yes!! But I don't work in a tailoring company. You can DM me for a skin if you want!

and so on and so forth!

 

[menmapsy_]

+1

I've personally opened commissions for friends who could not do commissions such as tailoring or art. I've spent time organizing and offering my services for individuals who couldn't obtain money for themselves. I understand the precautions, and why it was implemented- but it was just so sudden? So out of the blue, with little to no communication between the SRP staff and the tailoring community. It's always felt like the tailors got the short end of the stick, and although there's never been direct situations or evidence of this, I think this is definitely one of the eye openers.

I fear for the individuals who are active in the #skins channel in RPH. What's next? The tailors that I've enjoyed seeing in that channel, will they quietly disappear? Why are we discouraging creation? Why is it a crime to support ourselves now?

It's not fair. And I know life isn't, but that's exactly why it needs to be considered. Not everyone can live comfortably, and as hard as it is to believe it; yes, some people rely on THIS to live. It's hard to see it at first but tailoring is art. Art is art. And people rely on that to survive.

There are staff members that are tailors and artists too. Why don't you see us? We need your support, but it feels like every single time we're just told, 'we can adjust so you have too as well.'

Please don't take this from us as well. I've never posted links because I don't take Ko-fi comms, but as a tailor? I support the tailors who do, and need this. Please, please, please don't take this from them. They shouldn't have to suffer because of other people's dishonesty.

Edit: Y'all. . . I posted this AFTER alex's post loaded for me, MY BAD RAHHHH​

 

[Oli]

Staff, Instead of making changes that are not needed in the community, please spend your time solving actual server problems. Such as unresponsive tickets, and biases. This is extremely saddening to see in the community.​

Remember that staff members are trying their best and are putting significant effort into ensuring the prosperity of the server. Coming from former staff, there is so much that happens behind the scenes and so much done that players aren't aware of, and that is for their own good.

As for the suggestion it self, I personally don't see why not allow advertisement; however, if staff see it for the good of the server, then it should happen according to whatever the rules of the server adhere to.

 

[Infi]

If you guys are concerned about advertising your commissions/discords, here are some methods to help get your name out there! The RoleplayHub and SchoolRP discords are not supposed to be used as a hub for advertising your commissions.

Here are some advertising methods for discords:

- Partner with other large (or small) tailoring discords and have your discord advertised there. Once you reach 100 players, you can apply with KimiNoUso to have your tailoring discord verified!
- The gang community is very friendly when it comes to advertising each other's gangs and families. I'm sure if you reach out you'd be able to work something out.
- Giveaways in your discord with entry requirements of inviting x amount of people to enter (this can vary between free skins/art or discord nitro etc)

Here are some advertising methods if you're a solo tailor:

- You can put all of your tailoring info in your discord bio/status to alert people that you're open for commissions.
- You can do advertisement in game on SchoolRP
- You can apply to be a tailor at one of the verified tailoring discords and share your profiles there!

There are endless more advertising methods, the SchoolRP and RoleplayHub discord prohibiting external advertisement does not forbid you from advertising anywhere else!

 

[Sporkmoment]

+1

Many tailoring servers tend to fill quickly, and often times partnerships don't really grasp the attention of more than the people who work in the servers. I think advertising in the skins channel is relatively harmless personally! If someone can't find a server that's active enough or isn't full, then the channel is a good back burner.

You can also advertise (albeit with likely less success) on the Planet Minecraft website! We usually use their skin maker anyway. I've been in situations where I've gotten way more OOC orders in the skins channel than I have in verified tailoring discords! It just tends to be affective. More communication would've been appreciated on a lot of ends I'm sure. While I don't use skin making to pay rent, I have in the past used USD orders to pay for food when I couldn't. SRP isn't the only thing that needs skins, but it's the most active!

 

[Arocatula]

I’m gonna have to agree with Infi and Pancake on this one, while it is a good suggestion itself I’m afraid places like the #skins and #art aren’t made primarily for the use of advertisement and commissions but rather discussion and just showing off some art and skins! Infi stated above the multiple ways you can advertise or commission other people without the need of advertising directly from the RPH Discord.
I don’t want to dive deep into this topic anyway because I’m just your average SRP player who probably knows little about this with how much I rarely even check the RPH Discord server.
Now I’m not saying I’m against advertising and commissions, I honestly am completely for it, I just think it’s better off used in ways stated above by Infi rather than channels that may not be meant to primarily be used for those purposes.

If anyone even bothered reading this part, I just want you to know what our SRP staff are trying their very best with their work, I‘ve seen some negative feedback towards them and I can’t deny that I’m saddened to see such feedback. I’m not saying this to come off as bias, I‘m being legitimately transparent right now, SRP staff are here to help make FAIR changes and decisions to our server and community, instead of ones everyone just agrees/disagrees with.

 

[Iris.fi]

+1+1+1+1 ART CHANNEL POV!!! (i don't follow the skins channel & most of you are talking about skins already so i can't be bothered)

Genuinely, why was a rule against advertising implemented? I've sold skins and art to fund meals when I can't otherwise afford it, and I know many others who have done the same. SRP has offered many options for artists in situations like these. There are artists that rely on art for aliving, but getting your art out there is very difficult! Try posting your art on social media for a week straight and see how well that goes. Promoting yourself and getting commissions is much easier on the discord server, because as astri said, most people are following those channels to find people they want to commission. You have no idea how much a single commission helps a person, genuinely, and having the best way to promote yourself in the community be taken away for literally no reason is INCREDIBLY disappointing. Yes, obviously there are other methods of promoting your work, but the RPH discord channels offer by far the most effective way if you want to be recognized in the community.

I can only assume the reason this rule was added is because of possible scammers and spam, but even those are not a relevant problem!! They're not that common and scammers are usually very easy to spot anyway. If you want to be more careful, only order from the players you know are active in SRP; if you get scammed, you can report them. While I'm not sure what the exact punishment for OOC scamming typically is, I'd assume it's definitely something worth avoiding. If not, you should fix that up as well.

That brings me back to the start. What is the reason this is being restricted in the first place? Like genuinely, there is absolutely no need. Scammers are easy to spot, there's basically no spam anyway. This rule is literally only taking away. It doesn't add anything other than more work for staff and maybe a little more stress on the artists' plates. People love to talk about random small adjustments adding more work for staff, but when it comes to something that unnecessarily restricts players and only adds more things to monitor, it's suddenly a good idea to add it.

If the scammers and such are really the problem, put the energy into keeping those people out of the server instead. That actually helps, and doesn't take anything away from pretty much anyone.

ps. I haven't read all the replies in the skins channel or this thread because I don't want to so if someone addressed my points ill edit and add to this later maybe if i feel like it

TLDR: no shade no offense no hard feelings no personal attacks everything is written with lots of love and respect and my kind soul and charismatic and funny personality; advertising in the channels was fine, why new rule if no problem in the first place, scammers are easy to spot, common sense, common sense pt. 2, if there somehow was a problem, counter that problem some other way