Hey y'all, there's gonna be some changes regarding future uploads on Patreon starting with this week's comic! Why? Well, unfortunately it has to do with the big P: Piracy.
I recently found that my content was being leaked onto an unsavory website which conglomerates pay-walled Patreon content under the guise of "archiving". Now, I'm not so stupid as to not understand that piracy is often a necessary evil in this industry, and in the past, I have even agreed with it to some extent. However, this is a different situation. Rather than uploading 1 or 2 of my exclusive comics to somewhere like e-hentai, this person has ripped my entire Patreon page and uploaded it wholesale to this website.
I take issue with this for 1 reason, really. This hobby takes me time, that's no secret. Naturally, I would like to be compensated for this work, but I feel uncomfortable asking for large amounts of money to view it. I also understand that the nature of my content is global, and I want to ensure that it is accessible to as many people as possible, while still allowing me to fund the creation of it. I would much rather have a larger following at $1 a subscription than a smaller following at $10 a subscription. It irks me that somebody (I do know who they are based on sign up dates and upload dates) is taking advantage of the generous price-tag I have, and using it to steal my content wholesale.
So, what is going to be done?
Well, starting with this week's upload, I will begin uploading the comics as a zip and pdf that are password protected! I will put the password in the welcome notes of my page! This will, of course, be in addition to the monthly drive link! I know many of you may actually enjoy this change, as it seems Patreon's image serving can be spotty at best. If so, I am glad to have helped, even if it comes due to the bad actions of others! Silver linings, right?
Finally, a very big thank you to those of you that support me. It's especially in times like these where I appreciate your support the most! If you have any other ideas on how to protect against piracy while ensuring that your experience as a paying customer stays the same, please let me know!
Thanks as always,
APPRO