Let's use this NSFW image as an example.

Whentai is an art site with a really aggressive monetization scheme. Outside of 'free' images, you have to unlock posts on an individual basis, and each unlock either requires waiting 24 hours just to get a single unlock (which doesn't work on animations), or shelling out cash for Extra Votes. Downloads and HD images require $250 minimum just to access them. Well, officially. It's not hard at all to download images, even if they're not HD. All of this preamble is to ask, would it be against e621's rules if I posted the image above to here? The image itself is free, even if getting the image is not strictly free.

strikerman said:
Let's use this NSFW image as an example.

Whentai is an art site with a really aggressive monetization scheme. Outside of 'free' images, you have to unlock posts on an individual basis, and each unlock either requires waiting 24 hours just to get a single unlock (which doesn't work on animations), or shelling out cash for Extra Votes. Downloads and HD images require $250 minimum just to access them. Well, officially. It's not hard at all to download images, even if they're not HD. All of this preamble is to ask, would it be against e621's rules if I posted the image above to here? The image itself is free, even if getting the image is not strictly free.

Sounds like that's a lot of text to say it's a paid site that you paid to access the image, so I imagine it falls under the regular paid site rules.

coryi said:
Sounds like that's a lot of text to say it's a paid site that you paid to access the image, so I imagine it falls under the regular paid site rules.

That's the thing: to access that particular image, I did not pay. Just to view the image, all you need to do is log in.

The folks behind the website were too preoccupied with asking themselves When-tai, that they fail to ask themselves Why-tai.

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with this subject. My knowledge is limited to dispensing jokes.

strikerman said:
The image itself is free, even if getting the image is not strictly free.

The image itself might be free, but if getting to that image requires shelling out money, then no, I don't think it's all that free. Perhaps I don't really understand how this site works, but it seems to be similar to Patreon in a way. On Patreon, you have to give money in order to access the pictures, even if the pictures might be considered free (especially after an artist posts them elsewhere, in which case we go to that elsewhere instead of Patreon). Thus, it seems to me that WHentai has a variant of a paywall going.

I think it's best to assume that, if there's money needed in any way for a complete outsider to access stuff, it's best to assume that stuff is commercial content and thus not kosher for e621.

clawstripe said:
The image itself might be free, but if getting to that image requires shelling out money, then no, I don't think it's all that free. Perhaps I don't really understand how this site works, but it seems to be similar to Patreon in a way. On Patreon, you have to give money in order to access the pictures, even if the pictures might be considered free (especially after an artist posts them elsewhere, in which case we go to that elsewhere instead of Patreon). Thus, it seems to me that WHentai has a variant of a paywall going.

I think it's best to assume that, if there's money needed in any way for a complete outsider to access stuff, it's best to assume that stuff is commercial content and thus not kosher for e621.

It's not really like Patreon - you can get (some) images for free. You are just limited to getting one image per 24 hours without paying.
At least, that's how I think it works. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about WHentai either.

Personally, I would still err on the side of caution and avoid using that site as a source.

Thank you for the info, I didn't know that. I am new here.

simonluna said:
Thank you for the info, I didn't know that. I am new here.

Word of advice, don't reply to threads that are many months old... Let alone 2 YEARS.

simonluna said:
Thank you for the info, I didn't know that. I am new here.

benjiboyo said:
Word of advice, don't reply to threads that are many months old... Let alone 2 YEARS.

Yeah, gotta ask yourself two questions, mostly:
A) Is it actually contributing to this topic or just a me-too after 2 years?
B) Do you REALLY want to create an identical topic? See A.
This general advice is for any forum, not just E621.

https://e621.net/forum_topics/2947?page=1#forum_post_371691 This got binned into making sense to reopen because it was the exact same subject and they missed a lot of posts, somehow. Just used as a recent example.

Sometimes the answer to B is yes, and you want to start over. Like, if you wanted to introduce yourself, there is an forum section for that, or you can even use 'blips'.

Direct upload whitelist requests If you wanted to ask about adding a site to allowed sources. Sometimes the answer is the third hidden option, C: Use a different topic. ;)

benjiboyo said:
Word of advice, don't reply to threads that are many months old... Let alone 2 YEARS.

I am sorry, I will keep it in my mind.

alphamule said:
Yeah, gotta ask yourself two questions, mostly:
A) Is it actually contributing to this topic or just a me-too after 2 years?
B) Do you REALLY want to create an identical topic? See A.
This general advice is for any forum, not just E621.

https://e621.net/forum_topics/2947?page=1#forum_post_371691 This got binned into making sense to reopen because it was the exact same subject and they missed a lot of posts, somehow. Just used as a recent example.

Sometimes the answer to B is yes, and you want to start over. Like, if you wanted to introduce yourself, there is an forum section for that, or you can even use 'blips'.

Direct upload whitelist requests If you wanted to ask about adding a site to allowed sources. Sometimes the answer is the third hidden option, C: Use a different topic. ;)

I am sorry, I will do it.

benjiboyo said:
Word of advice, don't reply to threads that are many months old... Let alone 2 YEARS.

Word of advice, check the account history before feeding the spambots.

wat8548 said:
Word of advice, check the account history before feeding the spambots.

Looks more like a lurker. :(

alphamule said:
Looks more like a lurker. :(

I've hidden the spam.
https://i.imgur.com/7pTX87r.png

cinder said:
I've hidden the spam.
https://i.imgur.com/7pTX87r.png

Welp, that makes sense.

I hate spammers. They are everywhere and it is hard to catch them. I appreciate you for clearing this forum spam free otherwise it is hard for us to find information.