Ji-N:
Just to clarify and put this to rest: we have not added any streaming services in the past 2–3 years, and we are not adding any services at this time. This policy applies to all platforms, regardless of requests or paid.
In upcoming version 7, streaming services will move to a community-driven system, where new services may be added by the community.
This will be our only clarification on the matter. Thanks for your understanding.
You've made an important first step in responding to our concerns: Thank you.
But members may well feel that they need more information.
My first question: what is the schedule for release of version 7?
Just to clarify and put this to rest: we have not added any streaming services in the past 2–3 years, and we are not adding any services at this time. This policy applies to all platforms, regardless of requests or paid.
In upcoming version 7, streaming services will move to a community-driven system, where new services may be added by the community.
This will be our only clarification on the matter. Thanks for your understanding.
Thank you for your reply on the matter. I want to give the benefit of the doubt, but you mentioned "in the past 2-3 years" when this has been a problem much longer than that, hasn't it? Gagaoolala has been around for years and has had a large following on par with iQiyi and Viki throughout that time.
I do find it strange that the LGBT+ focused streaming service is the one having the most trouble getting added. Unfortunately, I feel MDL's position has been made clear on the matter simply through its inaction.
I do find it strange that the LGBT+ focused streaming service is the one having the most trouble getting added. Unfortunately, I feel MDL's position has been made clear on the matter simply through its inaction.m_holcomb:
Ji-N is the one who created the [Request] Streaming Provider thread in 2020. GagaOOLala was requested in that same thread just a few weeks later, and several more people requested it over the next few months.
And there's also the rule that users aren't allowed to write editorials about LGBT topics (a rule that came from the admins).
I don't know who originally created the anti-LGBT rules, but Ji-N has been the only active admin for the last few years, so I think he deserves at least part of the blame.
Just to clarify and put this to rest: we have not added any streaming services in the past 2–3 years, and we are not adding any services at this time. This policy applies to all platforms, regardless of requests or paid.
Not adding any streaming service for 2-3 years is a very strange position for a site built around providing information to help people watch Asian titles on streaming services.
If MDL wasn't so head in the sand and dreadful at communication and transparency in general, I wouldn't believe it. But this is MDL so idk it may be true. This is after all the group which left "add tags" on the front page of every title for years, with a link to a page to add tags, and then insisted the only acceptable place to add tags was under Edit - not tags, but Genres.
Instead they left it to volunteer staff to reject tags submitted under the words "Add tags" and send a copy/paste to the person who made the edits. Extra work for staff and so much frustration for people trying to help improve the database. And all they needed to do to change that was edit out two words.
I understand that front-facing staff are stressed and under pressure but the organisation's dreadful approach to sharing information is a big part of that problem. There will always be people who don't think to look for information but when it isn't shared in the first place - despite repeated requests - or the site infrastructure instructs us incorrectly, or we have to turn to off-site search engines to drag things out of the forums because on-site forum search is incomplete... it can only lead to frustrated users and stressed-out staff.
They could have removed the Google form for submitting new services. They could have said they were revising the system and kept us up to date on those developments. They could have been clear about this strange policy of not adding new streaming services to a platform built around providing information to help people watch Asian dramas on streaming services. But no, leave the users to build up frustration for years and try to figure out what is going on and what can be done... and then be short and snippy with us, like this somehow all our fault.
Maybe MDL isn't homophobic after all, how we are to know? Maybe they simply don't care about their users. Whatever it is, the silence has been deafening. And because it's silence, we're left to try to work out what is going on. It's not good for anyone.
Just to clarify and put this to rest: we have not added any streaming services in the past 2–3 years, and we are not adding any services at this time. This policy applies to all platforms, regardless of requests or paid.
In upcoming version 7, streaming services will move to a community-driven system, where new services may be added by the community.
This will be our only clarification on the matter. Thanks for your understanding.
When Gaga is FINALLY on your platform, I will reup my subscription that I've had for years only when Gaga is added.
With as many requests/upvotes and user interaction with LGBTQ content on your site, you shouldn't have to wait for a version update to add Gaga to your site. When you have non-English streaming sites and YouTube channel links, it is beyond insulting that you have left this issue.
You are plenty happy to have the traffic to the LGBTQ asian titles but then you ignore the one platform providing only LGBTQ. You get away with it because people don't think about it but more and more people are pointing it out.
Just to clarify and put this to rest: we have not added any streaming services in the past 2–3 years, and we are not adding any services at this time. This policy applies to all platforms, regardless of requests or paid.
In upcoming version 7, streaming services will move to a community-driven system, where new services may be added by the community.
This will be our only clarification on the matter. Thanks for your understanding.
Hi Ji-N, We noticed that Yoyo English Channel was added as a service provider in the "Where to Watch" field for Sammy's Children's Day, around the time the first episode went live on their channel. Since this happened after the March 11 clarification, we wanted to check in and see if we could understand the criteria better: Is there a distinction between YouTube channels and streaming platforms in how additions are handled? Will platforms whose requests were declined previously (including GagaOOLala) have an opportunity for reconsideration under the upcoming Version 7 community-driven system? MDL is one of the most trusted discovery platforms for BL/GL and Asian LGBTQ+ audiences, and at GagaOOLala we regularly hear from viewers searching MDL for our titles. We'd love to find a path forward that works with whatever process MDL prefers and any guidance on how to do that would be hugely appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and for all the work you do on the platform.
