BrigiOT7 ⟭⟬ 💜 saw BTS

[hope⁷ @winnttaebear]

HOW ARE WE???

[moon⁷ 🍓🥛 @googiesbabybear]

This fancam of YOONMIN like hello we're so blessed fr 🥺🤌🏻

[(slow)𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓫𝓲⁷ ⊙⊝⊜ 🇦🇺 ⟭⟬ @BaseLineWoo]

Here is some context for those asking/wondering what we’re talking about…

The Story of QDEOKS (a.k.a. Q 🦆)

So, QDEOKS, a.k.a. Q 🦆, was an ARMY who became something of a legend in the streaming trenches sometime around 2019 to 2022, if I remember correctly. 🤔🤔🤔

During those years, QDEOKS was extremely active in helping ARMY access streams for BTS content that was either paid, region-locked, or otherwise inaccessible to international fans.

QDEOKS became so synonymous with getting ARMY access to paid content that the name became pretty well known within the fandom and, apparently, to the people on the other side of the paywall too. 😂

But QDEOKS wasn't just about finding a stream when BigHit put something behind a paywall.

When COVID hit in 2020 and the Map of the Soul tour was postponed, BTS and ARMY were suddenly stuck at home, the world was falling apart, and we were all desperately looking for ways to feel connected to each other and to BTS themselves.

And this is where QDEOKS really cemented their place in ARMY history.

Before BigHit officially announced BANG BANG CON, QDEOKS organised a massive fan-run online concert marathon, streaming archived BTS concerts, and Musters across platforms and creating an actual schedule so ARMY around the world could all tune in together.

And when I say massive, I mean this was not QDEOKS sitting in a corner with a laptop going, "Hey guys, wanna watch a DVD?" 😂

It was a whole damn production.

There was a fan-made concert schedule, streams running back-to-back, tens of thousands upon thousands of ARMY tuning in, and live commentary on the TL absolutely losing our collective minds.

It gave ARMY something that was desperately needed during lockdown: a reason to gather and find some happiness.

And then, shortly afterwards, BigHit announced BANG BANG CON.

Now, I don't want to claim that QDEOKS single-handedly invented BANG BANG CON because unless Big Hit themselves have gone on record saying that, we simply don't know that. But the timing is 👀 😉

QDEOKS had already demonstrated that ARMY would absolutely turn up for an organised online BTS concert marathon, and then Big Hit launched an official version of essentially the same basic idea.

So whether you call it inspiration, influence, coincidence, or BigHit seeing what ARMY were already doing and thinking "hmmmmm, perhaps we should be doing this ourselves"...

QDEOKS's contribution to that moment in ARMY history is pretty damn significant.

And honestly, during a global pandemic, when people were isolated in their homes and couldn't go anywhere, BANG BANG CON became one of the things that brought ARMY together.

So when people talk about QDEOKS as just some account that used to find streams, they're missing a pretty big part of the story.

And THEN we get to another part of the QDEOKS story.

During BTS or BTS-related broadcasts, particularly region-locked ones, unofficial streams would frequently get taken down, only for another one to appear shortly afterwards.

It basically became Whac-A-Mole: BTS Broke-ARMY Edition.

🔨 Stream taken down.

🦆 Q1: New stream appears.

🔨 That one gets taken down.

🦆 Q2 has entered the chat.

🔨 TAKEN DOWN.

🦆 Q3 HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.

You get the idea. 😂

One particularly memorable example was the December 31, 2020 to January 1, 2021 New Year's Eve Live concert.

The screenshot below shows the message that appeared on unofficial streams while the concert was in progress, warning viewers that the broadcast was unauthorised and directing them towards the official service.

QDEOKS was reportedly one of the largest, if not the largest, unofficial streams being targeted at the time.

So yes, somewhere in BigHit's control room there was apparently a team of people watching illegal streams and trying to shut them down.

And they still do this now.

So don't be surprised when some rando account suddenly DMs you asking, "where are you watching?" That could be a BigHit intern. 😂😂😂

QDEOKS also had a website that served as a repository for streams and video content. And that site, unsurprisingly, also found itself repeatedly dealing with takedowns.

I honestly don't know exactly what eventually happened to the site. But after years of dealing with copyright enforcement and the general headache of running an unofficial streaming operation for one of the most heavily image-protected acts on the planet, QDEOKS eventually appears to have hung up the streaming boots and retired from the game.

And honestly? Fair.

Imagine spending years playing digital cat-and-mouse with BigHit's lawyers and copyright department just so some ARMY in another country can watch BTS on a stream at 3 a.m. 😭

As far as I know, QDEOKS is still around and still an ARMY, occasionally appearing here on the TL.

But the streaming era of Q 🦆? Retired.

She served her time in the trenches so that ARMY could watch Bangtan. 🫡

QDEOKS, wherever you are: thank you for your service. 😂

#BTSARMYHistory

[faiꪆৎ @myyouwithjk]

very normal thing to do yes.

[shania⁷ 🔜 bts in chicago @dreamsofknj]

NAMJOON POSTED ME ON HIS INSTAGRAM STORY IM FUCKING SHAKINGGGGGG I LOVE YOU SO MUCH NAMJOON

[작살 @JAKSAL_5813]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[hope⁷ @winnttaebear]

The screams for namjoon and the way the cameraman showed us his backkk

[V• ᎑ •V @VLifeToDo]

웃는거 고화질에 너무 잘보옄ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[BTS Daily⁷ @btsdaily77]

BTS REACTING TO NAMJOON’S RIPPED SHIRT… THIS HEALED ME. 🥹❤️‍🩹

[jin files @seokjinfile]

Jungkook letting the camera person know where Seokjin is 😭🫶🏼

[Tanvir @Tanvir3221451]

@Minsblossom I was there last night on Day-2 and I can assure you that RM is so loved and appreciated. Everyone screamed so loud for him. We all love him so much…

[mon⁷ @knjgIoss]

i love whatever’s wrong with them

[tan into the sun⁷ @taesl0ver]

SHUT UP WDYM TAEHYUNG STARED AT YOONGI FIRST THEN GRABBED HIS HAND TO DANCE WITH HIM AND YOONGI JUST WENT ALONG WITH IT BC WE ALL KNOW HE CAN NEVER SAY NO TO HIS TAEHYUNGIE. LOOK HOW HAPPY TAE LOOKED AFTER DANCING WITH HIS YOONGI HYUNG. TAEGISTS WE WON SO BAD TODAY 😭😭😭

[kore ☻ັ 🌱 @namnamjeans]

THE MOMENT HE WHISPERED JOON LEMME IN YOUR SHIRT 😭😭😭 GOD NAMJIN WHAT THE HELL

[로로 @1204_roro]

미리 허락 맡고 티셔츠 이용(?)한거냐구ㅋㅋ

[j.m⁷ @yooninmist]

Yeah, we call this thing normal.

[knjpagee𝄢 @knjpagee]

He was getting emotional here...🙁 Nam, they could never make me hate you.

[BangtanEAS⁷ ɪꜱ ꜱᴇᴇɪɴɢ ʙᴛꜱ 💜 | ㉧㉣㉣ ᴀʀɪʀᴀɴɢ 🪭⛵ @bangtaneas]

It may have taken him 8 years, but he got his revenge!

[⋆˚✿˖ ⁷ @tinkerhobi]

the joon back cam that we all needed

[hope⁷ @winnttaebear]

Seokjin literally at the back of namjoon's ripped shirt lmaooo