purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington

BTS ARMY since waste it on me. here for BTS only 💜

[madeev⁷ is seeing BTS ˚.🎀༘⋆ @saxophonist95]

taehyung reaching his peak happiness because he ripped joon’s shirt open without him knowing

[vjk ☆ @koovarbie]

GIRL WTF IS GOING ON WITH TAEJINKOOK LMFAOO

[unusual_whales @unusual_whales]

Fully remote workers report the highest well-being, and are less likely to quit, per FORTUNE

[Pop Base @PopBase]

8 years ago today, BTS released ‘IDOL.’

[Kay @kayrh11]

Not watermarking this one because its too beautiful to touch.
I love BTS.

#BTS_WORLDTOUR_ARIRANG_TORONTO

[(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

[isa @solmerv]

HYBE should put a BTS statue at the entrance so these groups can bow before they walk in.

[rea ⁷ ⊙⊝⊜ ❥ @SopeforSoul]

mans was working on 3 hours of sleep and only ONE shower but he spots mistakes like a hwak anyway 😭😭😭

[Jake Rivera @FidelCacheFlow]

The broad “middle class” we all grew up hearing about was really just a 30-year post WWII fluke and not the historical economic norm. Today, the economy is reverting back to a clean split of asset owners and wage earners. When it comes to annual income under $100k is the baseline struggle and poverty, $100-250k is lower middle class, and it takes $250-500k to afford what used to be a normal “middle class” standard including lifestyle access, savings, emergency, and investment portfolio building as a single income household with 2.5 kids with higher education. Upper middle class is $500k-1m, rich is north of $1m annual income, and wealthy is above $10m annual income. Because asset prices and capital gains run laps around standard paychecks even the “high earners” in the middle and upper middle class get taxed heavily while the real wealth compounds at the top unscathed. The illusion of the great middle class and American dream is basically gone it’s just reverting back to haves and have nots like it’s always been per the classic economic system gov policy and tax code. Beyond the numbers your number one priority is moving from the earned wage class to the asset ownership class by any means necessary

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

lifelong Texan finding all the mamdani memes so wholesome

[chaos robot 🤖 @deestiv]

putting mamdani photo next to stories about anything good happening in or around nyc has me screaming lmao 😂

[trinh ⁷ ⟭⟬ saw butterfly live 🦋💜 @trinhers]

it’s never okay to approach the members on their private time. say it again now. IT IS NEVER OKAY TO BOTHER HUMANS ON THEIR PRIVATE TIME.

[kemi⊙⊝⊜ Arirang @lirrceex]

Everyone that worked with BTS or interacted with them has never said anything bad about them

I think that holds more weight than what anyone says in this app

[yimika. @yimikaaaa]

Full grown adults that can’t swim, cycle, skate, backpack, take a gap year, vacation, play an instrument or speak multiple foreign languages. Just a lifetime of hustling and trying to leave survival mode. These are subtle poverty metrics that no one really talks about

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

Every bit of this. Especially for us neurodivergent ARMY. The shock and overwhelm at first is so huge. And like... they are surreal in person. I really want to go to another concert now just because I was so out of it for the first part!!

[𝑱𝒌𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒉 saw 𝑩𝑻𝑺⁷ ♡⁷ ⟭⟬ @borajktish]

ARMYs attending a BTS concert for the first time, let me warn you now: when the tannies finally appear, you’re going to FREEZE for a few seconds 😭
From my own experience, I couldn’t even film, take a video, or scream. I was just standing there completely starstruck, trying to process the fact that they were actually RIGHT THERE.

And trust me, they are SO much more beautiful in person. Photos and videos genuinely cannot capture how unreal they look. They have this almost ethereal presence that makes your brain go, “there’s no way these people are real.” 😭💜

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

I was there!!! Seeing him make that face in real time so so so cool!!!

[SuzzyLovesBTS⁷💜🤓 LAMRON @AToZ_BTS_]

Hahahaha 😂 GURRRLLLLL the scream was real 😂😂

And what a loud crowd 🔊🙌🏻

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

@Sopegirlfriend Into the Sun
Come Over
Like Animals

Honorable Mentions: 2.0, One More Night

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

@LetsGetItBTS7 @HYOSTOPIA Common sense & standard guidelines should prevail. Fever = stay home till 24 hours fever free. Allergies? Let people live. DFW causes people who have never had allergies in their lives to have sinus problems.

[🌻petal trusts BTS @flowerworkpath]

This is the executive director and co-founder of Heroes for Children. Let’s try to mitigate the damage.

[pixie🧚🏻‍♀️⁷ lost LTB (ia) @roundiekku]

Btw the biggest thing the world has robbed from us is that we never experienced MOTS world tour I will never recover from that loss.

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

@HYOSTOPIA and i am saying this as someone that likely came down with covid from D2. i just wish everyone well soon 💜

[purple rose⁷ 💜 saw BTS in Arlington @roseoflight11]

@HYOSTOPIA tbf covid was already going around, and this variety seems to hit hard and fast. like one minute you are good, next you have the sniffles, and within a few hours you are out with fever. nobody was heading there with that kind of fever on purpose especially in the heat