Hi Udemy, I have the following questions:
Thank you!
The bonus lecture title issue is a contentious one. The official policy only states that it must contain the word "bonus", but I and others have been given strikes for having it be anything other than "Bonus Lecture" specifically. There seems to be a mismatch between the published guidance and what Udemy reps are told.
You'll want to refer to the policies on watermarks and links and on course descriptions. The short answer is that URL's in videos are OK as long as they are unobtrusive, but you're not allowed to actively promote your own stuff outside of the bonus lecture. And you cannot link off to your own stuff in the course landing page at all.
It's always a good idea to clear things with policy@udemy.com in advance if you're unsure.
Thank you for your reply.
I'm writing to seek clarification on what appears to be an inconsistent application of Udemy's policies, which is causing a great deal of frustration.
My core issue is the principle of fairness. The official guidelines for bonus lectures do not explicitly forbid the use of additional text. I operate under the principle that what is not forbidden should be permitted. It is fundamentally unfair that some instructors are allowed to add this text while others are prohibited. There should be one clear standard for all, not a system with double standards.
This inconsistency isn't just limited to the bonus lectures. I have seen many instructors display their personal website URLs throughout their course videos, often from beginning to end. Furthermore, while the official policy states that course cover images should not contain text, I can point to numerous courses that have custom text added, which is clearly not part of their logo.
I would like an official answer from Udemy: Are these actions permitted? If a uniform policy exists, it must be applied equally to all instructors without exception or preferential treatment. It is unacceptable for some to be held to a different standard than others.
