As one of the forum moderators, I am creating this thread where people can discuss the seventh Harry Potter book (… and the Deathly Hollows) after they’ve read it. Because many (most?) readers don’t want their enjoyment spoiled by knowing critical plot elements, we’re imposing some restrictions to try to be sensitive to the situation.
Spoiling the enjoyment of others is a violation of good manners and common courtesy, and please note (from our Guideline to Etiquette):
We’d like to have just one thread, at least for the first week or so after the book is unleashed. This is it. Post your discussion, including spoilers, here (I’d like to ask that the first ten posts use spoiler boxes, please.)
If you haven’t read the book and don’t want to see spoilers, keep out of this thread!
(I’m starting this a few days early, so the opening post won’t have any spoilers in case of mouse-over or accidental openings. I’m therefore making it a “sticky” for the next couple days so it doesn’t disappear into the mists)
I’d avoid Wikipedia’s Harry Potter entries entirely over the next week or so.
I’ve been reading the book and have noticed minor spoilers getting filled in both on the Deathly Hallows page and the “biography” pages of the characters.
I was searching characters to remember who they are(so many!!) and some info. is already filled in.
It’s only a matter of time before some troll posts a major spoiler on the main site.
Aren’t you breaking some kind of law? The book is under heavy guard and isn’t released until midnight Friday night/Saturday morning. If you’re not breaking a specific law, then you’re at the very least doing something highly unethical. It would seem.
Not that there aren’t people who are authorized to read the book in advance of release, but that list is small and exclusive and I’d bet you’re not on it. I’m shocked you would admit it on this particular message board.
shakes head
I’m now closing down all my brower windows and won’t read the Internet again until I’ve finished the book sometime Saturday or Sunday. Mahaloth may be a perfectly nice guy who just wants to make people jealous, but there are thousands of others whose middle name is “asshole” and can’t wait to spoil wide and far. I don’t mean at the Straight Dope, but elsewhere. Even here though, anyone can post so even though the mods are quick and would remove a spoiler Subject Line immediately, there’s still that chance I’d see something in the time between posting and removal.
IANAL, but so far as I know the only person breaking the law in this situation would be the one posting copyrighted text online (assuming that’s the case). Reading the text isn’t a crime.
That said, I’m resisting the urge to search for it, because I don’t really want to encourage this sort of thing.
Edit: For what it’s worth, while spoilers may appear on Wikipedia I’m betting enough blatant lies will appear as to make the true spoilers impossible to identify.
…let me get this straight. You came into a thread which is specifically intended to give people who’ve read the book a chance to talk about it (and where spoilers are explicitly allowed) to post about how you’re disconnecting from the world in order to avoid spoilers?
And while I see how it could be illegal (copyright infringement, and all that) to download a copy of the book, I fail to see how it’s in any way unethical to read same. Could you illuminate that a bit, please?
My 10-year-old son and I will be attending a Harry Potter party at our local bookstore on Friday evening. The books will be released at the stroke of midnight. It’s gonna be a great weekend!
Scumbags. Scholastic won’t ship to indy stores yet (my store won’t get them until Friday). We’re required to order full cases, and we’re forbidden to open the cases until Saturday at 12:01 am. Our mail-order customers can’t get the book until Monday or Tuesday at best.
Yet Amazon already has the books and their employees are obviously opening the cases and handling individual books. Scholastic had said all retailers would be treated equally this time, but they were obviously lying through their teeth.
Some retailers are evidently being treated more equally than others.
Side note to Dex: now that we’re past the first 10 posts, you don’t care if the spoilers are boxed, right? By the way, I’m sorry I forgot to use a spoiler box in post #9.
Well, according to the (infamous?) video from two Borders employees on their way out, you’re pretty much spot on. They report that Neville and Ginny die – Bellatrix kills the former (then Lupin kills her), and Ginny sacrifices herself intercepting a something from Voldemort aimed at Harry, which enables Harry to kill Voldemort. And Snape is revealed as a good guy all along, his killing of Dumbledore orchestrated and planned.
Of course, it could all be bull, so there you have it
Well, actually, me too. I’ve not read the books but do watch the movies when they’re on cable, so I’m sort of interested in what happens but really don’t care when I find out.
I suppose I’m most interested in whether Keith Olbermann’s guess of the ending was right…
As I doubt you’re JK Rowling, I’m not sure how you can say that it’s wrong until this weekend, but as I said, that’s just according to the Borders Kidz. According to the “carpet book,” Bellatrix kills Ron, Snape and Dumbledore did plan for the latter’s death, but Snape’s really a selfish bad guy so Voldemort kills him. Either way, Harry lives. But, as I said before, it could just be bull.
