# Cafe Society Policies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375 "2003-05-29T21:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/1 "2003-05-29T21:34:27Z")
Instead of having three sticky threads I decided to consolidate all of our policy statements into one thread. Any future changes in policy will be posted here as well. * * * **On posting song lyrics** Since we too often have to edit posts containing the complete lyrics to a song, let me restate our policy on posting complete lyrics. The policy is : don’t do it. It is okay to post a small snippet of the lyrics and include a link to another site which contains the complete text. But posting complete lyrics verbatim puts us in danger of violating copyright laws. Thanks for your co-operation. * * * **On Spoilers** If you wish to discuss or ask a question about a story, and you are unable to do so without revealing a vital piece of information which might ruin a surprise for those experiencing it anew, please consider using a spoiler warning. Although there is no official board policy on this matter, it is considered courteous to do so. When starting a new thread, the easiest way to warn for spoilers is simply putting the word “spoilers” in the title of your thread, like so: _Question about “Smarmy Tucklas” (warning: Spoilers!)_ We have also implemented a spoiler tag, which allows you to put spoilers within boxes that must be manually highlighted to be read. To use it, enclose the spoiler text between a tag, and a tag. Here is an example of how to do this: _Here’s what I want to know about “Smarmy Tucklas”:_ It’s all Ganoush. This will appear like this: _Here’s what I want to know about “Smarmy Tucklas”:_ It’s all Ganoush. It’s also recommended that although a work may have been well known for quite a while, some may still be unaware of particular plot points of various works. There are new film students and literary critics being born every day and some may still be unaware that Rosebud was his sled or Heathcliff does not return or even that Abner Doubleday invented baseball and the layout of the field is a recreation of the compass and square of Masonic symbolism. Lastly, remember that the TV show you see on the east coast will not be seen for three to four hours later on the west coast. Therefore, revealing spoilers in a thread title will be considered signs of jerkdom and will be rewarded with an official warning. You get the idea. We will thank you, your fellow posters will thank you, life will be beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/2 "2003-05-29T23:27:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Heathcliff does not return the cat??? ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/3 "2003-05-29T23:33:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*the cat??? \*\* No. Heathcliff does not return the cat, either. ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/4 "2003-05-30T02:36:50Z")
Actually, there is a theory that “Rosebud” was Warning: adult content (that’ll guarantee 100% click rate) W. R. Hearst’s pet name for Marian Davies’ clitortis (explains W.R.'s fury with the flick, don’t it?) ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/5 "2003-05-30T06:25:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*No. Heathcliff does not return the cat, either. \*\* Kitty ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Wristy\_McSlashalot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Wristy\_McSlashalot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wristy_McSlashalot)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/6 "2003-06-03T06:41:29Z")
Can I post in here? Hey I can! Now I am part of the ages! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!! … I’ll go now. (Please don’t ban me). ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/7 "2003-06-05T04:11:49Z")
**Wristy McSlashalot** has a cool username… me like quirky. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/8 "2003-06-07T14:43:06Z")
What if the site we link to has illegally posted the lyrics. Can we still get in trouble? _frets_ ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/9 "2003-06-07T18:55:00Z")
No, of course not. How could you know that it was illegally posted? Actually, yes. You will be hunted down by the SDMB Bounty Hunters and forced to sing the song backwards for the whole board until you say you’re sorry. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/10 "2003-06-07T21:41:41Z")
In response to Vanyel, what if you saw a website that blatantly stated “Gotcha illegally posted lyics right here !!!” ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/11 "2003-06-13T16:52:46Z")
One other point about spoilers: If it’s not immediately clear from the context, please specify _what_ you’re spoiling, outside of the spoiler box. If I see a post something like > [@](#): > > Not everybody knows that Rosebud was his sled then I won’t know whether I should read that spoiler box. If, on the other hand, I see > [@](#): > > Not everybody knows that, in _Citizen Kane_, Rosebud was his sled In this case, I know that it’s Citizen Kane that’s being spoiled, and if I’ve seen the movie already, or don’t care about it, then I can go ahead and read the spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/12 "2003-06-15T17:00:14Z")
It might also be useful to note that when using spoilers, try to avoid using different colors, because some of those can be seen without highlighting the spoiler box. like this in blue or this in crimson (even worse if you use bolded colors) ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/13 "2003-06-21T17:45:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > **W. R. Hearst’s pet name for Marian Davies’ clitortis** Oh good heavens, who has time for such spurious apocrypha as that salacious assertation. Sadly I am unable to discuss current media entertainment because of my typing style ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/14 "2003-06-26T02:18:27Z")
pardon me, just trying out how to do a spoiler \if this doesn’t work, I ain’t trying again\ ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/15 "2003-06-26T09:36:58Z")
Works better iffin you use instead of \<\>. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/16 "2003-07-15T17:42:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*One other point about spoilers: If it’s not immediately clear from the context, please specify _what_ you’re spoiling, outside of the spoiler box. \*\* Further, it’s annoying if you put something that isn’t a spoiler in a spoiler box with no indication as maybe no-one’ll read it. OK, sometimes its funny, but don’t overdo it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/17 "2003-07-19T03:31:28Z")
> [@](#): > > But posting complete lyrics verbatim puts us in danger of violating copyright laws. So remember, whenever you’re referring to the famous Mexican alcoholic beverage, call it t\*q\*\*la. ---
**Author:** ![drgnlvr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@drgnlvr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drgnlvr)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/18 "2003-08-09T04:17:45Z")
Question: Can you post url’s to websirtes holding ongoing contests for writers here? (I mean this forum) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/19 "2003-08-16T12:31:21Z")
Testing… testing… testing… 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves… Hey, now I know how to read all those spoilers I’ve been skipping over in frustration! 😃 Seems to me it would be a good idea to put a note about them in FAQ. What? You actually expect people to look at the forum policies BEFORE they read and post? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375/20 "2003-10-17T01:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > **Lastly, remember that the TV show you see on the east coast will not be seen for three to four hours later on the west coast. Therefore, revealing spoilers in a thread title will be considered signs of jerkdom and will be rewarded with an official warning.** Hope I’m not incurring any wrath for reviving this thread. 🙂 I wanted to ask, should I be mindful of the time zones outside of the continental 48 (Hawaii, Alaska) and in other countries? Or do us Pacific time-zoners have nothing to worry about? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cafe-society-policies/178375.md?page=2)