Open request to all Cafe Society readers regarding *Spoilers*.

[Cervaise]

In the Battlestar Galactica threads I start, I cover this in the spoiler policy I include in the first post. The policy goes like this, more or less:

“If it’s been aired, or if it’s purely speculative, no need for a spoiler box. If it’s about a future episode as revealed in blogs or interviews, or if it’s speculation based on same, box it. And provide a label for the spoiler box describing the general type of information contained therein so we can decide whether or not to highlight it.”

So, for example, you might see labels ranging from “minor spoiler about Roslin’s backstory, per interview with Mary McDonnell” to “major spoiler about end of season two finale, posted elsewhere by an insider.” So far it’s worked pretty well.

[Justin_Bailey]

I think the funny thing is that there are people who think the spoiler in the OP is a fake planted by the producers to throw off the scent of some very eager fans.

[Troy_McClure_SF]

Another request to use a little common sense. The following spoiler box is rendered pretty useless in the context of the rest of the post:

I feel so bad for Bambi! What is he going to do now that his mom died?! And he has no father! How will he be able to take care of himself, especially with the added trauma of his mother’s death?

Extreme example, of course, but I’ve seen similar things in early 24 threads. Sheesh.

[Omniscient]

@BiblioCat

But - in your case, where you said it was about a specific character’s fate and listed that character’s name - that was too easy to figure out. It would have been better to say, “Major spoiler about a central figure” and then add the spoiler box.

Well, I originally said a characters “future” for that reason. I was less careful when the thread was drug off topic, I agree.

It baffles me why this pisses so many people off. I’m simply calling to attention something thats already in the forum rules. I’m not inventing anything or trying to start a revolvution here. I’m not bitching about the example which I used, just trying to illustrate better usage than just saying:

Something really fucking important was leaked on the internet about the death of a dozen characters in this crappy fictional PAX show. If you didn’t want to know about this part of the shows finale it must suck that you read this spoiler. Maybe it would have helped is I’d have indicated that it was about the shows season finale, or that it’s a major spoiler.

that’s not exactly the same thing as

On the preview at the end of this weeks episode they said that there’s going to be a speacial guess appearance by Tony Danza!!! He’s supposed to be playing the main characters long lost thrid cousin! Squeeeeeeee!

Those aren’t exactly the same thing. I doubt you knew that before you read them though.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

The Forum Rules (see Post #4) are pretty clear, I think. And basically, yes, it takes some common sense and good manners, and a little consideration for others.

• If you’re dealing within a thread, and the thread title names the show warns of SPOILERS, then all’s fair. Those who don’t want spoilers for that show won’t read the thread. That’s, frankly, the easy bit. (Obviously, there are some threads like “Movies with Surprise Endings” where, if you don’t like spoilers, don’t read the thread.)

• Otherwise, as I say, common sense and common courtesy should prevail. The goal is that any reader who doesn’t want stuff spoiled should be able to read the thread without having stuff spoiled. Thus:

• Failing to hide spoiler about X is doing a dis-service to your fellow reader who doesn’t want stuff about X spoiled (hence: FRWDWSAXS)
• Failing to indicate that a spoiler is about X is also being unfair to your FRWDWSAXS.

When is something “old” and “classic” so that spoilers aren’t needed? I don’t want to make rules about that, but pretty clearly no one needs spoiler tags to warn that Snow White isn’t really dead. While some things may be fuzzy, some things aren’t:

• Current TV shows often get taped or TiVo’d to be watched later. So, don’t reveal surprise endings unless the thread title clearly WARNS about it.
• Current movies in the US often don’t reach other markets for many months. Just because theatrical U.S. release has ended, doesn’t make a work immune from spoiling. Again, don’t reveal plot twists unless the thread title gives clear warning.

In short, use common sense and reasonable courtesy towards your fellow posters, especially those WDWSAXS.

[jackelope]

@C K Dexter Haven

When is something “old” and “classic” so that spoilers aren’t needed? I don’t want to make rules about that, but pretty clearly no one needs spoiler tags to warn that Snow White isn’t really dead.

I can see your point, and it’s hard to imagine someone who doesn’t know the Big Snow White Spoiler, but a film’s being “old” and “classic” doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone’s already seen it. One of the most terrifying movie-watching experiences of my life was when I was about 20 and I watched Psycho for the first time. Somehow, no one had spoiled the Big Surprises for me, and I saw it unprepared; I am unspeakably grateful that I got to see it the first time without knowing what was coming.

On the other hand, around that same time I saw Citizen Kane for the first time as well. The Big Surprise to that one had already been spoiled for me by, of all things, that stupid-ass Julie Brown song The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun (Warning: Link contains Citizen Kane spoiler. )

Citizen Kane had been out for something like 50 years before I saw it, and by anyone’s definition it’s a “classic”; should it be spoilered? Personally, I say it should.

A film may have been out for decades; it may be a time-honored classic and a cultural touchstone. At the same time–and this seems almost too obvious to need pointing out–there are new people being born all the time, and they haven’t seen Citizen Kane. They haven’t seen The Sixth Sense. They haven’t seen The Empire Strikes Back, or The Crying Game, or Psycho, or The Usual Suspects, or any of the other classic Surprise-Ending Films.

If you’re going to post a spoiler, and the thread title doesn’t say “Spoilers Within” or some such, take the extra three seconds and put your spoilers in a spoiler tag.

You wouldn’t walk out of a movie theater shouting spoilers to the people in line for the next showing; there is no ethical difference between doing that and surprising people with unwarned spoilers on a message board.

Again, if the thread title warns of spoilers, fine; spoil away. If the thread is already full of unboxed spoilers on the same movie/TV show/whatever, fine; people who don’t want to see spoilers will have turned back already.

But as a general rule, I say people shouldn’t spoil anything–not even Snow-Freaking-White–without warning.

[jackelope]

@jackelope

Citizen Kane had been out for something like 50 years before I saw it, and by anyone’s definition it’s a “classic”; should it be spoilered? Personally, I say it should.

Oops. To clarify: When I say Kane should be “spoilered,” I meant its surprise should be put in spoiler tags so as NOT to ruin it for people who haven’t seen it.