# Shouldn't spoiler boxes be restricted to "spoilers"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 25, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-spoiler-boxes-be-restricted-to-spoilers/590265 "2011-07-25T13:57:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-spoiler-boxes-be-restricted-to-spoilers/590265/101 "2011-08-02T18:24:27Z")
Yes, but only by practice. You learned to use the fork in the left when you were a kid and it was expected to spill rice or corn everywhere. Now that you are an adult (or something resembling such 😉 ), it is much less acceptable. However, with dedicated practice your skill with the alternate hand could improve. Of course I’d rather not take that effort myself, so I can understand someone else not undertaking it. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-spoiler-boxes-be-restricted-to-spoilers/590265/102 "2011-08-12T21:00:51Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > On the other hand, a discussion on the desirable scope of use of a spoiler box is a discussion about the communicative impact of a communicative device in order to achieve, what I propose, is a more unambiguous communicative situation within the context of a forum that is made up entirely of attempts to communicate. A Black guy, a homophobe, and a rapist all walk into a bar. [spoiler]The bartender says, “Hey Kobe, can I get your autograph?” Oh, sorry, were you expecting an analysis of the most recent episode of _Game of Thrones_? I realize the fact that this is in a spoiler box can be \*horribly \*confusing. The only way there’s any ambiguity about what you were going to find inside this spoiler box is if you (a) literally have a severe developmental disability or (b) didn’t bother to read the part of the post outside the spoiler box. There is no ambiguity about what you’re going to find here simply because it’s being used for a joke punchline instead of an important piece of revealed information from a storyline. Just because you don’t like the way other people are using a feature of this site doesn’t make it wrong. It doesn’t hurt you in any way when they do it. All you have to do is _not click the damn box_. Just like, if I don’t like someone’s table manners, all I have to do is _not take them out to dinner_. Versus, say, talking to the owner of my favorite restaurant to try to have them summarily expel from the premises anyone who doesn’t pass the salt and pepper together when asked for one or the other.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-spoiler-boxes-be-restricted-to-spoilers/590265/103 "2011-08-12T21:28:57Z")
I think I may be one of the guilty parties referred to in this thread. I forgot where I used the box, but I did use it inappropriately. It wasn’t really a spoiler. Do y’all remember when I used to try to be cute and write stuff in real light colors which pissed a bunch of you off because you couldn’t see it, being that different screens have different resolutions? Well, that’s the reason a couple of days ago, for the first time, I put something in a spoiler box. So whatever the concensus is, I will abide by. 🙂 Thanks Q [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-spoiler-boxes-be-restricted-to-spoilers/590265.md?page=5)