# Spoiler Box Protocol **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881 "2004-11-09T19:23:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881/41 "2005-02-15T00:19:13Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > (1) It is pointless to have spoiler boxes without saying what they’re spoiler boxes for… in a thread entitled “best movie endings”, if you say “my favorite endings are (spoiler box) (spoiler box) and (spoiler box)”, someone’s going to have to read the spoiler box to figure out what movie is or is not being spoiled Yes, this one bugs me to no end. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881/42 "2005-02-15T01:02:28Z")
> [@AwSnappity](#): > > If you’ve put “(SPOILERS)” in the title, then why are you going to box your spoilers in the OP? **AskNott** is talking about specific cases where the thread title doesn’t explicitly mention spoilers. There’s no possible way of knowing that there are going to be boxed spoilers ruined by the hover. And sometimes I do like to go in threads for movies I haven’t seen just to see what the general consensus is, whether it’s worth seeing or not. I actively try to avoid spoilers, but if I accidentally get some on mouse-over, that’s not fair. _ **I** _ don’t box spoilers in an OP where the title explicity states there will be spoilers but a lot of people do and people still complain about it. Even the example \*\*AskNott \*\*gave showed a long string of periods followed by a spoiler box so it’s obviously a common problem. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881/43 "2005-02-15T01:29:05Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > _ **I** _ don’t box spoilers in an OP where the title explicity states there will be spoilers but a lot of people do and people still complain about it. Even the example \*\*AskNott \*\*gave showed a long string of periods followed by a spoiler box so it’s obviously a common problem. Exactly, but I don’t think you understand why it is a problem. If a thread is titled “Hide and Seek discussion”, for instance, that doesn’t mean that there will necessarily be spoilers contained inside. (It’s probably safter to assume that there _would_ be spoilers, but it’s not directly stated.) People might mouse-over to see if the OP gave it good review, or whatever. If the OP says, "My favorite part is how Dakota Fanning is a silly billy!," a mouse-over on the thread title will reveal what’s in the spoiler box. Hell, a thread title could even say “Hide and Seek discussion (boxed spoilers)”, and people who haven’t seen the film would think it’s pretty safe. But a mouse-over would reveal the contents of the spoiler box if it was contained within the first few lines. I agree with you that the gripe is unfounded when the title explicitly says “(SPOILERS)”. But a lot of times it happens in cases where that’s not mentioned in the title, and people don’t necessarily expect spoilers, let alone having the spoiler box be revealed in a mouse over. Please tell me if I’m not being clear. Sometimes it seems like English is a foreign language to me, and I have trouble explaining myself properly. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881/44 "2005-02-15T01:43:16Z")
After reading back, I see I misinterpreted **AskNott** ’s post and assumed he was talking about the boxes as it applies to threads explicitly labeled with spoilers. My mistake. I understand what you’re saying and agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881/45 "2005-02-15T02:06:32Z")
I am very cautious about spoilers, even recently using a spoiler box for the twist in _The Sixth Sense_, for two reasons. I am forever introducing young people to olde movies that I think they will like - for instance teens love both _Lost Boys_ and _Flatliners_, and figure they deserve the opportunity to see it like I did. Some time ago I was chastised for not using a spoiler box when discussing the Worls Series Of Poker winner. This was weeks after the event but apparently it had not been on ESPN yet. The idea that you could avoid knowing the winner never crossed my mind. It’s like a football fan never having anyone mention the Super Bowl winner for a month. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiler-box-protocol/273881.md?page=2)