The Spoiler Zone (rant)

[Liliedhe]

In general, I dont mind how it is. I do see your point about the spoiler free 'reviews' in the WAYR thread and think that a new thread for "What did you read and how did you like it" might be worth a try.

As for the advertising of spoilers in the spoiler zone, I think it is a difference if the book is generally out or not. So maybe lets change the "spoiler warning" in some titles to an "advance review" warning?

[Vivia]

Advance review could be a good a idea, the Spoiler Zone could be renamed to In-Depth discussion or something along those lines. As I said in the Shoutbox, I think we need more thematic discussion threads there to freshen up the air, for example the Mary Sue/Gary Stu in BL fiction is a good one (I love to discuss the subject). As it is now SZ is mainly about reviews; I feel the same as Ath, reviews are nice and good, I have nothing bad to say of them but the discussion has to expand into other areas or else we have very limited discussions that only concern a few readers, we're a bunch of intelligent BL fans we can discuss complex subjects concerning BL.

[Bloody Mary]

Generally, I don't think avoiding spoilers completely is possible, simply because people have different ideas of what is a spoiler. Sometimes, you write something that to you seems like it's obvious, or that you cannot describe the book without mentioning something, and another person finds that to be a spoiler.

That said, I think trying out labeling things as advanced review, might be a good idea. I could very be well wrong, and we may find the solution to the spoiler problem.

[Vivia]

One of my suggestions was to speak in vague and sometimes in code "the bat is in the cave" but it never caught on. I still do it, it stimulates my creativity.

[Athelassan]

One of my suggestions was to speak in vague and sometimes in code "the bat is in the cave" but it never caught on. I still do it, it stimulates my creativity.

I've never witnessed that done well or helpfully. At one extreme, they're so obvious that they might as well be spoiled in plaintext. At the other, they're so obtuse that even people who've read the book in full have no idea what you're talking about. In the middle is the area where once you get stuck into the book and start picking up the themes, or the general dramatic direction, you piece together the spoiler clues and work out what's going to happen before you reach that point in the book/film.

Ath

[Vivia]

Nonsense, mine was cromulent.

[shadowhawk2008]

Generally, I don't think avoiding spoilers completely is possible, simply because people have different ideas of what is a spoiler. Sometimes, you write something that to you seems like it's obvious, or that you cannot describe the book without mentioning something, and another person finds that to be a spoiler.

That said, I think trying out labeling things as advanced review, might be a good idea. I could very be well wrong, and we may find the solution to the spoiler problem.

Title of Book (Advance Review) - should mention the level of detail in the review, whether general thoughts or specific, and should mention that there could well be some significant spoilers in it.

Title of Book (Discussion) - new thread created when a book is available for mass release. Should make it plain in the first post that there can be a discussion of significant spoilers from the book, going into details that will probably not be found in the advance review post.

And just to be clear, the first post in each thread should be a statement of what the thread is about rather than the actual content. And contain the above-mentioned warning.

You can't really hand-hold people more than that. If something is in the spoiler zone, it is fair game. People should go in expecting details and themes to be spoilered to the full.

[Xisor]

You can't really hand-hold people more than that. If something is in the spoiler zone, it is fair game. People should go in expecting details and themes to be spoilered to the full.

Which leads folks to just avoiding it, I fear.

Otherwise, good declarations in first post (before getting into the swing, doesn't really need a second post) is a fine point. The advanced review component is not so significant, I think, as good policy with respect to spoilers.

Getting code for 'reveal' buttons on spoilers rather than highlighting might help everyone too. A lot. First Expedition has a passable one. So too does Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

[Vivia]

I have seen those buttons and they're quite good.