How to handle SPOILERS!

Posted by Morbid

How to handle *SPOILERS*!
Date: March 17, 2006 12:10AM
Posted by: Morbid

Moderator
Registered: 20 years ago

Since we had a little friction about spoilers and the forum policy on that issue last week, we have decided to clarify some points.

1) Why do we have a spoiler policy?
Some of us have jobs, family birthdays, study projects or whatever, that prevents us from seeing the race live. Having a spoiler policy ensures that forumers can safely use the forums, without having their Grand Prix experience, erhm... spoiled.

2) I want to talk about whatever I want, and I need the whole forum to do so! Can't those that have not seen the race just sod off?
No, this is a forum, and having people visit and participate in discussion is what keeps us alive. We want them to come here, even if they have a weekend job, or they don't get live F1 broadcasts. Show some consideration.

3) What is a spoiler?
A post that divulges information best left to be a surprise and/or something that causes spoilage of the specific Grand Prix experience, for those that have not yet seen the event, where the event is considered to be all the practice, qualification and race sessions of that Grand Prix.

4) Where shall I post when I am all giddy, jumping up and down with excitment, about a crash, who got pole or who won the race?
Do not make a post with a huge spoiler in the header, like this "YAY, Alonsononsonosnono on POLE!!!"... For each F1 event, we will have a race thread, that collects spoilers. It will be clearly marked as such, and will be put up as a sticky for several days. Generally, we will sticky it on thursday afternoon/evenings, and un-sticky it some 48 hours after the race, normally tuesday afternoon/evening.

5) When is something a spoiler, and when is not?
As long as the race thread is stickied, information about that Grand Prix will be considered as possible spoilers. Once the thread is not a sticky any more, discussion is free again. Thus people will generally have 48 hours to see a taped race.

6) I have something that I really must talk about, but I can't fit it into the discussion in the stickied race thread! What shall I do?
Yes, we know this can happen. The point of the spoiler policy is to prevent spoilers, not to stiffle discussion. If you must, you can create a new topic, with spoilers in the discussion, provided that you CLEARLY MARK the thread as having spoilers in the header.

7) What shall I do if I see a spoiler?
Do not quote the message and reply, as it is likely that a moderator will fix the spoiler message, leaving yours unseen and untouched, and then you are the one being reported as leaving the spoiler in the thread. Click the "Report This Message" button, and a moderator will appear soon after and edit/delete the message, or insert a *SPOILER* warning in the header of the thread.

8) I have a question not covered here...
Post in this thread and lets see if we can find an answer, or perhaps improve the service in this area.

It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2006 12:17AM by Morbid.