Spoilers

[Conner]

If someone decides to read the discussion thread for a new story chapter before they read the chapter, then they deserve to get "spoiled".

 

What say you?

[Mark Arbour]

I can buy into that reasoning.

[Nephylim]

It's pretty difficult to discuss something without spoilers.... I mean how can you discuss something without discussing it. I'm with you.

[David McLeod]

IMHO, reviews of stories are usually less informative than the discussion forum posts; therefore, I often check the forum as well as reviews before deciding whether to read a story. Yes, I risk having a surprise spoiled; however, there is a simple way to post spoilers. Heck, even David the Luddite managed to

figure it out. Now, if only more people would use it.

[Conner]

I don't care whether you like me or not, David. But if you're going to participate in this discussion, do try to pay attention.

 

So you go to a discussion thread to help you decide if you want to read a particular story. When you get there, you encounter nothing but spoiler tags. Do you read the spoilers, David?

 

My point, David, is spoilers tags are wasted effort.

[Mark Arbour]

I've never used the spoiler tags because I figure that a discussion group is, by definition, people talking about a story. To talk about a story, they have to talk about it's plot. It is inevitable then, that if you wander in to the forum first you're going to learn about the plot before you read the story. So I figure that for those people who meander into a discussion forum and have the latest plot twist foiled, they get what they deserve. Plus I find the whole spoiler tag thing slightly annoying, and I've already taxed my computer skills to the max learning how to manage quotes and insert hyperlinks.

[Trebs]

The one exception I might note is the first two or so posts of a thread - especially if the thread goes up before the official story announcement. Sometimes seeing the discussion thread and clicking on it is how I find out about a new chapter and use the link there to get to it... Plus - some people might not be as careful when they see the listings in "View New Content" to differentiate between an announcement thread and a discussion thread (esp when the reply count is 0 or 1).

[Nephylim]

Personally I don't mind if I see spoilers when I click into a discussion thread. Sometimes it has been what I have read there that has tantalised me enough to go in and read the story.

[AllEyesOnMe]

I say I'd like 5 posts.

[David McLeod]

I don't care whether you like me or not, David. But if you're going to participate in this discussion, do try to pay attention.

 

So you go to a discussion thread to help you decide if you want to read a particular story. When you get there, you encounter nothing but spoiler tags. Do you read the spoilers, David?

 

My point, David, is spoilers tags are wasted effort.

 

First, as a product of the society that invented "USA Today," I have the attention span of a may fly. By the time I read the last sentence of your post, I'd forgotten the first. Which is why I quoted the whole thing, here.

 

Oh, on the contrary, I'm sure I remember forums with useful information not in spoiler tags. I think I remember some...

 

I read spoilers after I've read a chapter (and sometimes to help me remember what I've read). (I think.) I also read reviews before I read a new chapter in a story, mostly to see if I've left a review and if I liked the story, so far.

 

But I must disagree that those things...what are they called? Oh, yes, spoiler tags. Are most useful.

[David McLeod]

I say I'd like 5 posts.

 

If I'm not mistaken, five posts makes you eligible to read the "Sneak Peak" forum. I think. (I know that's not what you meant, but the coincidence was too good to pass up.)

[Tiger]

If I'm not mistaken, five posts makes you eligible to read the "Sneak Peak" forum. I think. (I know that's not what you meant, but the coincidence was too good to pass up.)

It's the same for posting in Writer's Corner if I remember correctly, though he's unlikely to find spoilers there.

 

I think it's good to know what a story is about. However, I don't like to read spoilers and generally avoid doing so. If others want to post them or read them, it's their business.

[BlueSoxSWJ]

Who reads a specific chapter's discussion thread (not the original post, but the whole thread) before reading it? I doubt anyone, so I have no problem spoiling the contents of that chapter. However, if I speculate about future content, and think there's a high likelihood that I'm correct (i.e. if I catch the subtle clues CJ likes to leave in his stories), I'll throw on spoiler tags. Finally, I use them for really long stuff just to keep the length of a post reasonable.