Clarification on Spoiler Issue

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Let me clarify this issue of episode descriptions, since I apparently did a poor job of stating my policy on them before and since I've seen increasing instances where the policy is being pushed further than I intended.

I don't consider episode descriptions spoilers when they verifiably originate from HBO. That's in keeping with my overriding principle that once the network which is airing the shows and implementing promotional strategies has seen fit to expose the public to something, it's fair game.

In the past, HBO would put episode descriptions up on their online schedule for an entire month at a time beginning on the first day of each month, allowing you to read on April 1st the episode description of an episode airing, say, on April 28th.

This year, I notice, for whatever reasons, they are not doing that. They are giving us episode descriptions only one at a time. You cannot get the one for a particular episode until the previous one has already aired.

However a few weeks before the season started, someone asked if it was a spoiler to post episode descriptions from the website of the Canadian broadcast partner of HBO. These in the past would have been identical to the descriptions that appear on HBO itself, so I thought "no problem". They had theirs up for the first four eps before HBO, and I assumed based on past patterns that HBO would soon follow suit.

Problem is HBO never put up all the descriptions in advance on their own site. They've been piecemealing it this year, one ep at a time, as I stated. Because this policy will become hopelessly intricate and impossible to understand or enforce if I keep making exceptions, I'm going to restate it now:

Once something appears -- a title, an episode description, a photo, a promo, an interview, or what have you -- on the HBO website, it's fair game (unless it's an obvious mistake, like the time someone at HBO supposedly published the webpage giving the complete episode synopsis before an ep aired!) Anything of this nature that does NOT come straight from HBO is considered a spoiler and should be treated as such.

That means if you deem it a "major" spoiler, it goes only in the spoiler forum. If it is a "minor" spoiler, it can appear (preferably as its own thread) in other forums so long as ample advanced notice and opportunity to avoid the spoiler material is given.

Hope this clarifies things.:icon_wink:
Tony, his spirits crushed after b-lining to the fridge first thing in the morning: "Who ate the last piece of cake?"

Re: Clarification on Spoiler Issue

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What do you ask of people so far as speculation not based on anything but what has already aired? Sometimes, in the course of analyzing episodes with people, it sparks ideas for what might be developing storywise. Many people drift to guessing Tony's ultimate fate and how the show will end, even in thread titles. But you also have a section for "Non-spolier based speculation" including a "how will the sopranos end?" thread.

Do you ask that the latter be the only place speculation happens?

OR

Do you just leave it there as a place for people who want to trade speculation but don't mind if it also seeps into the individual episode forums?

Re: Clarification on Spoiler Issue

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Krakower Thing wrote:What do you ask of people so far as speculation not based on anything but what has already aired? Sometimes, in the course of analyzing episodes with people, it sparks ideas for what might be developing storywise. Many people drift to guessing Tony's ultimate fate and how the show will end, even in thread titles. But you also have a section for "Non-spolier based speculation" including a "how will the sopranos end?" thread.

Do you ask that the latter be the only place speculation happens?

OR

Do you just leave it there as a place for people who want to trade speculation but don't mind if it also seeps into the individual episode forums?
Definitely the latter, KT. That forum was started in the offseason to consolidate and accommodate the kind of conversation that usually goes on in the offseason, which is to say about 80% speculation on the future. I certainly don't mind, now that we're into the final episodes, that people's speculation on future developments seeps into threads in the episode forums. It's the organic way to converse. Of course it's perfectly fine if someone wants to make a new speculation thread in that forum in the alternative.:icon_wink:
Tony, his spirits crushed after b-lining to the fridge first thing in the morning: "Who ate the last piece of cake?"
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