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The Real Spoiler tag
Mr_Snuffle
Registered User
Registered User
I don't know if this has been addressed or not, but I think the addition of the realspoiler tag is a bit of a bandaid fix for the "boy who cried wolf" situation with the spoiler tag. While I don't think it's a bad idea for having a tag for minor spoilers and a bit of playing around and another for big nasty spoilers, i do feel that the same thing will simply happen to the realspoiler tag.
How about it becomes a jailable offence to misuse a real spoiler tag, to deter the same thing that happened to the spoiler tag, happen to the realspoiler tag. Do we really want to need a totallyrealspoiler tag?
Also, I don't know much about the code behind the forums, but would it be that difficult to do a bit of PHP hackery so that when someone is jailed, spoiler tags are preserved? I'm guessing you would need to use some pretty nasty hacks, but I think it might be something worthwhile.
How about it becomes a jailable offence to misuse a real spoiler tag, to deter the same thing that happened to the spoiler tag, happen to the realspoiler tag. Do we really want to need a totallyrealspoiler tag?
Also, I don't know much about the code behind the forums, but would it be that difficult to do a bit of PHP hackery so that when someone is jailed, spoiler tags are preserved? I'm guessing you would need to use some pretty nasty hacks, but I think it might be something worthwhile.
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It most certainly is. Ramius was very serious about that when he introduced it to deal with the fact that the spoiler tags are abused.
Something you might wanna do is get the mods from the forums you frequent the most onto your AIM or MSN lists and just toss an IM someone's way when that happens. It's generally faster than PMing, and you can discuss things like this.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
"Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but it dies in the process."
Imagine all of my posts being spoken by Alec Baldwin
GamerTag: MunkusBeaver ||||| Steam: munkus
When you are giving away knowledge of some plot device or event or some happening that would ruin or wreck the appeal of its suprise or discovery to other people.
though i think having 2 different spoiler tags most people will still use the regular ones for real spoilers....
so we still dont know when its a joke or real or not.
i say one set of tags, people mark all spoilers in them, and are punished accordingly to their defence and willingness to get it fixed up. (one time mistake by a regular on something minor? maybe a short jailing. giving away a major game or movie ending by some fuck who unapologetically claims it was no big deal? banned.)
and Operation Flashpoint: Red River code to trade/sell
and Halo: Reach code
and Portal 2 code
This thread is full of assclowns abusing the spoiler tag with stuff like "OMG Vader is Luke's father!" and shit. This in addition to some proper usage of spoiler tags.
I'm all for some jailinating to stop that behavior. What say the G&T mods?
As mentioned earlier, only the abuse of a realspoiler tag is a jailable offense.
The only joke spoiler is omgboomlol's. So sure, jail the deputy.
Until we need a realrealspoiler tag. :?
A couple of posts before that, it was suggested that this particular thread (about Halo 2) should use spoiler tags for general spoilers, and realspoiler tags for single player/story spoilers, which I approved of.
Some posts later, that appeared. That post resulted in a jail warning. The next one will get jailed.
Of course, the PA forums have its own little quirks, habits and bandwagons. In the G&T chat threads, it's almost expected to have the occasional silly usage of spoiler tags. I don't really mind that. Using the spoiler tags for things that really aren't spoilers has become a part of the forum culture.
But in threads that talk about specific games or movies or whathaveyou? That's a no-no. There the spoiler tags have a very legitimate use.
Someone's bound to say "but we have realspoiler tags!"
The problem is that people rarely use them. There needs to be more awareness of their existence. I don't think the G&T rules even mention them.
Abuse of the spoiler tags, in my view, would be someone posting a spoiler in a thread with a topic completely unrelated to the spoiler they posted. Like posting the end of Half Life 2 in a D&D camwhore thread or something. Obviously people wouldn't be expecting that kind - or any kind - of spoiler in there so might highlight it expecting a joke of some sort. Even then, the poster used spoiler tags so really you are viewing it at your own risk - it's not like he didn't warn you.
If anything, Real Spoiler tags simply confuse the issue. Now when people see regular spoiler tags they might assume that it isn't really a spoiler but a highly (un)amusing joke and so would normally select it. Take the GTA thread for example - there are several spoilers there and they are all marked using the regular spoiler tags. So if someone reads one of those and has a part of the game spoiled for them, should they complain to a mod that the poster didn't use the Real Spoiler tag? Thats just dumb.
In conclusion, the Spoiler tag was a well-implemented concession to the fact that some people may wish to discuss elements within topics which others do not wish to inadvertently read about just now. The Real Spoiler tag, on the other hand, is a poorly-considered concession to the fact that some forumers lack common sense. It's inclusion has always surprised me considering the many other suggestions which are declined here on a daily basis. It's one thing to include extraneous elements which, whilst not completely necessary, still serve to improve the forum experience but quite another to include elements which are simply redundant.
Most people probably wouldn't use that, but hey, just an idea.
Oh, and the other jailable offence here should be a big block of spoiler text with no way of telling which game it spoils. In the "scariest moment" thread in G&T there was one post which was just a big black block. I mean... what?
The realspoiler tag simply clouds thing by encouraging ambiguity in the spoiler tag. The spoiler tag will either stay as a grey area like it is now (thus not solving the problem) or it will become redundant and the realspoilertag will become a grey area as its predecessor did.
No matter how many rules you make, forumers will break them if they think it is funny. Eventually it becomes accepted practice. We're just so darn irrepressible.
Yeah! Stop whinging, whingers!
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Fuckin' foreigners! Learn to speak English!
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
"Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but it dies in the process."
Imagine all of my posts being spoken by Alec Baldwin
GamerTag: MunkusBeaver ||||| Steam: munkus
it doesn't count of you stole it from terry pratchett :wink:
Can I call you nobby as you get me some fizzy water for me and flat water for my lady.
"Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but it dies in the process."
Imagine all of my posts being spoken by Alec Baldwin
GamerTag: MunkusBeaver ||||| Steam: munkus
THIS is getting on to something!
The best solution was never a RealSpoiler tag, but a JokeSpoiler tag.
We could put in a JokeSpoiler tag, and anyone who chose the Spoiler tag for a joke would get jailed.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
if it's easily seen, it loses any and all "joke" value.
i liked tiny font
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
An alternative would be to put a smiley inside the spoiler. Smileys aren't spoiler'd, so it'd be a good tag.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
i think he was meaning that any jokes be already visible
[spoil]spoiler[/spoil]
hmm.
either way I think shortening the required tags for spoiler would be good and encourage people to use it (for good, i hope)
and Operation Flashpoint: Red River code to trade/sell
and Halo: Reach code
and Portal 2 code