The last time I griped about spoilers in a non-"[contains spoilers]" thread, I got bitched out by Tube for reading the thread if I didn't want things spoiled. He later edited the title to add a spoiler warning, but still. This seems to be really unevenly enforced between forums.
We do more than enough to protect people from spoilers already. If you go into the thread of a popular tv show right after an episode has been broadcast, guess what, you're probably going to get it spoiled for for. I don't think everyone else should have to have their entire conversation hamstrung for your benefit. With games, people are often participating in threads without having played the game in its entirety and therefore spoilers should be used and people who don't use them, particularly maliciously, are often punished. Regarding "I don't even want to know about what happened to Aeris!!" use some damn common sense. EVERYONE knows Aeris died, EVERYONE knows Darth Vader is Luke's father. NOT everyone knows the twist in Bioshock or how The Witcher ends. If you see an untagged spoiler, report it and put (for example) UNTAGGED FALLOUT 3 SPOILER in the subject heading and it won't get spoiled for any mods who haven't played the game.
While spoilers suck, it's primarily the responsibility of the user to avoid places where spoilers are likely to be. I don't want Fallout 3 spoiled for me, so I don't go in that thread. That doesn't mean that it's ok to post unmarked spoilers in there, but means that I'm doing my part to avoid them rather than expecting everyone to jump through hoops for my benefit.
While spoilers suck, it's primarily the responsibility of the user to avoid places where spoilers are likely to be. I don't want Fallout 3 spoiled for me, so I don't go in that thread. That doesn't mean that it's ok to post unmarked spoilers in there, but means that I'm doing my part to avoid them rather than expecting everyone to jump through hoops for my benefit.
I really don't understand the number of people in this complaint thread that go to a thread for a game they haven't finished and expect it not to be spoiled. Especially a single player game. What exactly do you think there is to talk about in there? For example the OP referenced wanting to talk about specific puzzles in Uncharted if he gets stuck on them. But Uncharted has been out for quite some time; I think it's reasonable to say that most people in the thread are discussing it post-played. And if you needed help there are plenty of free detailed guides with nice pictures.
Tightening the rules on spoilers to "please everyone" would just result in nobody being able to post spoilers for anything ever.
I hear PC gaming is huge off the coast of Somalia right now.
PSN: TheScrublet
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EvilBadmanDO NOT TRUST THIS MANRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
Super Mario Analogies Contained Herein.
There are multiple spoilers for any game nowadays, at least in most people's opinion. The issue lies correctly using the spoiler tag for a World 8-4 spoiler, but not labeling it as "World 8-4 Spoiler," or anything for that matter. I'm not going completely avoid the discussion thread when I'm only on World 4-2, because I might want to talk about how awesome World 3 was. That's where my frustration is.
There are multiple spoilers for any game nowadays, at least in most people's opinion. The issue lies correctly using the spoiler tag for a World 8-4 spoiler, but not labeling it as "World 8-4 Spoiler," or anything for that matter. I'm not going completely avoid the discussion thread when I'm only on World 4-2, because I might want to talk about how awesome World 3 was. That's where my frustration is.
I think that's exactly the issue. I was on a bit of a rant in the OP but I think you've distilled it.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
So you'll likely find all of the talk in a thread on any relatively modern game (so you know, not super mario) spoilered in a thread, and if not they should be. So what's the problem?
The problem's that 'if not they should be' is all well and good, but that doesn't help the person who's read it by accident and there seem to be a lot more of that particular case than I'd expect.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Cry me a fucking river. Do you seriously expect to post somewhere where it is literally impossible not to read a spoiler? Do you think we have clairvoyants on the mod staff?
Not at all - what I'm looking for is just maybe a reminder every now and again to the general community that hey, when you're posting in threads, keep it in mind. After a game's been out for a week or so and a large portion of people have finished it, people tend to forget.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Which is reactive after someone's had their experience ruined, rather then preventative by gently reminding people before they post one without tags. People read the rules thread once, if ever.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
It's no one's responsibility but yours to ensure that things don't get spoiled for you. We already do as much as we can reasonably do to remind people not to spoil things. We work very hard at it.
The only way to have a 100% chance of not having anything spoiled for you on the internet is to unplug your router.
One quick question - A while back I remember someone saying to just PM whatever forum specific mod was online at the time if there was a relatively minor issue, cause the report button went out to every mod and it was sort of a hassle.
Is that no longer the case? Because if people can just report spoiler misuse when they see it with that button, this is even less of a problem.
Which is reactive after someone's had their experience ruined, rather then preventative by gently reminding people before they post one without tags. People read the rules thread once, if ever.
Everyone already knows not to post untagged spoilers. Most of the problems arise when people say things they don't think are spoilers and then having someone disagree. Then someone says "spoiler that shit" and it gets spoiler'd and peace returns to the land. I don't believe people simply forgot about the spoiler button over time, so reminding them of it would just look dumb.
Reporting things is what the button is for. Individual PMs are actually more of a hassle
Up until a week ago, I was under the impression that spoilers were automatically "open" for mods. I have no idea why I thought so. Was this ever the case?
Anyway, I'd been leery of reporting untagged spoilers for exactly this reason. It seemed counterproductive to virally spread an untagged spoiler to the mod forum. I'm glad to see that's not how it works.
There are multiple spoilers for any game nowadays, at least in most people's opinion. The issue lies correctly using the spoiler tag for a World 8-4 spoiler, but not labeling it as "World 8-4 Spoiler," or anything for that matter. I'm not going completely avoid the discussion thread when I'm only on World 4-2, because I might want to talk about how awesome World 3 was. That's where my frustration is.
I think that's exactly the issue. I was on a bit of a rant in the OP but I think you've distilled it.
So don't open unmarked spoilers in threads about things you're just getting into.
Or don't open any spoilers at all in said threads. Hell, that's what I often do, if I feel daring enough to enter such a thread.
Of course, I also follow my own advice, and while I've just watched the first two disks of Dexter yesterday, and wish to talk about it, I would likely have a great deal spoilt for me were I to wander into the Dexter thread this late in the game. So I'm staying out of that thread for now.
I wholeheartedly agree that unmarked spoilers for recent shows/games are annoying, especially in unrelated threads, but for the most part things seem to work out pretty well, at least in my opinion.
A sub-issue with things like this will be when a meme from a game/show pervades the community like wildfire. I read through a good portion of the Portal thread before buying the Orange Box, and while I wouldn't say I had things "spoiled" for me per se, "The Cake Is A Lie" was fucking everywhere on the forums around that time. In completely unrelated threads and sub-forums. I didn't even know what they were talking about initially, and while I didn't feel it detracted from my experience, similar incidents have happened with other games as well.
But I'm not sure that can really be dealt with easily. It's just a byproduct of a game resonating with a lot of people in a memorable way.
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
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While spoilers suck, it's primarily the responsibility of the user to avoid places where spoilers are likely to be. I don't want Fallout 3 spoiled for me, so I don't go in that thread. That doesn't mean that it's ok to post unmarked spoilers in there, but means that I'm doing my part to avoid them rather than expecting everyone to jump through hoops for my benefit.
I really don't understand the number of people in this complaint thread that go to a thread for a game they haven't finished and expect it not to be spoiled. Especially a single player game. What exactly do you think there is to talk about in there? For example the OP referenced wanting to talk about specific puzzles in Uncharted if he gets stuck on them. But Uncharted has been out for quite some time; I think it's reasonable to say that most people in the thread are discussing it post-played. And if you needed help there are plenty of free detailed guides with nice pictures.
Tightening the rules on spoilers to "please everyone" would just result in nobody being able to post spoilers for anything ever.
PSN: TheScrublet
There are multiple spoilers for any game nowadays, at least in most people's opinion. The issue lies correctly using the spoiler tag for a World 8-4 spoiler, but not labeling it as "World 8-4 Spoiler," or anything for that matter. I'm not going completely avoid the discussion thread when I'm only on World 4-2, because I might want to talk about how awesome World 3 was. That's where my frustration is.
I think that's exactly the issue. I was on a bit of a rant in the OP but I think you've distilled it.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
One quick question - A while back I remember someone saying to just PM whatever forum specific mod was online at the time if there was a relatively minor issue, cause the report button went out to every mod and it was sort of a hassle.
Is that no longer the case? Because if people can just report spoiler misuse when they see it with that button, this is even less of a problem.
Everyone already knows not to post untagged spoilers. Most of the problems arise when people say things they don't think are spoilers and then having someone disagree. Then someone says "spoiler that shit" and it gets spoiler'd and peace returns to the land. I don't believe people simply forgot about the spoiler button over time, so reminding them of it would just look dumb.
Up until a week ago, I was under the impression that spoilers were automatically "open" for mods. I have no idea why I thought so. Was this ever the case?
Anyway, I'd been leery of reporting untagged spoilers for exactly this reason. It seemed counterproductive to virally spread an untagged spoiler to the mod forum. I'm glad to see that's not how it works.
So don't open unmarked spoilers in threads about things you're just getting into.
Or don't open any spoilers at all in said threads. Hell, that's what I often do, if I feel daring enough to enter such a thread.
Of course, I also follow my own advice, and while I've just watched the first two disks of Dexter yesterday, and wish to talk about it, I would likely have a great deal spoilt for me were I to wander into the Dexter thread this late in the game. So I'm staying out of that thread for now.
I wholeheartedly agree that unmarked spoilers for recent shows/games are annoying, especially in unrelated threads, but for the most part things seem to work out pretty well, at least in my opinion.
A sub-issue with things like this will be when a meme from a game/show pervades the community like wildfire. I read through a good portion of the Portal thread before buying the Orange Box, and while I wouldn't say I had things "spoiled" for me per se, "The Cake Is A Lie" was fucking everywhere on the forums around that time. In completely unrelated threads and sub-forums. I didn't even know what they were talking about initially, and while I didn't feel it detracted from my experience, similar incidents have happened with other games as well.
But I'm not sure that can really be dealt with easily. It's just a byproduct of a game resonating with a lot of people in a memorable way.