How long does it stay a spoiler?

[Allycat]

I'm just wondering in regards to the comic books, how long do things stay a spoiler? With the TV show, you could say it was after the episode aired that anything that happened in it, would no longer be a spoiler, even though non-US residents might disagree. With the comic books however, the first people read the comics the day they come out, while others have to wait up to a week 'till their stores gets the comics. In some cases, the comic is sold out and people have to wait a whole month. Yet others choose to wait for the TPBs.

So, how long after a comic is published, do you think something should stay a spoiler?

Can we post a thread with "Buffy kills Willow" (if that had happened in #12) in the title? Or can we make a signature with Spike and Gwen kissing if that happens in #5, the day after it comes out?

What do you all think is fair?

Obviously, I can't add an unlimited amount of options to the poll. So I tried to best as I could think of what people would want to vote. If your option isn't there just vote whatever is closest and explain in the thread exactly what you think.

[Entiel]

I believe that with the comic books the spoiler status last quite longer...for example I live in Greece,and only the shipment via TFAW lasts a month..so while you may have read issue 12,I am still waiting for issue 11 to arrive any day now and I just ordered issue 12.. :( so plz dont post any spoilerish titles before at last a month or maybe more... :)

[Allycat]

Personally, I agree with Entiel that the spoiler status stays longer. But I don't think it should be as long as a month. After all, when Buffy was still on-air, non-US residents would get to see the episodes at least half a year before anyone in the rest of the world would. I don't think you can take into account every single person reading the comics (no offence Entiel). I think most people get their comics within a week, maybe two, of the release date. So I voted for one week.

Also, anyone waiting for their copy longer than that, could always turn to someone whose scanned the issue. It's no substitute for the real thing of course, but it should help you out in case your copy is late. I did it with the first two issues of After the Fall.

[crabby patty]

to me a spoiler is a spoiler until I or anyone has read/seen the comic/episode.

I get my comics shipped from overseas so I get them a bit later then some, so I just avoid topics that are posted until I have read the comic.


A spoiler is something you choose to read or not, I dont think it has an expirey date!

[Allycat]

to me a spoiler is a spoiler until I or anyone has read/seen the comic/episode.

I get my comics shipped from overseas so I get them a bit later then some, so I just avoid topics that are posted until I have read the comic.


A spoiler is something you choose to read or not, I dont think it has an expirey date!

I think your half right. I mean any plot-element that you don't know is a spoiler until you've read/seen/listened to the original work in question. And I get that most people wish not to read spoilers, but rather wait for the work to be published/aired etc. And I think it's etiquette not to put things that are spoilers to most people in thread titles and signatures.

I guess technically, the real question I wanted to ask was, when do you think enough people have read the comics, to not consider it a breach of etiquette to put something in thread titles and signatures?

[crabby patty]

yeah I see what you are saying,

I think most people will get the comic as soon as it comes out and then I think it is safe to post a thread with the title saying "Season 8 - Issue 12 (spoilers)" etc. Then you know what it is about and can choose to read or not.

as to putting actual comic content then its difficult as when I come on BB I usually click straight onto new posts and its hard to avoid reading the title of threads. So if it has a spoiler then it can be hard to avoid!

This probably doesnt make much sense - sorry !!!

[Edmund Blackadder]

OK, for a TV show, my standard answer is, if it was on terrestrial TV in the country of production then it is fine to spill the entire contents as soon as the episode has aired.

If you go into a thread based on that show(and comics for that matter) just after it is aired, you should expect to see spoilers.

For the comics, my thoughts are slightly similar.

If you read the comics and the comics next issue is released for example today, you should be able to come online and talk freely - otherwise what is the point of these places?

It would, in my opinion, be rude to have a thread title be something like 'Buffy Kills Willow' if it happened within the first month and I would hope people would be kind enough to give at least a month for 'Spoiler Sigs' but in thread discussion should not be curbed.

[palabravampiress]

I get my comics late, too. I'm on a TFAW subscription, but I think I might cancel it and look for a good, in-the-flesh comic book store in my local area. I feel all lost. I received and read issues 1-8 and issue 11. I'm not even sure which issue we're on now! So for me, pretty much anything from issue 9 on is a spoiler. lol.

As a rule of thumb, though, I think something stops being a spoiler when the next issue is released (basically, when it's not the newest available and officially released information anymore). That gives most people time to catch up.

[Spike Angelus]

I say a week after its release. Plenty of time for most people to read it.

[nerd4hire]

This is a dillema mods and policy makers of message boards have been wrestling with since the canon comics started coming out.

It isn't just how long after the actual release, it's what constitutes a spoiler. Are the Dark Horse teasers spoilers? Are the previews. Are the releases of upcoming covers from DH, or the artists? What about something like the spoiler from the current Buffy issue that's so big the mainstream media has picked it up? If you click "Buffy" into a search engine right now you're going to know about it. If you consider each of these has a different level of spoilerism what length of time should each retain its spoiler status?

On the how long after the release thing though, I've come to the conclusion you have to pretty much play it by ear. When does it stop feeling like a spoiler? A suggestion like "until the TPB comes out" isn't realistic. Suppose somebody wants to post a thread on say the Buffy/Willow relationship in the comics. There were some major revelations on that in last month's comic. Does that thread require a spoiler tag if somebody posts it today? The major spoiler from the current issue affects the Buffy/Willow relationship. Again it's in the mainstream media. Anyone who reads around about Buffy is going to know about it? Should the thread be black with spoiler tags from people mentioning it to support a particular point they might have. To be honest, I'm not sure. At this point you just have to kind of go by what feels right. That policy is going to please some people, and piss off others. There's no way around it.