How hard is it to add spoiler tags? C'mon. We don't need double the threads.

Shit ya I watch them all. IMO for the most part "next weeks previews" on most shows don't give away that much if you really look at it. Ya it might give away a special guest star, or some minor plot developement, but IMO all previews are minor in terms of spoiling in the long run, its also fairly common for them to show wrong "spoilers" to throw the viewer off. Just my .02

Its all a matter of personal preference on what is considered a spoiler. I honestly don't think previews spoil that much.

If you want to broaden this, most of us on here are movie fans right? I mean EVERY time you go to a movie you are forced to watch trailers right? Well aren't those just like previews? They are previews for upcoming movies. They may give away stars and plots? Whats the difference?

So the people that voted no on this, do you skip the trailers at movies too? I mean they are just like TV previews, previewing something that is coming out at a later time, just like on TV. I just think its a little OD people bitching about talking about previews all the time in posts, but once again its personal preference, so I can't hate. Maybe its different for movies though, I just don't really care, TV/trailers don't spoil anything for me.




Daniel, serious question. How do you avoid movie trailers? Do you sit outside the theater until they are over, or do you time the movie and go in after they are over? It just seems a little OD to me, but its your personal preference, and thats cool, I am not hating, I am just curious how you can avoid trailers.


Lets take this further. Lets say you replied NO to this thread and you don't like to see promos/previews for upcoming episodes. BUT networks air promos for shows, when playing other shows on that network. How do you avoid those? For example, if you are watching Supernatural on the WB I know for damn sure they show Smallville promos on that show. How do you avoid those? Do you mute it through the commercials? I mean if you watch a certain network you are bound to run into a promo for other shows. I just don't know how these can be avoided without going above and beyond. I mean shit, every other commercial during the MLB playoffs on FOX was about Prison Break, how do you avoid that?

I just don't see the big deal. But for the people that really don't like them, thats cool more power to ya, its all good

Just because you think that they are not working, doesn't mean that everybody else think along the same line.

Whether the previews are part of the week's episode or not is irrevelant. The current rule about using spoiler tags on previews was established as a "common courtesy" to forum members that don't watch them.

As you can tell from this thread, you are right that the mayority watches them but also there is a big enough minority that doesn't, thus I think that the current rule is fair and respectful for everybody's taste.

Tell me why is it that you find adding spoiler tags so hard?

As the OP, I would just like to point out that this poll just asks whether people watch the previews.
If anyone wants to find out whether people think the forum rules regarding spoiling should be modified, that would be a different question.



Rocketdog2000--
In one of your previous postings [Big #50 on the board, and quoted in LorenzoL's post above] you assert three times that the current forum rules aren't working.
If you read every post in this thread, and the postings in the very exciting Smallville thread where this discussion began,
you will discover exactly one person advocating for changing the forum rules about spoilers.
That person is you.

I'm certain there are other members who agree with you, but they haven't identified themselves yet,
so you may want to be more circumspect when you start talking about "the majority" and "a minority".

No kidding. Rocketdog is the only one who seems to have a real problem with this. Thanks for being here for a month and solving all our problems for us. Jesus Christ, it's not a difficult concept. The threads are just for that week's episode. Anything else gets a spoiler tag. Seems to not be a problem for anyone else. Why adding 19 characters to your post is such a big deal is beyond me.

Wow, I had no idea this sparked from Smallville. I figured it had to do with Lost (there was a huge problem with this a couple weeks ago).

The rules actually work fine when followed. The people who break them just need to actually follow them and be more considerate.

This one goes out to Count Dooku, Xander, Daniel-A, LorenzoL and whoever else quoted me.

See, the funny thing is I have no problem using spoiler caps, nor do I find it hard to use them. Mainly because, I don't post spoilers. But It sure seems that other people do, since I've run across other people complaining about people NOT using them in threads on this board. Hence, there IS a problem, and that's where I came up with my assesment. Some of you here are confusing the fact that since I'm offering up a differing opinion on using spoiler caps, that I do have a problem with them. That's not the case. I'm trying to offer an alternative to the need to use them in the first place.

As I said before in another thread - what does the fact that I've only been POSTING for a month have do to with anything? I've been reading through these forums for much longer - but maybe it's just that I finally felt the need to speak up, because I could no longer stand seeing people complaining about something they could just as easily control themselves.

And so I spoke out - isn't that what a forum is about? If you guys want to make someone new feel welcome in sharing thoughts and ideas - you've got a funny way going about it.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason no one else has suggested changing anything, is because they don't feel like getting into the huge argument that this has become. And I can see why - you guys are so caught up in your own self righteousness, that you've become blind to any idea that isn't your own. I defend someone's opinion, and I get attacked with such venom... Hell, your reactions to me were worse then to the one's who had actually posted spoilers, or were not using spoiler caps. And why, because I offer up a difference of opinion, and logic - and without name calling, or feeling the need to use profanity, I might add.

I'm just suggesting something - an alternative way to handle the whole thing - that seems like it would be for everyone's benefit. But if you think things are fine the way they are, then great. However if that's true, then you shouldn't need to be complaining about it to begin with. And yes it is YOU (mainly, always the first 3 on the top of the list) who have been doing the complaining about people not using spolier caps. All I've done, is offer up a different idea of how to deal with the issue.

Daniel-A - you appear to be the most level headed, of what I like to refer to as 'the big three'. You actually seemed to know when to quit on the Smallville thread, and realized it again here, too. For that, you've actually earned my respect. Still, I would have liked to hear your answers to the questions that animalmystic asked of you.

I don't get the debate at all. If it wasn't in the 45 minute episode it is a spoiler. Pretty simple. The preview is NOT part of the episode. When you watch the episode on dvd is there a preview for the next one tacked on at the end? No, it has nothing to do with the current week's episode.

Two threads each for a half dozen shows is not the answer.
Poor analogy. The only way that works is prior to the pilot episode. You have to get a feel for it to see if you want to watch. We are already in the seat watching Lost. Your analogy would be more along the lines of sitting in the theater for Star Wars and seeing a trailer for Empire Strikes Back.

Oh, I can so tell I'm going to regret this...

Ok, without meaning, or wanting, to start up a whole new storm, the differences of opinion would be that...


1) The debate is about what's being aired on TV, and not a DVD.Two entirely different, or seperate things, considering that they do show next's weeks preview on TV. If they didn't there wouldn't even be the need for this disscussion at all.
2) do you consider next's week preview as part of the whole show, or not? Some people, like yourself, consider the whole show to be one thing. Some consider the whole show to be everything from when it starts, until the next (meaning different, i.e.- in the case of Smallville, it would be Everwood) TV show begins. That would include the credits and previews shown for the following week.
3) depending on which side of that fence you're on, do you then consider 'next week's preview' to be a spoiler, or not?

...think that pretty much sums it up. And again, it's just to clarify the issue, since you said you didn't 'get' the debate, nothing more.

I do try to avoid trailers for movies I want to see. Watch the ones I don't know much about or am on the fence on. I avoid them on tv (this applies to tv promos too) by muting or channel flipping if I'm watching live and the FF button if I'm watching a recording. Not too much of a hassle. For previews before a movie, I'm normally a last minute kind of person, so I usually get to the theater just before the film starts (or in the case of Red Eye, 4 minutes into it).

Just an example, but the latest Lost preview (which I didn't watch, but was spoiled for me in the thread) says that which to me is kind of a major plot point, if true. That's the kind of stuff I try to avoid because I like to be surprised. At least for shows like Lost, 24, or other serialized type of dramas.

Ok here come my ADD/Anal-retentiveness. If a commercial comes on TV is is easy enough. I just mute it and look away or change the channel. No biggie. In movies I am the most annoying person before the thing starts. If I am in time fore the trailers (I usually am), I put my hands over my ears and hum if the hands over my ears aren't enough. Yeah, I have a problem.

Boy would that suck, but a better analogy would be watching the trailers as originally intended. Trailing the movie. Though if I am about to watch episode 37 of something I'd be even more pissed off if I saw a commercial for episode 38 before even seeing 37.

I'm the total opposite. I sometime seek out spoilers, and at the least never avoid previews.

Especially TV shows. The plots and writing in general are way behind the best movies and books, so I just never get into them enough that I care about having something spoiled every once in a while.

Thank you.

In the more than three years that I have been a member here, I have called someone out for posting a spoiler exactly once. One time, this past weekend.

If someone (not you Rocketdog, someone else) is posting spoilers,
it seems to me the simplest solution is to inform them of the forum rules and instruct them in the proper use of spoiler tags.

Maybe, for a special case show like LOST, it would be a good idea to create a separate, permanant thread wherein people could discuss the contents of the previews, and their specualtion about what the future holds.
But then, the danger would be that in such a thread some people would be posting not just their speculations, but actual foreknowledge of what will occur on upcoming episodes.

You're welcome?

You mean something like this then...

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showpos...5&postcount=32

Maybe it was just your tone I took offense with?




But if you weren't reading that thread, then why would it be a danger? Please explain?

Yes, that was in fact a sincere reply to your answer of my question -"Still, I would have liked to hear your answers to the questions that animalmystic asked of you."

Ah ok. Thought it was sarcastic. I haven't read all the thread, just bits and pieces, didn't notice you asking. Sorry for the swipe.

No offense taken. I should have been more specific in my original reply.

I would think people who avoid spoilers would avoid Internet forums as well.

I use the tags, but I don't think it's a question of people being too lazy to use them. More a case of not realizing they are spoliers. Many would agree not to type (Psycho Spolier) but don't realize that to some saying (lost trailer reference) is the same thing.

I say remind those who do it of the rules, and if they do it again, have them flogged, burned at the stake, or (seriously) reprimanded by a ban or something.

You know, I already said essentially the same thing in the Smallville thread, but they weren't going for it.

However, I think you hit upon a bit of an answer to this dilema in your last post on the Lost thread . I'll just have to see if anyone picks up on it or not, to know if it's working.

Yes, rocketdog2000, that was the time, and I actually do apologize for offending you with my tone.
And as I previously posted in that same thread,
I doubt I will ever criticize another poster for posting info from the previews because of the irritation it has caused. Here's the post
I will leave that for the moderators to take care of.

If you create a thread where people can post about things that they know are going to happen from seeing previews


And people can openly speculate about what's upcoming on the show based on that information


Then inevitably someone will post something like this in the thread


I wouldn't be reading such a thread at all, but I don't think even the vast overwhelming majority of viewers who watch the previews and enjoy speculation want to get (what I have previously called) "actual foreknowledge of what will occur on upcoming episodes."