> From: "Steve Bennett" <stevagewp(a)gmail.com>
>
> This is so simple. Read the back of a DVD cover. Read a movie review
> in the paper. Read the blurb of a book. All contain a rough outline of
> the plot. They don't mention:
>
> a) What the outcome of the major plot climax is.
> b) Any secrets that change your understanding of the story, but that
> are only revealed at the end.
> c) The deaths of any major characters that take place late in the
> story.
>
> What's hard to get about that?
>
> Now, I'm not even suggesting that Wikipedia avoid mentioning these.
> But it's so incredibly easy to use spoiler tags judiciously. This
> wilful ignorance to understand is quite annoying.
>
> Example:
>
> ==Plot summary==
> In the story, John marries Susan, but they are separated as he is sent
> to war.<more plot describing his antics in the war, the adventures he
> gets up to etc >
>
> {{spoiler}}
> Ultimately, John's leg is blown off and he returns an amputee, only to
> find that Susan has married his brother.
> {{end-spoiler}}
>
> ==Some other section==
>
> It's not complicated. It's not a slippery slope. Can we drop the
> childish attitude please?
Very well said. Hear, hear!
I have two things to add. First, spoiler warnings are only
appropriate in the case of storylines that are reasonably _current,_
so that there is a reasonable probability that the plot twist is not
already well known. It would be absurd to have
Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for Jim.
{{spoiler}}
But, meanwhile, unknown to Della, Jim has already sold his watch to
buy jewelled combs for Della's hair!!!!!!
{{end-spoiler}}
Second, if something is so surprising, so current, and would be such
a spoiler that a warning is actually needed, some mechanism for
hiding the text is needed as well. It's just absurd to suppose that
readers who does _not_ want to have the story spoiled will be able to
avoid glancing at perfectly visible text.
IMPORTANT: *Please* do not read any further in this posting. Really.
I mean it. I'm absolutely serious. Look, I'm even putting some
"spoiler space" here, like they do in alt.puzzle. Just stop here.
Please.
Snape kills Dumbledore.