[WikiEN-l] Actual data on spoiler warning uses by the public

[Todd Allen]

Peter Ansell wrote:
> On 16/12/2007, Todd Allen <toddmallen at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> joshua.zelinsky at yale.edu wrote:
>>     
>>> Quoting Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com>:
>>>       
>>>> On 16/12/2007, joshua.zelinsky at yale.edu <joshua.zelinsky at yale.edu> wrote:
>>>>         
>>>>> See http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6424&p=147306#p147306
>>>>>
>>>>> In retrospect I'm not sure why no one did this before. The sample isn't
>>>>> exactly
>>>>> representative (since it is xkcd fora). But one interesting thing
>>>>> seems clear;
>>>>> the public prefers spoiler warnings on Wikipedia and uses them.
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> Well... thirty people on an internet forum prefer spoiler warnings and
>>>> use them. I'm not entirely sure we can generalise from that to "the
>>>> public" with any degree of confidence.
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> That's true. The sample size is very small. But considering that one argument
>>> made in favor of spoiler removal was that the spoiler-removal was favored by
>>> the public this preliminary data doesn't seem to back that up at all and if
>>> anything shows the other direction.
>>>
>>>       
>> If you check recent changes, it's also apparent that a large number of
>> people are in favor of vandalism. That doesn't mean we should start
>> allowing it.
>>     
>
> How did you make the connection between spoiler warnings and
> vandalism? Seems like you are just putting up a straw man to knock
> down.
>
> Peter
>
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>   
I am not, per se, comparing spoiler warnings to vandalism. I am,
however, stating (and will state more clearly here) that just because an
option is popular with "the public" doesn't necessarily mean we should
actually do it. Many things are popular but outside the scope, mission,
and ideal of Wikipedia. That's fine, other sites can handle those. If
you want spoiler-free plot summaries, rumors, and speculation, those are
very popular. IMDB is a great place for you to look. If you want
encyclopedic information, including a summation of the full plot, based
on verifiable and sourced information only, that's what we do.

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