Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

ColesCountyDem

(6,943 posts)
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 05:45 PM Jun 2014

What Skinner has to say about spoiler alerts and common courtesy:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10133533

Skinner (59,517 posts)

Some advice about the Olympics and possible spoilers

As everyone here is probably aware, the Winter Olympics start this week. And once again NBC is going to be showing many events on tape-delay during primetime. That means that many DU members will probably not see the events when they are actually happening, and will instead see them for the first time during primetime -- hours after they have actually happened. This of course raises the possibility of "spoilers" -- when you learn the outcome of the event before you actually watch it.

With this in mind, here are a few thoughts...

Advice for people posting about the Olympics on DU
Thread titles: If you want to post about the Olympics it is common courtesy to refrain from posting spoilers in the subject line of a discussion thread. Posting spoilers in the subject line of a thread is considered rude by many people and may put your thread at risk of being hidden by a Jury.

Repeatedly posting spoilers on purpose: During the last Olympics, one person loudly and proudly proclaimed that he was deliberately posting spoilers for every event (for what he believed was a perfectly good reason). Even if you think you have a perfectly good reason for maliciously disrupting DU in this manner, don't do it.
Advice for people reading DU during the Olympics
If you feel strongly that you do not want to accidentally encounter Olympics spoilers, you should not be on Democratic Underground or any other social media during the Olympics. That is just a fact.

You should assume that any discussion thread about the Olympics will include spoilers even if there is no "spoiler alert" warning in the title.

...
46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What Skinner has to say about spoiler alerts and common courtesy: (Original Post) ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 OP
Damn it! I was going to read that post from Skinner later! Liberal Veteran Jun 2014 #1
+1 FailureToCommunicate Jun 2014 #28
This was World Cup not the Olympics. dilby Jun 2014 #2
So what? n/t ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #4
There is no tape delayed broadcast. dilby Jun 2014 #7
A distinction without a difference, IMO. n/t ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #13
People still get their information at different times due to work schedules or other events, Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #14
Precisely muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #45
Precisely n/t malaise Jun 2014 #39
Spoiler alerts are a ubiquitous courtesy, not just on DU and not just for the Olympics. arcane1 Jun 2014 #6
Do you understand the concept of recording something to watch later? Beaverhausen Jun 2014 #24
And when is it free to talk to people about the event without labeling "Spoiler Alert"? dilby Jun 2014 #27
This is usually a good guideline for it rpannier Jun 2014 #29
Ye Good Olde Days, when it was "common courtesy" instead of "controversial courtesy" arcane1 Jun 2014 #3
Precisely! n/t ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #5
Yep! Courtesy shouldn't be controversial. IMO. n/t freshwest Jun 2014 #10
People really just need to lighten the fuck up and get over it! madinmaryland Jun 2014 #8
It is attention grabbing rudeness, IMO Ruby the Liberal Jun 2014 #9
I will not tell you the final score in the USA-GERMANY game today. trof Jun 2014 #11
The Olympics is not the Football World Cup malaise Jun 2014 #12
Get off the fucking internet then if you don't want to know the results. alarimer Jun 2014 #15
Why did you have to post this??? nt Logical Jun 2014 #16
For the same reason they post: ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #18
Most people do not need to report another post! Get it? nt Logical Jun 2014 #21
Thank you for your instruction. ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #46
This isn't a tape delay, so not a comparable geek tragedy Jun 2014 #17
Agreed. dilby Jun 2014 #19
It is comparable. ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #20
LOL, not really! Yours is incorrect! nt Logical Jun 2014 #22
Yes. But it's not up to me or anyone geek tragedy Jun 2014 #23
Have a nice night. n/t ColesCountyDem Jun 2014 #25
Let me guess rpannier Jun 2014 #31
I do, but I don't work in a field where people complain if people geek tragedy Jun 2014 #37
It is when you consider the number of people on DU who live in other countries rpannier Jun 2014 #30
the purpose of subject lines is not to protect people from information. geek tragedy Jun 2014 #36
I have no objections to common courtesy BainsBane Jun 2014 #26
Bigoted slurs directed at fellow DUers are not acceptable. bluesbassman Jun 2014 #33
The connection is cries about censorship BainsBane Jun 2014 #34
I don't believe saying "spoiler" in the thread title is censorship. bluesbassman Jun 2014 #35
This is just silliness. There aren't "spoiler alerts" on posts talking about the Super Bowl, ect. tritsofme Jun 2014 #32
A little searching found posts at least as far back as 2006 about Super Bowl spoilers SwankyXomb Jun 2014 #41
The Seahawks won the Superbowl!! geek tragedy Jun 2014 #38
Rosebud was his sled! FSogol Jun 2014 #44
Auto-trash by Keyword. Learn it. Use it. Stop this madness. herding cats Jun 2014 #40
Holy Shit! The winter olympics are still going on? morningfog Jun 2014 #42
"have a perfectly good reason for maliciously disrupting DU"!!!! IronLionZion Jun 2014 #43

Uncle Joe

(58,112 posts)
14. People still get their information at different times due to work schedules or other events,
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:08 PM
Jun 2014

they may be recording the game at home for later viewing.

It's a good policy to list any potential spoiler alerts in the title and it doesn't take a great deal of effort to do so.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
45. Precisely
Fri Jun 27, 2014, 09:56 AM
Jun 2014

Matches during the working day may well get recorded. At weekends, there's less chance of someone randomly browsing DU while waiting to watch something they could have seen live (yeah, some people work weekends, but far fewer).

dilby

(2,273 posts)
27. And when is it free to talk to people about the event without labeling "Spoiler Alert"?
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:24 PM
Jun 2014

With a rebroadcast of an event there is a time when it's expected everyone should have seen the event. I have no idea when everyone watches their DVR, so should people list Spoiler Alert 3 days after a live event takes place for fear that a person out of the country has not had time to catch up on their DVR?

rpannier

(24,304 posts)
29. This is usually a good guideline for it
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:34 PM
Jun 2014

When you post it put 'Spoiler Alert'
Because courtesy is a 24-hour a day, 7 day a week kind of thing

madinmaryland

(64,920 posts)
8. People really just need to lighten the fuck up and get over it!
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 06:04 PM
Jun 2014

I love sports, but for the life of me cannot watch recorded sports, unless of course it is Dallas winning the Super Bowl in the 1970's.

I spend too much time on the web and don't want to have to sequester myself.

Ruby the Liberal

(26,217 posts)
9. It is attention grabbing rudeness, IMO
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 06:08 PM
Jun 2014

I knew the score because I was able to watch from work while multi-tasking on other things. Never in a million years would I post the outcome (especially as a thread title!) knowing that there are people who don't have the ability to watch/listen live from noon to two on a weekday. Just screams "look at me" more than "XYZ won".

trof

(54,255 posts)
11. I will not tell you the final score in the USA-GERMANY game today.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 07:57 PM
Jun 2014

I will tell you that the USA is still in the games.

malaise

(267,823 posts)
12. The Olympics is not the Football World Cup
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:00 PM
Jun 2014

Olympic events have delayed broadcast for prime time targeting.
Big freaking difference. Sorry - very poor example - the football world cup is live and everyone knows the results because they are everywhere.

alarimer

(16,245 posts)
15. Get off the fucking internet then if you don't want to know the results.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:10 PM
Jun 2014

Stay away from TV and radio too while you'r at it.

A LIVE-ACTION sporting event is completely different than a TV show or movie.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
17. This isn't a tape delay, so not a comparable
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:13 PM
Jun 2014

situation.

We discuss CURRENT events, not stale ones, here.

You'll just have to cope.

dilby

(2,273 posts)
19. Agreed.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:14 PM
Jun 2014

If people do not want to hear the results when they happen they should just stay off the internet.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
23. Yes. But it's not up to me or anyone
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:16 PM
Jun 2014

else to protect you from knowledge or information. That is your problem, not ours.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
37. I do, but I don't work in a field where people complain if people
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 09:36 PM
Jun 2014

discuss current events around them and complain to management if someone talks about a live sporting event.

rpannier

(24,304 posts)
30. It is when you consider the number of people on DU who live in other countries
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:37 PM
Jun 2014

Why is showing a little courtesy like putting an alert in the subject tag such a difficult concept?

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
36. the purpose of subject lines is not to protect people from information.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 09:35 PM
Jun 2014

accurate information regarding current events is perfectly, and always, appropriate in a discussion forum devoted to discussing current events

if you don't want to learn about current events, don't go to places where current events are being discussed


BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
26. I have no objections to common courtesy
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:20 PM
Jun 2014

I just wish everyone would exercise it, and that should extend to avoiding insulting people with bigoted slurs. Hearing that suggesting people avoid such language amounts to RW censorship and then having people turn around and argue that sports scores should be censored is the height of irony. It would be nice if people had as much concern for the great swaths of the population targeted by bigoted slurs as they do for sports fans.

bluesbassman

(19,310 posts)
33. Bigoted slurs directed at fellow DUers are not acceptable.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:38 PM
Jun 2014

And I vote hide every time I'm on a jury alert for one regardless of the thread context. However, equating a "spoiler alert" with bigotry is not a valid comparison. No one is suggesting that the information not be presented and talked about within a thread. Rather the call is for the courtesy of not announcing a spoiler in a thread title. This allows people who wish to experience the event at a later time with the same anticipation as if they're watching it live. Again, no censorship of the information, just giving others the opportunity to enjoy the event a little more. Not really all that much to ask in the grand scheme of things, and perhaps one small step here will lead to bigger strides in more important matters.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
34. The connection is cries about censorship
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:44 PM
Jun 2014

and common courtesy, while showing complete disregard for the concerns of people offended by such gratuitous use of bigoted slurs. All weekend long we heard how jury alerts were censorship, and how asking people to moderate their language amounted to authoritarianism. Now we have a subject that some think more important than opposition to bigotry, and they argue for exactly what they denounced over the weekend. It's pretty clear some don't care one bit about courtesy as long as it is only women, people of color and LGBT folk who are offended. But if the more important sports fan is inconvenienced, all hell breaks lose.

bluesbassman

(19,310 posts)
35. I don't believe saying "spoiler" in the thread title is censorship.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:53 PM
Jun 2014

You are correct about some not caring who they offend, but that covers a broad spectrum.

Thanks for the conversation.

tritsofme

(17,325 posts)
32. This is just silliness. There aren't "spoiler alerts" on posts talking about the Super Bowl, ect.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:38 PM
Jun 2014

The Olympics were on a tape delay, I very much doubt he would have made that post in the context of a North American Olympic games.

SwankyXomb

(2,030 posts)
41. A little searching found posts at least as far back as 2006 about Super Bowl spoilers
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 10:19 PM
Jun 2014

But the Whinado on both sides of this and a lot of other minor issues over the last few weeks has me questioning if remaining here is worth it.

herding cats

(19,549 posts)
40. Auto-trash by Keyword. Learn it. Use it. Stop this madness.
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 09:52 PM
Jun 2014

It was covered by everyone everywhere. It's not something which was going to be aired later on network TV with a time delay from which the masses where sheltered.

Get over it and find something real to be outraged about. Seriously, your DVR issues have nothing to do with the rest of those who use DU.

Next time learn to use the Auto-trash by Keyword feature so you're not exposed to something you cannot bear to see.

Sincerely,
Someone sick to the point of death of useless faux outrage in General Discussion.

 

morningfog

(18,115 posts)
42. Holy Shit! The winter olympics are still going on?
Thu Jun 26, 2014, 10:32 PM
Jun 2014

The World Cup is not the Olympics. The Olympics had a time delay and many events going on at any given time.

The World Cup is no different than the World Series or the Super Bowl. No spoiler nonsense would be needed for that.

IronLionZion

(45,261 posts)
43. "have a perfectly good reason for maliciously disrupting DU"!!!!
Fri Jun 27, 2014, 09:22 AM
Jun 2014


If we got rid of everyone who felt they have a perfectly good reason for being obnoxious, there would be no one left here!


I actually agree with Skinner's position on spoilers. But I do think everone in this world feels "justified" for doing what they do. Bad people never think of themselves as bad.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»What Skinner has to say a...