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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

TFN needs to stop posting spoilers in the title (WARNING - possible spoilers)

Discussion in 'Communications' started by BoxOfficeMan, Jan 20, 2003.

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  1. stinrab

    stinrab Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 9, 1998
    Can you not see our point-of-view, Carter? Not having a movie ruined for us is important to those who inhabit NS. We make up a good percentage of SW fans (although, no where near as large as the Spoiled folk) and, therefore, should be considered when relevant decisions are made. If TF.N doesn't, well, it just loses a percentage of its readership

    Really is it that hard to just agree to not post semi-spoilerish titles on the main page. as DLM said? Is it too much to ask? It isn't that hard to do (it doesn't even need to be ambiguous). For example, hypothetically, say a spy report revealed that Obi-Wan and Anakin are, in fact, cousins. Now, this would be revealed at a pivotal point in the film (similar to "I am your father"). So, what will you title the report? Quite simple, something like "SPY REPORT: The BIG Surprise in ep3" or "SPY REPORT: New Anakin rumours", etc. See how you can tell readers what the thing is basically about without spoiling others?
     
  2. ReaperFett

    ReaperFett Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 1999
    It is important to address now, as in the future you'll get spoilers to. And I dont wantr TF.N to spoil me just to make spoiler-peoples click a link.
     
  3. stinrab

    stinrab Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 9, 1998
    Adding to my previous post, can I say, from memory, that TFN has done a pretty dodgey job with titling spoilers in the past. I remember for ep2 there was a rumour (one which, obviously, turned out to be false) that Dooku would wield a "flamesaber" (lightsaber with orange-red colouring that also made "fwwwooosh" noises when it ignited). The TFN title for this report? "Fwwwosh, swoooosh goes the flamesaber". Surely you agree that's a little too much?
     
  4. Carter-TFN

    Carter-TFN Ex-Staff, Admin Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 24, 2001
    Stinrab, I'm going to include your name in the non-spoilerish spy report title commission with DLM and Windy, since you are the NS pros.

    Work with them on suggesting to Josh of better ways of handling titles.
     
  5. Gandalf the Grey

    Gandalf the Grey Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    May 14, 2000
    So, because Obi-Wan Kenobi and Owen are not brothers by blood relation, then the Return of the Jedi novelization is completely and utterly wrong in every respect?

    It has the potential to be wrong, certainly. For that matter, George Lucas has contradicted his own films (Yoda isn?t the Jedi Master who taught Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn is! Han doesn?t shoot first, Greedo does!) so I suppose we can?t take for granted the Anakin is the father of Luke and Leia? Should the news that Anakin is going to be Luke?s father be considered a spoiler? Should the news that Chancellor Palpatine will turn out to be Darth Sidious be a spoiler? After all, the movie never calls him Palpatine, only the novel.

    Also, keep in mind that Genghis and I are both spoiler moderators for a forum that deals with far more new spoilers on a far more regular basis than any other forum on the boards. It?s not like we don?t know how to treat them. This is something we deal with on a weekly basis. Don?t try to paint us as not having any experience trying to prevent people from being spoiled. That doesn?t make us right, but it does mean that our opinions are at least valid.
     
  6. MrMarcus

    MrMarcus Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 7, 2003
    Great idea on this spoiler reporting committee, Carter.
    Give'em some fancy titles too. :)
     
  7. BoxOfficeMan

    BoxOfficeMan Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 26, 2002
    For the record, Gandolf, Yoda did teach Obi-Wan as a youngling, while Qui-Gon was Obi-Wan's padawan master.
     
  8. Gandalf the Grey

    Gandalf the Grey Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    May 14, 2000
    But he was not the Jedi Master who taught him. The situation in the prequels implies that Yoda was just one of many teachers that Obi-Wan had, and that Yoda taught everyone. Obi-Wan?s statement in ESB would have been accurate if he?d said ?Yoda was a Jedi Master that taught me when I was five and occasionally gave me pointers when I was older.?

    Qui-Gon Jinn was Obi-Wan?s Jedi Master, and Obi-Wan his apprentice. Given that the Jedi seemed to have followed a one-to-one master-to-apprentice system, that makes Qui-Gon Jinn the Jedi Master that taught Obi-Wan, not Yoda.

    And yes, I?m aware my name is misspelled, thank you.
     
  9. stinrab

    stinrab Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 9, 1998
    Those interested in helping us set up guidelines on this matter, please see this thread in our Non-Spoiled forum
     
  10. chitwood

    chitwood TheForce.Net co-owner star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    May 12, 1999
    This thread has been going on all day and not a single person has written me a PM or an email. Wild.

    Just for the record, gang, I write up nearly 100% of the SPY REPORTS for TFN. Occasionally another staffer will pick one up here or there, but almost invariably the scoop starts here. Having said that, let me apologize for not being as careful as many of you would like me to have been in the past. Occasionally one slips by and my name is loathed by those that have let go some of their prequel purity.

    An interesting statistic - Only about 11% of TFN's main page visitors desire to be spoiler-free. Inversely, that means that 88% of fans are here for spoilers and then there's that wierd 1% that just like to make trouble. Keep in mind that while that is a staggering percentage in favor of rampant spoilers, TFN does care about fans who want to remain unspoiled and hope they can find a niche here at TFN and the JC to that end.

    In this particular case, in all seriousness it is a BIG S T R E T C H to think that Hot Tamale = Set Construction = Lava Scene = New Planet. I'm open to suggestions, but this one is beyond reasonable I think. I'm going to do my best not to spoil those that don't care for information, but I'm definitely going to use catch phrases and clever titles to make the point.

    Here's a few examples from Attack of the Clones that never received complaints, just for reference as the standard that I use:

    SPY REPORT: Exit Stage Left
    (N*Sync not in Episode II)
    SPY REPORT: Body to Die For
    (Threepio loses head)
    SPY REPORT: Boys Will Be Boys
    (Dooku/Obi/Anakin fight details)
    SPY REPORT: Indiana Yoda
    (Yoda's entrance mirrors Indy)
    SPY REPORT: Falling for You
    (Coruscant Chase scene freefalls)
    SPY REPORT: I Am Your Mother
    (Pernilla August details)
    SPY REPORT: Mean Machine
    (Republic Gunship description and details)

    I'm trying to be careful - and will work hard in the future to not ruin the movie for anyone - but I sure think the Hot Tamale hype is overboard here.

    Josh
     
  11. droideka27

    droideka27 Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2002
    I do not feel that "Hot Tamale" is giving away anything in the title. I mean, come on, what star wars fan HASN'T heard "the rumor" about the lava pit? I am definitely NS, and was for Episodes I and II, though. I think that as long as the main spoiler topic is not given away in the title, that's all that's necessary. People like myself should be able to figure it out and be careful. I know we are in the minority, and being NS requires a bit of extra caution on our parts. "Hot Tamale" could refer to any number of things, and is fine, in my opinion, but the flamesaber title was not.

    I for one appreciate the extra effort that everyone goes to to ensure that people like me can enjoy these boards spoiler-free if so desired, and I really think that this thread was started as an overreaction.
     
  12. Dark Lady Mara

    Dark Lady Mara Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 1999
    This thread has been going on all day and not a single person has written me a PM or an email. Wild.

    That's because the recommendations that will be in said PM or email are presently being compiled in the thread stinky linked to up there ^^.
     
  13. chitwood

    chitwood TheForce.Net co-owner star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    May 12, 1999
    Actually, that was an idea at the very end of the day. No one, the entire day ever said a word. Just seemed odd for such outrage!

    :)

    Anyhow, this thread has run its course, I'll look forward to reading the recommendations.

    Josh
     
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