What's a spoiler?

Ouch... ladies and gentlemen, we have lost a classic thread. Any suggestions for what should/should not be a spoiler? We're going to have to restart this somehow.

Paradox doesn't know what a spoiler is?

The point was to lay out some ground rules for what should and should not be allowed in this forum. As we get closer to the E2 release date, there will be more and more spoilers floating around out there, and we'll need some guidelines.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "spoiler" but what I plan on doing for Episode II is what I did for Episode I, which is to most plot points but to read up on all the characters and locations. That way I'll go into the theatre knowing a lot, but not having the movie's plot spoiled.

--Nathan Dahlin

Well a plot point is a spoiler.

Before Episode I didn't we say that anything officially released by LucasFilm was NOT a spoiler?

Well, if we hadn't LOST THE WHOLE THREAD IN THE MOVE TO SNOWBOARD I could check that.

But that's alright, we'll start over. Discussion of casting should not be a spoiler. But "I looked on the back of my CD and it said..." should be considered a spoiler.

DLM- I'm pretty sure about what I said only because I remember leaving Prequels(N-S) at one point because it got to the point where LucasFilm was releasing to much info for my tastes.

Anyway on to what is and is not a spoiler. Character informaion, IMO, can be a spoiler and not be a spoiler. I mean, I'd think that if you posted something like "LucasFilm said that So-and-so is a new jedi in episode II." that'd be okay because you're not giving away in any plot points. On the other hand if you said that "So-an-so is one of Palpatine's aids who helps convince Anakin to come to the darkside." I think this would be a spoiler as it gives away plot points. An exception to the just-don't-include-plot-points rule would be if you said something like "In episode II Qui-gon Jinn comes back from the dead." Just my thoughts.
~*~Cailina~*~

So saying (actor) was cast in the role of (character) is not a spoiler if it was announced on the official site? Even though it's a fairly major character who appeared in the OT?

No. You'd be surprised how many things have been deemed acceptable for this forum.

So that's it? The discussion's over? Well, we the members of the P(NS) council - - are going to have to remember this thread and revive it when it starts getting closer to the release date. We'll probably need it.

Okay, here are two questions that kind of go together:

1. Is anything revealed in "The Insider" fair game since it's an official Lucasfilm publication?

2. If Lucas says flat out in an interview that, say... "Anakin will have two heads in Episode II, the second created entirely with CGI!", is that a spoiler since Lucas felt confident revealing it himself?

Just wondering 'cause I know some members here have a stricter view on spoilers than what was posted in TF.N's editorial.

(You think I'm kidding about the head? Why do you think that 1st pic was blurred out? Mhwuaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!)

Well, in pre-TPM days, anything released by Lucasfilm was considered okay. Being something of a liberal myself, I think that's reasonable. But we've already have people leave this board because even the non-spoiler section was giving away too many details for their tastes. So I'd say anything directly out of GL or McCallum's mouth, which would probably reach the general public whether they were on this board or not, should not be a spoiler. Info coming out of Insider, or any other source people would probably not see if they didn't go out of their way to find details on E2, should be. Of course speculation of all sorts is fine.

Hello everyone. I'd like to answer two questions that have come up lately.

1. Trailers. Any info contained in the E2 trailers will NOT be considered a spoiler. Any speculation based on the trailers is also okay.

2. Pre-TPM info: Anything released by a source whose current news is considered a spoiler is acceptable if that information was released before TPM came out. For example, any pre-TPM info on the disappearing trick, any foreshadowing of E2 found in the original screenplays, etc. Info found in pre-TPM issues of Insider is also okay.

As always, if anyone disagrees with any of this, please don't hesitate to say so!

MTFBWY

I for one don't think any info. from the Star Wars Insider is a spoiler. This is the publication of the Offical Star Wars Fan Club. There is nothing printed in the Insider that isn't kosher with Lucas. This is an official source along with McCallum and Lucas. I'd be willing to bet A LOT of people who post on these boards are members and receive the Insider.

Yes, but would you see all the info in Insider if you were consciously trying to avoid spoilers?

Okay, how about this. If you're going to refer to information from Insider, leave a spoiler space like...

10

9

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2

1

... this first.

I'm willing to do that, but the Insider is very good at avoiding plot points, detailed character roles, and almost everything that people on this board have said are spoilers. I still think Insider info. should be treated just like any other info. released by Lucasfilm.

Well, we could do that, but like I said, we've already had people leave THIS board because they thought we were giving away too many spoilers in here. So we have to find a balance that'll please both the liberal non-spoilees and the hardcores.

Avoiding plot points is the best you can do DLM. I mean I'm going in to Ep II cold...not knowing anything...trailers, characters, nada. So I'll be saying goodbye to all of you here because LucasFilm releases too much info for my liking.

Good luck! It's going to be hard to avoid all information about the movie unless you lock yourself in a room for two years, but I hope you are successful. Anything about E2 just makes for too good of a story, even in the major media.

Mara,
Cailin and others like her who don't want to know ANYTHING about E2 will sign off this board whether we include info. from the Insider or not. We would have little to nothing to discuss
if we eliminate all info. about E2, even if it is a non-spoiler.

*sigh* Okay, fine. You don't have to leave a spoiler space before discussing info from current issues of Insider. But let's get one thing straight - no one start asking if they can quote Supershadow in here, because we have to exclude something from this forum if we want to continue to consider ourselves spoiler-free.

Hi again. This is nothing new, just some old spoiler definitions I'm moving into the official thread.

***

Author: Dark Lady Mara
So I guess we need a rule on Episode 2 Select pics: Posting links to the pics and/or speculating about them is okay. Discussing insider information or Spy Reports about the pics, which contain information that has not been released by Lucasfilm, is not okay.


Author: tonyf
that'd be my take on it, Dark Lady Mara...


Author: Ping
...which is too bad, because I disagree. I think knowing some of the roles actors are playing is considered spoiler information.
And the pics, too. I mean, I doubt they're going to be giving anything away, but still, there's a chance, and it's a chance I'd rather not have.
I guess, since I'm more sensitive to spoilers than most, that I'll just have to start cutting myself off from the internet sooner than I'd hoped.


Author: Dark Lady Mara
That's why we have this thread. So our list of spoiler rules will be a living, breathing document, not a set of rules carved in stone. Tentative rules can go up here, but if anyone has a problem with them, we can discuss them and hopefully come to a compromise that's suitable to everyone. So don't be afraid to speak up if you think our interpretation of spoilers is too liberal!


Author: Obi Anne
I will follow the TF.N editorial, wich means I will read the official site and the not highlighted news on TF.N.
I don't think it will be possible to avoid pictures and most of the names, so I will check them out.

Mara,
I definitely agree, no Supershadow quotes. The only reason I pushed for the Insider is because it's an official source published in conjunction with Lucasfilm. It's not going to give any more info. out than any of the higher-ups on the set or the official site. Oh yeah, also I like to be a persistent pain.

There's three tiers to work with here.

1. Spoiler.

This would be highlighted text stuff. I go by TFN's policy on this. Basically, any kind of rumor that has NOT been announced or confirmed officially. By "rumor" I mean stuff that actually gets published on websites, even obscenely ludicrous ones like SuperShadow. In fact, in addition to "highlighted text" I think this should include "purple text" as well, policy-wise.

2. Non-spoiler.

Officially released info such as casting, Select Pics, the On Location video, trailers, stuff like that. QUOTES IN MAGAZINES DO NOT COUNT, because the magazine, even if it's an interview, is not a NEWS RELEASE. Obviously, almost all of these "official releases" will come from SW.com.

Speculation based on this material is of course allowed. As in, "hey, this actor is in this movie! I WONDER what role he'll play..." blah blah blah, but NOT anything that's being thrown around the rumor mill or being reported to websites by anonymous sources. This is rather unwieldy and subjective...

3. Spoiler virgin.

Absolutely NO information wanted or needed whatsoever, even official releases - this appears to be the current state of this forum, it seems.

Now, of course, Tier 3 has priority as far as accomodation goes, followed by Tier 2, then Tier 1. I firmly believe in the policy that the ones who possess or want the LEAST information or "scope" need to be considered FIRST (my ideal canon-EU policy is similar).

The current problem is that there's no place for the Tier 2 people. They have to split and either accomodate Tier 1 (in the SA forum) or Tier 3 (in this non-spoiler forum). You see, for people who want to SPECULATE but don't want to be spoiled by not officially released of "leaked" information, we either have to choose to be spoiled, or choose to come into this forum and either 1) get absolutely no response, or very little, because this forum is so "secondary" and low-traffic, or 2) go into the SA forum (which almost ALL of us do) and risk being spoiled by even a thread title.

My proposal, which I've stated around here before, and was just earlier today re-proposed in a different form by Obi-Wan McCartney in Communications, involves this:

1. The spoiler forum should ONLY involve topics that are about or based on spoiler info.
2. Speculative THEORIES, because they are not spoilers, fact or rumor, really do belong in the non-spoiler forum.

However, because it's apparent here there's some "spoiler virgins" like Dark Lady Mara, a third forum - probably this one in its existing current form - needs to be available for that part of the population.

In wake of this discovery, I now suggest that SA be split into Tiers 1 and 2 - spoiler discussion ONLY, and speculation/theories (that may include "official" releases).

Problem being, THIS forum for "spoiler virgins" will still be like it is, small and low-traffic... but if you like it that way, well, we who don't mind knowing more information have to accomodate you. Also, there would be too many "wrong forum" issues with Tiers 1 and 2 - we REALLY need thread moving back. And splitting prequel discussion into three separate categories DOES seem like a bit much...

I've also brought up in the past the notion that the term "non-spoiler" itself has negative connotations while "spoilers ALLOWED" is deceivingly "positive" in nature. Naming is a bit of an issue in that respect, petty as it may seem.