[WikiEN-l] Spoiler Boilerplates

Fri Jun 23 22:11:12 UTC 2006

  >>That's such a famous case, and honestly, since when did the plot of
>>Star Wars affect anyone's enjoyment of it? Similarly, I don't see how
>>you can "spoil" the plot of a Friends episode.

>>The cases that bug me more are long books, where knowing the >>ending
>>would really put you off reading it. Or certain films like Fight Club,
>>the Sixth Sense, Unbreakable etc...it's not so much "knowing how >>the
>>film ends", but "knowing the secret that totally changes your
>>interpretation of the film". - Steve

  Steve, how are we as editors to know this..? As I do recall in a  previous encounter concerning a lad I went to school with, he and I  posessed very different views on what a "spoiler" was. 

  As neutral editors, we also have a differing capacity on content is a  plot twist or what is considered the climax. It is only reasonable to  conclude this is what happens. This template simply smacks of what  intrepretation is left to the editor. 

  Second, what does this have to do with the well-being of the  encyclopedia..? This is quite a presumption. "Well, as a neutral editor  of wikipedia, I happen to believe this spoils me, so I'll make the  unfounded assumption and believe that to be the same for the article,  its content and the readers." Excuse me..? What edvidence is there to  support this...? Perhaps there is support for this by comments from our  readers that wikipedia is the place for a brief read..? Or a quick  gander across three sentences..? Or a look at the pretty pictures..?  That's not an encyclopedia at all. Why would read an encyclopedia if  you didn't want information...?

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