aus.sf.babylon5 Spoiler Policy

Current as at: 14-4-97

created by Phil and Alys
with suggestions from others gratefully accepted.


Contents

 aus.sf.babylon5, or asb5, is an Australian newsgroup, a forum for the discussion of Babylon 5. People from overseas are most welcome to participate, provided they are careful not to spoil Australian viewers. Please note:
  • The UK and the US are about a season ahead of Australia
  • New Zealand is about a month ahead of Australia
  • Parts of Australia are a week or two ahead of other parts of Australia

This document contains guidelines for posting articles to asb5, and reference material for episodes. It is posted to the newsgroup approximately weekly. Since the "majority view" of a newsgroup is by nature dynamic, we extend an open invitation to start a debate about the status or content of this document, by anyone at any time.

Our thanks go to everyone who has contributed.


Introduction

 This document was created in an attempt to minimise, and hopefully eliminate, inadvertent spoiling and consequent flaming. If the guidelines herein are followed, this should be possible. The guidelines themselves should be considered as an extension to netiquette, specific to this newsgroup. They are not intended to control or restrict the content of posts, but to ensure that people are given the opportunity to avoid learning information before it has been revealed on air.

We are trying to cater for people who want no advance information, without inconveniencing people who either don't care or do actively want advance information. Our approach centres on subject lines which indicate to all readers whether or not the reader should read the article. So, if a subject says "SPOILERS for x", people who want to know nothing about x don't read the article, people who don't care about x read the article if x sounds interesting, and people who actively want to know about x can read the article and hope they learn something.

Thus, there is nothing wrong with posting spoilers, provided those spoilers are adequately protected.


Policy Summary

 All posts containing spoilers MUST include spoiler protection.
Either:
  1. in the subject: include "SPOILERS for []" in the subject line. Ensure the subject itself is not a spoiler. Or
  2. in the article: if the article contains nonspoiling discussion, then below that and above the spoiler, write "SPOILERS for [] follow:" followed by 25 lines (preferably not blank lines)

A spoiler is:

  1. ANY information about episodes not screened throughout all of Australia, regardless of the source and no matter how minor
  2. Hints about future episodes, no matter how vague
  3. Spoilers that have previously been posted in asb5
  4. Questions about future episodes that are written in a way that spoils
  5. Quotes from future episodes (eg, in a sig)
  6. Information about actors joining/leaving the show, or about actors/characters appearing, or not appearing, in particular episodes
  7. Confirmation/refutation (using knowledge from unaired episodes) of theories

A spoiler is not:

  1. Speculation based purely on information from episodes which have aired throughout ALL of Australia. Speculation is actively encouraged.
  2. Information revealed in the episode most recently screened throughout all of Australia

Refer to the Episode Reference at the bottom of this document for the episode screened most recently. Refer to the Lurker's Guide for a more comprehensive list of episode numbers.


Policy Proper

 A spoiler is ANY information in a post which may reduce the impact of the (unaired) episode it concerns. This can include material from the Lurkers' Guide and things that jms has written or said, since he DOES give things away at times. Spoilers in this newsgroup must be protected. There are several other newsgroups in which spoiling material can be discussed without protection, including rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5. Episodes which have aired throughout Australia need no spoiler protection. Refer to the Episode Reference at the bottom of this document for the episode screened most recently.

Spoiler protection is achieved through considerate article subject lines. Here are some guidelines for both subjects and articles:

  1. If the episode/s concerned has/have been shown throughout Australia, no protection is required. Simply include the name of the (latest) episode in the subject. Do not use the word "spoilers", since there are no spoilers in this case; the episode name is sufficient.
  2. If it has not been, include in the subject the words "SPOILERS for" and an indication of the episode/season spoiled. Do not use the word "spoilers" without elaboration. If the episode name itself could be a spoiler, use the episode number or abbreviation instead [ref. Episode Reference or the Lurkers' Guide. Err on the side of caution. DO NOT include any spoiling information in the subject!
  3. When spoilers are included in a post, try to discuss nonspoiling issues first. After these, include a line which says "Spoilers for [] follow:", followed by 25 lines (preferably not blank lines). Then you may discuss spoiling issues freely. If you later add information from an episode after that given in the previous spoiler warning, add a new warning. You might consider separate posts, one without spoilers and one or more with (eg. SPOILERS for next ep, SPOILERS for s3, SPOILERS for s4).
  4. When following up a post, ensure the subject still accurately reflects the content of your post. If the previous post contained spoilers but yours does not (due to snippage, for example), remove the spoiler warning from the subject. If the previous post did not contain spoilers but yours does, add a spoiler warning.
  5. Don’t use quotes from future episodes in your sig. They can give away plot points or reduce the impact of funny lines.
  6. If it is brought to your attention that you have posted an unprotected spoiler, cancel it immediately. Since many news servers receive articles days after they are posted, cancellation is of genuine benefit.


Example subject lines:

  • Thoughts on Point of No Return [30-1-97]
  • Point of No Return; SPOILERS for Severed Dreams
  • Point of No Return; SPOILERS for rest of S3


Cancelling your articles:

  • Agent:   same as FreeAgent, presumably
  • Forte FreeAgent:   select your article, then Message/Cancel Usenet Message
  • Netscape:   select your article, then Edit/Cancel message
  • nn:   select your article, then (C)ancel
[additions to this list are solicited]


In general, the subject should (in a non-spoiling fashion) always indicate the content of the article.


Australian Babylon 5 Episode Reference
Screening  
Date [1]		Number   AbbreviationName
  3-04-97316WWE1War Without End Part 1
10-04-97317WWE2War Without End Part 2
17-04-97318WWalkabout
24-04-97319G17iMGrey 17 is Missing
 1-05-97320atRCONHPAnd the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place
 8-05-97321ShDShadow Dancing
15-05-97322ZhdZ'ha'dum
[1] Dates given are those when the episode in question has screened everywhere in Australia. An asterisk (*) indicates this has not yet occurred. People in NT or WA or anywhere else are urged to tell us if any of the screening dates are too early.


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This page is maintained by Alys and was last updated on 4 June, 1997. 1