Thoughts about the Spoiler policy on this forum.

[Sky Shadow]

On Behalf of the Dirge:

In the future please refrain from posting unreleased Movie related information or pictures without a clear spoiler warning.

Thank you

Why though? Why are Animated-related information and pictures okay, yet movie ones need a spoiler?

I don't care either way, I've just been wondering.

[griffin]

Why though? Why are Animated-related information and pictures okay, yet movie ones need a spoiler?

I don't care either way, I've just been wondering.

I think the rule was set up at a time when there wasn't really anything else that had the fans' interest to spoil. There was little interest in the Cybertron cartoon, and now with Animated having a fair bit of fan support, it probably should be covered under the spoilers doctrine.
Especially if it relates to the show. Which I guess covers all the toys as well if there is a chance they could be in the show...
It's a very difficult thing to have consistency over, because if you start censoring all toy names in topics (not just for Animated and the Movie), we are gonna have a lot of topic titles in the index that are confusing.

I was thinking about not censoring news relating to toys (but still censor anything plot related), but what if the toy itself is tied to a significant plot element (like the return or appearance, or upgrade of a certain character)?

Thoughts? Should we have spoiler warnings:
- for toys that are definitely plot related to any storyline/movie (toys for new characters, returning characters).
- only if it *could be* plot related (the existance of a toy could lead to discussion/speculation that could end up being spoiler related).
- okay to post about any toy without spoiler warnings or censoring it from the topic title.
- only protect the Movie from spoilers by censoring its related toys from topic titles.
- protect any current/upcoming cartoon/movie/comic from spoilers by censoring their related toys from topic titles.
- censor ALL toys from topic titles in case they are future spoilers.
- or some other idea.

[griffin]

(Moved this to the board info section for discussion out of the existing topic)

[jaydisc]

Does anyone have specific concerns about being exposed to non-movie spoilers?

I remember Gok saying that he generally avoids the Movie News section in its entirety which I think is the best idea, but it would not have solved Amon's posting. Perhaps we expand Movie News to "Movie News and Discussions (may contain spoilers)" and any movie related topics (including toys) can be posted cart blanche in there?

[Sky Shadow]

Thoughts?

I don't personally feel the need for toy spoilers on the forum at the moment. As an individual, I don't greatly mind being spoiled (unless it's about plot) and since I browse TFW2005 and Seibertron too I know those sites will just whack any news up on their front page without spoiler space anyway. So I suppose if the individuals who I know are concerned about spoilers (like Gok) make it clear what they do or don't want spoiled then we shall work within that policy.

That said, as a Transformers culture I think it's sometimes sad that we no longer get the surprises we did as kids. I remember walking into a toy department in 1988 and finding huge amounts of first-generation Pretenders and Autobot Powermasters - toys I had never seen before (since I obviously didn't yet have one of the catalogues that were within those packages.) It was amazing to find these new toys - robots with humanoid and monster action figures that they could wear and robots with transforming engines. Likewise I can still even remember the smell of the David Jones where I first found Pretender Grimlock. Since the advent of the Internet, we rarely get those experiences. The last time I had anything like that was when I was disenchanted with Beast Machines and wasn't keeping track of Transformers Internet news. I found the first two Mutant Beasts - I didn't know they existed and they came on Beast Wars packaging! To this day I'm still attached to Poison Bite because of that nostalgia.

[GoktimusPrime]

Perhaps a poll is in order, but here are my personal thoughts...

Thoughts? Should we have spoiler warnings:
- for toys that are definitely plot related to any storyline/movie (toys for new characters, returning characters).

I don't think so. I think it's fair to avoid mentioning plot spoilers when introducing a new toy, especially if that toy hasn't appeared in an episode yet, but otherwise I think it's fine to reveal new toys without discussing any story relation. After all, for the majority of TF history the toys have always come first. It's not as if seeing a new toy on shelves necessarily gives plot spoilers away. When I first saw Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime in 1986 I did notice that they looked remarkably similar but I never thought that they were the same character another kid at my school told me (at that age I didn't care about spoilers - I asked him to tell me the story of TFTM before I saw it myself in the cinema ). I also didn't know that Galvatron was Megatron... and even reading their tech specs didn't reveal that they're all the same character.

So considering that we largely haven't cared about having new toys revealed to us for the past 24 years I don't see why anyone would start kicking up a fuss now. Just because you see a toy doesn't mean it will necessarily appear in that canon. e.g.: Movie Wreckage, Arcee etc. never appeared in the 2007 movie.

And seeing Animated characters like say Elite Guard Bumblebee, Oilslick, Jetfire and Jetstorm - people who've been following upcoming spoiler info on Animated Season 3 would know which of those characters will appear in the cartoon and comics and which ones won't, but people who haven't would have no idea. Seeing these toys doesn't tell you who is appearing where - just like in G1 you only see the toys and unless you are exposed to spoilers beforehand, you pretty much just have to wait for the comic or cartoon to come out before you discover for yourself who will be in the comics or show.

- only if it *could be* plot related (the existence of a toy could lead to discussion/speculation that could end up being spoiler related).

Yeah, in that case I would avoid putting the name of the toy/character in the topic but put a spoiler warning in the title or something to that effect. e.g.: if you're talking about a new movie toy that could be a character in the next movie then don't tack the name of the character in the topic and either say "SPOILER" or "sequel movie character" - something that would let people who are avoiding spoilers for the sequel steer clear of that thread.

- okay to post about any toy without spoiler warnings or censoring it from the topic title.

I wouldn't agree with that across the board. Say for example - and I'm just making this up - Jazz returns in the prequel as the Tooth Fairy, and they release a toy called Tooth Fairy Jazz. Viewing/reading about that toy could be easily considered to be a massive plot spoiler.

- only protect the Movie from spoilers by censoring its related toys from topic titles.

Although a lot of this stuff would concern movie toys I would make the rule cover all titles to be on the safe side.

- or some other idea.

I think people just need to be careful about where they post and what they type in the topic and providing adequate spoiler warnings for others.

[roller]

i would enjoy not knowing about future events like the movie, toys released for the second movie are obviously going to spoil something, like new characters etc. Plus i'd rather like to be surprised when i see the movie as to see which homeage characters will be appearing.

As for animated, i dont like the line, so i dont mind about knowing which toys will be coming soon, but im sure there must be at least 1 person who dislikes Animated toy release news if the toy hasn't appeared in the show yet.


heck, ive tried to forget the name of the movie sequel

[dirge]

Really it comes down to courtesy. Yes, a lot of sites carry TF news, and a lot are carrying what could be considered movie spoilers - and not all of them give spoiler warning - but giving others a heads-up on unreleased fiction news is just polite IMO.

In the case of the movie, a lot of toy news does provide potential spoilers, which is annoying but unavoidable with the amount of factory leaks nowadays.

Personally I avoid any sort of spoiler info - and don't follow the movie section at all (moderation aside, when necessary) for that reason. In the case of the film, keeping movie news in that area (as intended when the section was set up) solves any potential issues anyway.

[Paulbot]

As someone who waved the flag for the current spoiler policy, I think it's working fine.

I too avoid the Movie section and most of the TF news sites and that keeps me realtively spoiler free (although at lunch meets people don't tend to say Spoiler warning before they talk! :P ).

New Animated cartoon characters and toys have been flagged in advance pretty well too so if people want to avoid them they can.

[STL]

I personally have no problem as long as there is no spoiler information of plot. I hate that learning of plots though toys are totally a different species.