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Karxrida Since: May, 2012
2015-07-27 02:43:29

Aren't spoiler tags okay on trope pages that aren't Spoilered Rotten?

Edited by Karxrida
Khantalas (Before Time Began)
2015-07-27 02:48:27

They are OK, as long as the entire example isn't a wall of white, as per How to Write an Example. In that case, they should probably be rewritten or removed.

The important thing is to make sure the example is not in spoiler tags. There might be small details connected to the example, such as the real identity of a character, that are in spoiler tags, but a reader should be able to tell which work an example it is from, and how it's an example.

Fighteer MOD (Time Abyss)
2015-07-27 06:38:49

I'm suspending that user for a chat, partly because of the edit war, but also because of the sheer ridiculousness of putting spoiler tags on anything in Sharknado 3.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Candi Since: Aug, 2012
2015-07-27 06:42:07

Rule of thumb is that if the person has to highlight the spoilers in order for the example to make sense, there's too many spoiler tags, since having to highlight the example defeats the point of hiding stuff.

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
2015-07-27 22:13:59

Re-did the spoiler tags a bit, mostly because I was also editing it to add a link to the actual trope page. Admittedly, this post caught my attention because I'm awaiting the upcoming Sharknado 3 episode of How Did This Get Made

crazysamaritan MOD Since: Apr, 2010
2015-07-29 17:38:41

An example may be all white, from the last time we had thus discussion with the speedy janitor.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
2015-07-29 17:47:31

I thought walls o' white were generally discouraged.

Candi Since: Aug, 2012
2015-07-29 18:21:59

Fast Eddie was okay with all-white entries. A lot of other people weren't.

And it really defeats the point to have the example all white.

Since we have new admins, it might be advisable to have a forum thread to revisit the subject, if there's a consensus and mod approval to do so.

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett
jamespolk Since: Aug, 2012
2015-07-29 18:55:49

^Spoiler tags defeat the point of listing examples, period.

RoseAndHeather (Edited uphill both ways)
2015-07-29 19:42:45

Yes, because obviously having no content at all is preferable to having content that is only visible if you click on it.

Jeez.

All-white entries annoy me, sure, but saying that they defeat the point of listing examples at all is going way too far.

I serve at the pleasure of President Pritchart.
Karxrida Since: May, 2012
2015-07-29 19:44:32

I personally think Swiss cheese entries are worse because they look fractured. At least all-white doesn't give you random words and can be ignored easily.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
2015-07-29 20:05:47

Yes, because obviously having no content at all is preferable to having content that is only visible if you click on it.

Honestly, I think that is to some degree the logic. If an entry is all-white then it may as well not be there at all since you need to have spoilers off or highlight or such to even see it. Just the fact that the series has an entry in the first place should allow to at least leave the title in spoiled.

I do prefer the "fractured" method, though I try to make an effort to make any such entries I write readable even if you don't unspoil

Edited by sgamer82
Candi Since: Aug, 2012
2015-07-29 20:13:33

Work titles are never to be spoiled. The mods have declared that many a time in Edit banned /suspended and elsewhere.

When I added examples with spoiler tags (many moons ago now), I tried to make it so the entry made sense with or without the spoilered part. The spoilered part was usually the kind of detail you get when viewing the work or such -necessary to understand the example in full, but the kind of stuff a lot of people would realllllly rather not know unless they decided to pursue the work themselves, or chose to find out by viewing. The hardest thing was keeping to 'concise', in or out of spoilers. (Some people would never guess how wordy I can be. :P )

But it certainly seems revisiting the topic of all-white entries in a thread in the appropriate forum might be worth the time.

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett
Karxrida Since: May, 2012
2015-07-29 20:32:53

I didn't mean to insinuate that work/trope titles should be hidden, I know that's a big no-no.

Candi Since: Aug, 2012
2015-07-29 21:42:26

Ah, okies. :)

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett
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