1) So... because it's clear from the start that there will eventually be a big reveal, there's no reason to spoiler tag what that big reveal consists of? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't make any sense. Hiding the contents of the big reveal that the story is leading up to isn't the same thing as spoiler tagging every single plot development.
2) That also doesn't make sense. If concealing an entire example sans the trope name is supposedly ugly, but swiss-cheese spoiler tagging is also ugly, then how do we spoiler tag examples that deal entirely with spoiler material? The two things that the guide frowns upon are swiss cheese spoiler tags and concealing the trope name. It says nothing about hiding everything in an example *except* the trope name, so that's what I've been going with.
1) First, not every reveal is a spoiler. The purpose of the spoiler tag is to hide things like the identity of the killer in a whodunnit. It's not there to protect people who haven't read the work from learning any of the various twists the plot may take.
Second, the big reveal is that there's a deserted secret base with a manufactured alicorn inside of it. By themselves the name "Daedalus Foundation" and reference to the SCP Foundation don't tell the reader anything.
2) Swiss cheesing is preferable to completely blanking because at least then the reader has some clue as to what's being spoilered. With a full blank out you're pretty much forced to read the spoiler in order to figure out if it's something you care about being spoiled. Check out the Administrivia.Handling Spoilers discussion page. Kuruni has an excellent example of why that's the case.
Edited by Emptybee
Okay, I think I see where you're coming from now. Also, that Administrivia page for handling spoilers could really use some updates. Examples like Kuruni's need to be front and center in that guide. Anyway, I'll take down the spoilers myself. Though I do insist that one tiny one be kept.
I completely agree with you about the Administraiva page. It's barrenness is what lead to me reading the discussion page in the first place.
I'm fine with that spoiler tag. Honestly that information isn't even necessary, the example would work just fine without ever discussing AJ's fate.
The case against spoiler tags:
1) The casual reader (see Handling Spoilers) doesn't come here expecting to be protected from every twist and turn a story offers. Since it's obvious from the onset that there is something off about Applejack's island, there's no reason to spoiler just what precisely that information is. Spoiler tagging is best reserved for "I never saw that coming" twists, not every single plot development. Otherwise you wind up tagging every single trope.
2) Spoiler tagging the entire example is ugly. If protecting reader surprise is a genuine concern, the preferred fix is to rewrite the example to remove the information in question. But you still have to write a cogent example, even without the spoiler information, which is why most people don't bother.
Edited by Emptybee Hide / Show Replies