ACL Rules Regarding Spoiler Tags

For a while now we’ve had basic rules in ACL regarding how spoiler tags properly function, but they’ve never been laid out officially. Besides that, there have been several minor arguments and instances of debate in ACL threads regarding this very subject, so here it is, me clearing the air officially on how spoiler tagging in ACL (and Gaming) threads works:

Generally, it is better to use spoiler tags than to ignore them, as this is the easiest way to avoid any problems overall.

It is also highly encouraged to label your spoilers like so:

spoiler text

As far as TV shows go:
· You must spoiler tag anything, conjecture or not, that discusses events in any manner that have not yet occurred in the most recently aired episode of a television show.
· This goes for shows adapted from books or anything else as well.
· Ex: User101 has a theory about what will happen in an upcoming episode of the show—spoiler tag it.
· Ex: User306 posts his thoughts about an episode that finished airing 6 minutes ago—no spoiler tags necessary.
· As such, people should moderate themselves in regards to when they visit these threads if they want to avoid being spoiled.
For movies:
· For new releases, it is fair game to discuss anything about the film—without spoiler tags—if the film is no longer in general theaters.
· Films, however, are a more slippery slope than television because they aren’t as naturally moderated, so one should use common courtesy in regards to spoiler tags.
· Ex: User101 wants to post about the twist at the end of some movie he just saw in theaters—spoiler tag it.
· Ex: User666 makes a new thread about a movie that’s 18 years old—no spoiler tags necessary however the user may choose to use them in the thread as a common courtesy for those who might not have seen the film.
· As such, people should, again, moderate themselves in regards to when they visit/what they read in these threads, especially if they haven’t seen the movie in question.
For books:
· Newly released book discussion should generally involve spoiler tags for at least a few months after release.
· Generally, it is a good idea to use spoiler tags in book threads no matter what, as yet another form of common courtesy.
· This goes for comics/manga/etc as well.
For games:
· Like with movies, it is generally a good idea to always use spoiler tags when discussing plot details regarding games, especially newer games.

Failure to adhere to these spoiler rules can result in infractions.