*tiny impotent fist of rage*

[trinityofone]

OMG, if I see this:

New information about Sheppard's father!

(Cut for Season 3 spoilers)*

one more time, I may scream. (Quietly. Well, I'll glare at the screen.) That's a spoiler, people, for the love of tiny monkeys!**

I mean, I know I'm anal about this, but I really, really didn't want to know that--that that topic was even going to be addressed next season. I like my little bubble, and I like to be surprised. So please, err on the side of caution!

*goes back to contemplating AU academic porn*


*Totally fake spoiler
**TM siriaeve

Comments

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Oh. No that makes sense--and it's a good idea, too.

I sense this may be that old internet tone problem: one person's "it might be helpful to you if you got a friend to read it first" becomes another's "well then why don't you just have a friend pre-read everything for you, huh?" Tricksy internet.

[neery.livejournal.com]

Well, in my case it was "Why don't you have a friend pre-read every story that has no warning for you, and unfortunately, that's ninety percent of them, so, still not viable.

Like I said in my original response, I'm perfectly willing to ask friends about every story where there is any indication that I might have a problem with it -- even if it's just "Author's notes at the end", or "caveat lector", or "spoilery information about my stories on a separate page", or, hell, just knowing that the author like to write dark fics, but if the author refuses to give me any chance to sense that her story might not be for me, well, I don't see the difference between that and a non-cut spoiler, in that it doesn't leave me any chance to avoid the topic without avoiding the whole fandom except for a few trusted friends, or having everything filtered first.

As for what to warn for -- my original answer was, "Everything that's bound to upset or annoy more than, say, 25 or 30 percent of fandom", because that's a lot of people getting their feelings hurt.

(Trinity, I'm sorry, I certainly didn't want to drag this debate into your LJ -- I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place.)

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* Okay, now I see your point, too. That's the problem with this debate: both sides are right, in their own way.

I mean, I know that as a reader, there are certain things I want to be warned for. As a writer, I don't want to give away major plot points of my story. I wish there were an easier way for people to do what amireal and I are going to do for our upcoming epic: have a note that says, "Need more specific warnings? Click here" and then have a separate page that is warning-a-licious.

I still think everyone should use their best judgment when posting warnings, and then--if even one person has a problem--do the courteous thing and post a correction. (Well, unless that person's being crazy and asking for, say, a warning for cucumbers. But again, best judgment.) And...and we can all be polite and friendly and frolic through a field of tulips!

*sigh*

Anyway, yeah, I don't think this argument's ever going to end, but I'm sorry if either of you was hurt.