Time to lift the "spoiler" warning

[Peter Petto]

At 02:34 PM 5/17/97, jporter wrote:

>So I say, lets bag the spoiler warnings.
>
>All in favor....

I'm opposed. I think that spoiler warning in the header work OK, unless the
writer makes some shocking revelation in the first few words. Here's why:

In my email reader (and many others) I push a button to move to the next
message, or to delete and move to the next message -- which is to say that
I don't see the next message's header until it, and the first 10 or 15
lines are on my screen. Absent some provocative words (such as "ripped
bodices") I won't take notice of the message if I'm just looking at the
Subject: line and taking appropriate action.

But I prefer that "spoiler" messages start at line 20 or so, as most of
them have; or the word "spoiler" at the top of the message body as
secondary warning, just in case my eyes are aimed at the wrong spot.

To sum up -- I still find spoiler warnings in the message useful, and feel
that those who don't can easily ignore them.

I say keep 'em.



Peter Petto         |       ppetto at apk.net
Bay Village, Ohio   |   PGP public key available