Wikipedia:Spoiler: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
removed 'Are spoilers implied by the section title?' section. Section headings do not require sources so any recommendations based on them are fundamentally flawed. |
why argue about the wording when the truth is that Wikipedia doesn't use spoiler warnings? rv to descriptive version of 13 September (which does not have "consensus", but describes what we do) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{subcat guideline|style guideline|Spoiler|WP:SPOILER|WP:SPOIL|WP:SW}} |
{{subcat guideline|style guideline|Spoiler|WP:SPOILER|WP:SPOIL|WP:SW}} |
||
{{nutshell|Wikipedia contains revealing plot details of fictional works; this is expected. |
{{nutshell|Wikipedia contains revealing plot details of fictional works; this is expected. Concerns about spoilers must not interfere with article quality.}} |
||
A '''[[spoiler (media)|spoiler]]''' is a piece of information in an article about a narrative work (such as a book, feature film, television show or video game) that reveals [[plot (narrative)|plot]] [[event]]s or [[twist ending|twist]]s. |
|||
Wikipedia occasionally uses spoiler tags to mark off certain significant plot details ("[[Spoiler (media)|spoilers]]") in articles about fictional works. This is an ''exception'' to the style guideline [[wikipedia:no disclaimers in articles|no disclaimers in articles]]. However, since Wikipedia is a user-created and user-edited encyclopedia, there is never a guarantee that any given article will be tagged for spoilers; [[caveat lector]]! |
|||
Spoilers on the Internet are sometimes preceded by a spoiler warning.<ref>Examples include [[IMDB]], [[GameFAQs]], [[Television Without Pity]], and [[TV.com]].</ref> In Wikipedia, however, it is generally expected that the subjects of our articles will be covered in detail. Therefore, Wikipedia carries no spoiler warnings except for the [[Wikipedia:Content disclaimer|Content disclaimer]]. |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
To insert a spoiler tag, enter the text '''<nowiki>{{spoiler}}</nowiki>''' before the passage to be marked off, and close the tag with '''<nowiki>{{endspoiler}}</nowiki>'''. For further details on syntax, see the [[Template:Spoiler|template page]]. Since the {{tl|spoiler}} tag exists, it should never be necessary to add homebrew spoiler protection to articles. |
|||
As an exception, some recently released work of fiction may carry a {{tl|current fiction}} tag, which is usually removed a certain period of time (approximately 2 months, but this is disputed) after the work has been published. |
|||
Spoiler tags should only be used when there is a reasonable expectation that [[Suspense|narrative suspense]] is a significant element in the appreciation of the work. Often they will not be necessary at all if the article is well-structured. As with all Wikipedia edits, spoiler tags should be guided by [[Wikipedia:Consensus|consensus]] editing; if you are in doubt, discuss the matter first on the article's talk page. |
|||
It is not acceptable to delete information from an article about a work of fiction because you think it spoils the plot. Such concerns must not interfere with [[WP:NPOV|neutral point of view]], encyclopedic tone, completeness, or any other element of article quality (for example, [[WP:LEAD]]). |
|||
Below are some questions to ask before adding, deleting, or moving a spoiler tag: |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
==Is it widely known?== |
|||
*If a plot point has made significant penetration into popular culture, it is often no longer necessary to mark it off with spoiler tags. The existence of well-known parodies and other unconnected pop-culture references can be cited as evidence for "significant penetration". |
|||
*The older a work is, the more likely its plot details are to be widely known. After a certain point, the age of a work usually makes spoiler tags completely unnecessary — nobody needs to be warned about the ultimate fate of Hamlet — but age alone is not always sufficient for lesser-known works. (A newly discovered Shakespeare play could conceivably have a spoiler warning for a while.) |
|||
*A very new work may be better served by the {{tl|current fiction}} tag, which duplicates and adds to the information in the {{tl|spoiler}} tag. A {{tl|current fiction}} tag should be added to the beginning of the article, whereas {{tl|spoiler}} tags are used within an article to mark off particular passages. |
|||
==Examples== |
|||
{{spoiler}}Spoiler text goes here. {{endspoiler}} |
|||
==Should this article contain spoilers?== |
|||
*Yes! It is almost never acceptable to delete information from an article because it constitutes a spoiler. Consider moving it or marking it off with spoiler tags — that is why they exist, after all! |
|||
*Spoiler tags should not be used in articles on non-fictional subjects. If explicit spoilers<ref>An explicit spoiler mentions the work of fiction concerned.</ref> are mentioned in non-fiction articles (''e.g.'' articles on authors, actors, real-life locations in which fictional texts are set, or literary concepts like [[climax]]), consider whether that plot detail improves the encyclopedic quality of the article. It may be better to remove the example. |
|||
==Notes== |
|||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
Revision as of 13:57, 12 October 2007
 | This page documents an English Wikipedia style guideline. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Wikipedia contains revealing plot details of fictional works; this is expected. Concerns about spoilers must not interfere with article quality. |
A spoiler is a piece of information in an article about a narrative work (such as a book, feature film, television show or video game) that reveals plot events or twists.
Spoilers on the Internet are sometimes preceded by a spoiler warning.[1] In Wikipedia, however, it is generally expected that the subjects of our articles will be covered in detail. Therefore, Wikipedia carries no spoiler warnings except for the Content disclaimer.
As an exception, some recently released work of fiction may carry a {{current fiction}} tag, which is usually removed a certain period of time (approximately 2 months, but this is disputed) after the work has been published.
It is not acceptable to delete information from an article about a work of fiction because you think it spoils the plot. Such concerns must not interfere with neutral point of view, encyclopedic tone, completeness, or any other element of article quality (for example, WP:LEAD).
Notes
- ^ Examples include IMDB, GameFAQs, Television Without Pity, and TV.com.