Spoilers

[ciphergoth]

Someone should invent a calibrated standard scale by which spoilers can be measured, something like the Beaufort or Richter scales so you could just write "Level 1 spoiler ahead for Battlestar Galactica webisode The Face of the Enemy" and people would know what you meant...

And how could I forget to link to Penny Arcade 2005-12-05: As Regards Spoilification

Comments

[djm4]

Indeed, although it would be difficult to describe the scale without giving spoilers.

"Level 5 spoiler - the Fight Club, so-called because a seminal example would be [level 5 spoiler for Fight Club]...

With Specific reference to TV shows but possibly useful for movies.

[alan1957.livejournal.com]

Spoilers, it seems to me, concern either characters or plots. So a two pronged scale may be necessary...for example.

1. Spoiler Concerning a Major Character.
2. Spoiler Concerning a Recurring yet Peripheral Character.
3. Spoiler Concerning a One-Off Character.
A. Spoiler Concerning The Main Story Arc.
B. Spoiler Concering a Seasonal Story Arc or Individual Episode plot.
C. Spoiler Concerning a minor or sub-Plot for an Individual Episode.

Example, in the fictitious Series Amanda.
Amanda dies in the third episode in a plot-twist that seems to negate the plot of the pilot, and previous episodes. This is a 1A spoiler.
Or, In episode six a background character is eaten alive by squirrels. This is a 3C spoiler (unless the squirrels are important in other episodes which would make it a 3B spoiler).

I would also include a 4D category for 'spoilers' about writers/actors etc 'Real Lifes'.

[babysimon]

Hmm. I assume you're measuring the "seriousness" of the spoiler independently of (say) the age of the show in question. But I'm not sure that really works - I mean, if I say "Vader is Luke's father", that's a *hell* of a spoiler, off the scale. For 1980.

[figg.livejournal.com]

Again, any information is a spoiler - even the amount that it spoils can be a spoiler.

I guess you want some way of gradual revelation of spoiler, where you can up the granularity.

A spoiler
A spoiler about a major character
A spoiler about X
etc