Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Pixelface (talk | contribs) at 13:52, 12 October 2007 (removed 'Are spoilers implied by the section title?' section. Section headings do not require sources so any recommendations based on them are fundamentally flawed.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This page documents an English Misplaced Pages 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.

Shortcuts WP:SPOILER WP:SPOIL WP:SW

This page in a nutshell: Misplaced Pages contains revealing plot details of fictional works; this is expected. Spoiler warnings should only be used in articles about fictional subjects. When adding or removing a spoiler tag, be prepared to obtain consensus.

Misplaced Pages occasionally uses spoiler tags to mark off certain significant plot details ("spoilers") in articles about fictional works. This is an exception to the style guideline no disclaimers in articles. However, since Misplaced Pages is a user-created and user-edited encyclopedia, there is never a guarantee that any given article will be tagged for spoilers; caveat lector!

Usage

To insert a spoiler tag, enter the text {{spoiler}} before the passage to be marked off, and close the tag with {{endspoiler}}. For further details on syntax, see the template page. Since the {{spoiler}} tag exists, it should never be necessary to add homebrew spoiler protection to articles.

Spoiler tags should only be used when there is a reasonable expectation that 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 Misplaced Pages edits, spoiler tags should be guided by consensus editing; if you are in doubt, discuss the matter first on the article's talk page.

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 {{current fiction}} tag, which duplicates and adds to the information in the {{spoiler}} tag. A {{current fiction}} tag should be added to the beginning of the article, whereas {{spoiler}} tags are used within an article to mark off particular passages.

Examples

Template:SpoilerSpoiler text goes here. Template: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 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

1. An explicit spoiler mentions the work of fiction concerned.

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