What is a spoiler?

A spoiler is an important piece of information that, if someone wanted to watch the show without knowing what was going to happen, would spoil the show for him or her. Here are some things that would be considered spoilers:

• plot details for an episode that has not yet had its first American airing (usually first Eastern Time Zone airing)
• plot details for shows broadcast outside the U.S. and scheduled for broadcast in the U.S. at a later time (e.g. when Degrassi: The Next Generation airs in Canada before the U.S.; when BBC America is behind BBC UK showing Torchwood)
• unverified rumors about unaired episodes (since the information could be true)
• casting and show info NOT broken in mainstream press

Here are some things that would NOT be considered spoilers:

• content of aired previews and commercials and other first-party promo material
• details of an episode after its first American airing
• casting and show info broken in mainstream press
• historic facts as they pertain to a show plot (e.g. JFK's assassination, Wild Bill's death, etc.)
• idle speculation
• anything that has happened on a show that is not going to be shown in the U.S. to the best of your knowledge (e.g. German Idol)

Generally, if it's floating about in the mainstream press (the CNNs, EWs, APs, and Peoples of the world) as a regular press item, then it's probably not a spoiler and you may post it without spoiler tags. As always, please use common sense here; if someone like Kristin Veitch or Michael Ausiello is explicitly identifying some tidbit as a spoiler, yes, you should still use tags.

Finally, before you post a spoiler, look for a "'Show X' Spoiler Policy" thread pinned in "Show X"'s General Gabbery area in case there are any unique spoiler guidelines for that show. If you're still unsure, ask the section moderator; he or she will be happy to set you straight.

I have a spoiler to post; where and how do I post it?

1. Search to see if the show has a spoiler thread in its General Gabbery forum; most shows do. You may post your information in that thread just the same way you'd post anything else.
2. You can post the information in other non-spoiler threads as long as you conceal the information using the spoiler tags exactly as follows:
   [SPOILER]I heard that Dawson is a doodyhead and other things besides.[/SPOILER]
   If you are quoting a spoiler make sure the spoiler tags are inside the quote tags.
3. Be aware that some show forums have very strict and specific rules about under what circumstances spoilers may be posted, and how they should be marked. Before you post a spoiler, look for a "'Show X' Spoiler Policy" thread pinned in that show's General Gabbery area.

Is there anything I shouldn't spoiler-tag?

Yes. Yes, there is.

Please do not tag speculation as spoilers. Speculation is exactly that, and should go in the proper thread; as always, if you aren't sure, ask the moderator of the section, or read the FAQ for that section.

And please don't tag curse words and the like. Television Without Pity is a site for adults; the occasional curse word or reference to sex isn't going to kill anyone, and posts riddled with spoiler tags to cover the word "goddamn" are very hard to read. If you're truly offended by the occasional F-bomb, this probably isn't the right site for you. We don't mean that in a mean way; we're just saying.

Spoiler tags are for spoilers only. Got it? Coo'.

How can I see what's in the black spoiler bars in forum messages?

Click and drag your mouse over the black bars created by the spoiler tags. That will highlight the text and make it readable on most browsers. Once you click somewhere else, the highlighting will vanish and the text will be hidden again.

Note that if you are using a (older) Mac, you may need to change the color used by the computer for highlighting text -- otherwise, the spoiler text will just blend in with the highlight color. Somewhere in the Appearance control panel, you have an option to set the color your Mac uses when it highlights text.