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[Samrobot]

There is much discussion on if you should use *SPOILER* tags or not so i made this thread now post your thoughts.

[Haedrian]

I don't see why not.

Maybe I don't want to be told that

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

there are demons if you dig very deep down

- maybe I enjoy being unprepared, watch my fort get massacred or see how to solve it. Its more fun if you discover it that way than if you plan ahead.

Some people aren't DF experts and might not know certain things. Let them learn at their own pace. If they care enough, they can unspoiler.

[thegoatgod_pan]

How can you "enjoy being unprepared"--if that is the case, you obviously know what to expect, and just play up the anticipation--like watching a good movie where you already know the ending.  That is more or less the opposite of, say, working on a mega project for a long time, only to have it go bust because no one warned you about the stuff in the blue stuff. 

[Tokkius]

I don't like them.

[Girlinhat]

Some people like the surprise.  The spoiler tag gives them the option of finding it out, or learning on their own.  It's sorta like you're watching a movie, and the guy next to you in the theatre says "I watched this movie five years ago.  The dog dies."

If you want to know everything, you can always run DFReveal and enjoy your knowledge.

[Spotswood]

I like the spoiler tags. I don't want to know everything about the game I try not to read too many spoilers unless its about something I've tried to do but cant figure out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

At the end of dwarf fortress you wake up and it was just a dream

[NW_Kohaku]

I like the spoiler tags. I don't want to know everything about the game I try not to read too many spoilers unless its about something I've tried to do but cant figure out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

At the end of dwarf fortress you wake up and it was just a dream

It's not nice to lie to people.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Everyone knows there is no end to Dwarf Fortress.  Not even death offers any reprieve.  You just wake up in Hell, and find yourself before the HFS with no military and no prepared traps. Every time you die.  Over and over again.

[brucemo]

Personally, I think that anyone who doesn't want to learn about the game shouldn't read the forums.  The existence of caverns, forgotten beasts, adamantine, and HFS are all pretty hard to avoid learning about if you spend any time here or read the wiki or even play the game a couple of times.

It gets to the point where it's detrimental to those of us who do want to discuss the game and how to play it, and detrimental to people who get stuck and ask questions.  If someone embarks on a map with no water, there shouldn't be a lot of angst over whether to tell them that a) caverns exist, b) there is often water in them.  If they didn't want best-answer help, they shouldn't have read the forums.

I end up not answering questions like this, usually, because I don't want to get flamed by someone who thinks that using the word "cavern" in a post is inexcusable.

[Christes]

Don't forget that the whole clown meme was started as a way of hiding spoilers.

I have mixed feelings about my role in spreading it.

The spoiler tag works better

[Brian]

I think they kind of add to the fun. I mean if enough people don't like them, maybe there should be an auto expand option.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There is a spoon, and the cake is an ice cream cake.

[Sutremaine]

I prefer coded talk, misdirection, and omitting details in such a way that the only way a person would know that something was omitted is if they knew about the thing being omitted in the first place.

The mere presence of a spoiler tag is sometimes a spoiler in itself, as spoiler tags are generally used only when there is something to spoil.

[Hivemind]

I prefer using different terms rather than spoiler tags. My biggest sticking point is like what Sutremaine said; the presence of a spoiler tag is a spoiler. I say just continue referring to HFS as the Hilarious Flying Shenanigans tent, and continue going on about clowns and cotton candy. A spoiler spoils things too easily. Talking about clowns ravaging your fort appropriately confuses new players, and if anything, makes them game harder to see if you were serious.

[Starver]

I'm not saying that I've always done it the correct way, but I reckon spoiler sections aren't much use if there isn't something to help the potential spoiler-viewer know what they're about to see.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He's a ghost.

You really need to at least indicate that you are about to reveal some vital information, e.g. about the plot of The Mousetrap, and then provide the information that

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...in this case, I don't actually know, and don't care to look up.

But I reckon I've got a good idea from sidelong hints, and the knowledge that "They all did it" is the answer to a completely different mystery.  I'm actually a person who wouldn't be too bothered to be told outright, either.

But just imagine for a moment that I was giving some big secret away that someone cared about, then those who really didn't want to know can ignore it, those who do want to know can open it and those who just click on the things anyway can click away without having read the intro

, which obviously gives everything away, but then that's how it goes and I can't help that after having made the effort to protect the reader...

[orbcontrolled]

I mean if enough people don't like them, maybe there should be an auto expand option.

Absolutely!
Especially since this forum encourages putting all images inside spoiler tags for some ungodly reason.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Also, these things make it way too hard to navigate threads with my feet while on the toilet

[rephikul]

Especially since this forum encourages putting all images inside spoiler tags for some ungodly reason.

Images dont automatically change size to fit threads and loading them may cause partial rendering issues, If you put them into spoilers, people can have an easier time navigating.