Due to several incidents in the Naruto anime thread and a couple other things, a bunch of the staff have been raising the idea that Gotwoot's spoiler policy needs an overhaul. Lots of ideas were thrown around and we came up with a tentative addition for the rules section.

But not including you guys in the process doesn't really seem fair. So here it is, your chance to add input to Gotwoot's almighty rules. Please try to take this seriously.

Currently the rules regarding spoilers are:
11. No spoiling WHATSOEVER. Spoilers are to be kept to manga/open discussion threads, or PM's.

Additional rules for Anime Fanart forum:
1. No use or posting of images that contain spoilers: If the anime has not shown it, please do not use it in your artwork. If you are sharing a piece that includes spoilers, please link it, and warn the members. This rule applies to avatars, signatures, wallpapers, or any other fanart.
The thinking behind the overhaul is that the rules on spoilers are way too general and need to be really fleshed out in order to work properly. While the staff could just arbitrarily say "Spoiler" "Not a spoiler", it'd be in everyone's interests to set up rules that all the users could refer to. Hopefully this will also reduce the number of spoilers made up of "i didn't know you couldn't do ___" rationale.

So, here's what we came up with so far.
Gotwoot Forums Policy on Spoilers

No spoiling is allowed on this forum whatsoever. Spoiling is regarded as providing information that would be otherwise unknown to the anime-only watcher by a person that has acquired such information from outside sources, for example the manga.

Those posts and/or comments that would be regarded as spoilers are but not limited to:
  • Anything which reveals the solution of a current problem or puzzle, thus denying the reader the pleasure of working out the correct answer.

  • Anything which reveals future, un-seen as of yet plot elements, thus denying the reader the proper suspense when reading the book or watching the movie.

  • Identifying whether a character is in/not in the manga, especially when the comment reveals whether a character will become important in the future of the anime.

  • Any reference to a person, place, or thing that is either in the manga and/or not yet in the anime. If it is in the anime, it is a remark that makes it out to be something that has not been shown yet.

  • Any reference to an unsubbed episode/chapter of an anime/manga.

  • A remark or quote that identifies a member's post as a spoiler. You may take this to our private message system and inform the user and/or a moderator that he/she is spoiling. Bringing this information forward on the thread in question will grant you the same warning as the person doing the spoiling.

  • Revealing the titles of upcoming arcs or episode titles. Some arc/episode titles may not reveal anything about the future of an anime, but some do, and it's just best not to name them in anime only sections.

  • Spoilers in thread titles. Remember, even if your thread is in the manga section, it can still be seen from the frontpage. Therefore all thread titles should not have any info outside of the anime.

  • Spoilers in Sigs/Avatars/Pics
    NO Spoiling in sigs or avatars. None. No posting visible pictures that serve as spoilers. Links to pics with spoilers are fine, so long as they're properly labeled and posted in permissible sections. This part applies especially to the Anime Fanart area.

In sum, a spoiler is:
Any form of information that has not yet been mentioned in the anime, regardless of source.

Any such form from an anime episode that has not yet been subbed (in english).

One gray area is discussing episode previews. There used to be rules against discussing episode previews in the Bleach and Naruto areas, but they were infrequently enforced and never really official. Input on this is especially wanted.

Personally I think that discussion of episode previews should always be allowed, so long as no manga reader uses his/her knowledge and tries to mess things up. We trust that most of you aren't that kind of asshole, and won't spoil for everyone else. But if you are, and we catch you, expect a ban, straight up.

Well, I've said more than my fair share. Discuss!