I don't know, but I'd say it's become more or less standard procedure, particularly for network and basic cable stuff.

It's become more than standard procedure, but I'm one of the ones who never realised anyone thought it wasn't automatic, so my word is tainted on it. Every thing I've ever said about or in description of that thread has been with that as the basic bright line definition. When we said "genre" I heard "sci fi." And when people said "What is genre?" I answered "Sci fi."

Nobody told me differently--the media fannish conversation I tried to follow seemed to run alongside without colliding.

FTR, I have also always assumed that Boxed Set = Where The Sci-Fi Lives.

Boxed Set is where I go to look for scifi (TV) talk.

When the proposal for Boxed Set was made, was it for all sci-fi fantasy to go in it automatically?

Yeah, Boxed Set was always understood to be pan-sci fi, even during our anxiety over whether it would get lumpy and turn into a general TV thread. (It didn't.) Even the mediafannish subtext hasn't affected that; occasionally something that is mediafannish, but isn't sci-fi (like, say, Spooks/MI-5) used to crop up, and we shooed it back toward Natter.

The core source texts, when we mooshed three threads into one to make Boxed Set, were formally stated as: Farscape, Smallville, and DueSouth (cough cough also secretly Stargate cough). So, the throughline to "all sci fi (including magical realism) all the time (including both cable and broadcast)" is a pretty straightforward one. It wasn't mandated as such overtly, because at the time we were just mooshing threads to save server load; but it's been consistent practice for several years now that anything counter-realistic probably belongs there.

Mystery is a genre. Cop-sci is a genre. Soaps are a genre.

If you're going to have a Sci Fi thread, the title and the slug should be changed to reflect that, I'd think, since CSI: and L&O: All Flavors, as well as every other type of show now comes in DVD Boxed Sets, and the thread has been repurposed from, "Expect Adult Content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex," as its primary avenue of discussion, along with vid and fic recs, and other tie-ins and cross-show and genre recs.

Or, to quote Randy of the Redwoods, "The factory's still there but they're building something else now." Time to repaint the sign to reflect present content.

The slug currently says "Discussions of sci-fi/fantasy shows we watch. Smallville, Due South, Farscape, Stargate, BSG, etc. May contain HoYay."

I don't see how it needs revising.

The description reads:

A topic for the discussion of Farscape, Smallville, and Due South. Beware possible invasions of Stargate, Highlander, or pretty much any other "genre" show that captures our fancy. Expect Adult Content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex.

If you don't know/agree what "genre" means, then I see room for improvement. But I don't think it's unclear, especially since the slug is what you see first. Still, overstating is better than under-.

My point would be that there is more than one type of genre, but "the genre thread" is being used only for SciFi, fantasy, magical realism. In which case, a thread title more concretely descriptive might be preferable.

Or not. Just a passing thought.

To me, "genre" (as opposed to genre) means just the one thing. And it has been stated outright on the more main page what the genres are. But, as noted, I have no problem with being explicit. Just that the slug already is, and for some, so is the description.

I'll go edit right now.

Done.