I was corrected and told that because Actor X has a series, it does not rule him out for roles on A:ts, but my comments did rule him out. Now I'm being told that discussing that someone has a series is against the rules, because it does rule him out.

Cindy, to clarify my take on this: An Angel cast member signing on for a new series I'd consider a big honking spoiler. A Buffy cast member I wouldn't generally. But in that specific incident, the posts leading up to yours (in the day or so before) included several broad hints that someone from Buffy was joining the regular cast of Angel. So in that context, what would not ordinarily be an issue does have the potential to spoil. No, it wasn't against the rules to post. But it was a delicate subject, and I didn't then (and still don't really) understand what was so upsetting about being asked to whitefont it in that case.

Jess, can you explain to me why it makes you angry? I was startled, because at first I thought it detailed a casting change, and then I realised it was just a poorly written article.

Cindy's been saying it better than I have. I don't think this type of news would spark huge, deep discussions, but neither do I think they have to be instantly deleted, poorly written or not.

I feel like mentioning anything about any ME actor is going to get me stomped on for anti-spoiing. I have no idea where the line is anymore, and it's frustrating.

I mean, ED's new show wasn't considered a spoiler. So why was NB's pilot?

The policy of white-fonting BtVS stuff in the AtS thread, and vice versa, was likewise created out of thin air after the creation of the Firefly thread, with no discussion.

Really? I do remember discussion -- two week threshold and all that.

But it seemed fairly organic to me, just politeness for people in situations we knew about.

Not having my blood boil every time things like Dan's post get deleted.

It was deleted accidently - Jon apologised and indicated that he should have just whitefonted the spoilery preamble.

And I meant it when I said I can't tell, under current spoiler rules, when that kind of thing would cease to be spoilery. When the TV movie airs? When promos for it air? And if it's not on the WB, would the promos themselves be considered spoilers?

The fact that there is a tv movie wasn't the spoiler issue. The preamble about AtS was the spoiler, and it gave the impression that it was a series.

Elena, if your expectations for S5 turn out to be wrong, will you still consider yourself to have been spoiled?

My expectations for the season have been coloured by this. So, yes, still spoiled.

Could someone explain to me why it's a problem to not openly discuss the issue(s) until they meet our previously agreed upon definition of non-spoiler?

Because in my life, all of the major casting news for A:tS S5 are two month old news.

No, it hasn't aired in an on-air promo yet, but quite frankly, I'll never see those, as I generally don't watch TV during the summer hiatus.

However, the news on all those casting changes have made the major media outlets. It's not an on-air promo, but it has been talked about on air, and in print.

I and several other people have been wanting to discuss the news since we heard it, because we're excited.

So, whaty I'm wondering now is, we "ho's" (and I'm not happy about being considered part of this group, let me tell you... I don't go into the spoiler threads, I don't want to be spoiled, I just don't think casting information is a spoiler) we "ho's" have made an attempt to understand how you "virgins" will be upset by us talking about it.

Can you"virgins" please take a moment to try to understand why we do want to talk about it in the show threads.

I think some of us are getting a little upset over this because we feel like there is a one-way giving going on here, and there's very little reciprocation of understanding.

That doesn't make for healthy communication.

ED's new show wasn't considered a spoiler.

Probably because she's not a regular cast member on an ME show, I'd think.

The policy of white-fonting BtVS stuff in the AtS thread, and vice versa, was likewise created out of thin air after the creation of the Firefly thread, with no discussion.

That was new, yes, but was there really no discussion? Either way, it could have been handled better. But I think it's important to remember that it arose out of outside scheduling changes, not spoilerphobes suddenly demanding more and more territory.

I do remember discussion -- two week threshold and all that.

That discussion took place months after the white-fonting started. Maybe there was discussion about it in the Firefly thread beforehand, but all I know is that one day, people suddenly started whitefonting Buffy plot points in the Angel thread, for no apparent reason.

I've been an active member of this community since TT, and I disagree. The concept of the "anti-spoiler" did not exist until this past May, apparently created out of thin air during the incident that Cindy mentioned. The policy of white-fonting BtVS stuff in the AtS thread, and vice versa, was likewise created out of thin air after the creation of the Firefly thread, with no discussion.

We have different perceptions on this. I recall we've always tried to be cautious and considerate about spoiling people, even if it meant going to sometimes ridiculous lengths.

Can you"virgins" please take a moment to try to understand why we do want to talk about it in the show threads.

Say the virgins do understand that. And you understand they don't want to know.

What do you propose?