I think it's important to point out that in this instance, although hopefully not in future instances, even most of that really tiny minority is already spoiled.

Really? If you're talking about this thread - yes, that's true. If you're talking about the board in general - do we really have any idea how many people know the information? Who knows what?

I just read through the post Season 5 discussion of SMG's return and it actually did seem to be an exception based on the inevitability of knowing and also because there seemed to be a conspiracy theory that Buffy dying was some weird Jossian Fuck You to the WB and the contract stuff was all false.

It was brought up and talked about with no objections that I could see, with the main thought being "Joss wants us to know this". I am not sure if this helps.

I also saw Burrell's first post!

Elena, before I even comtemplate your last question, I'm still looking for an answer to this:

What value is there to forbidding printed and electronic between-season contracted-regulars casting promos, when we don't forbid televised between-season contracted-regulars casting promos?

I am right behind, in front of, next to you, in that plot spoilers (even if they're in the media or on the WB's site) should not be discussed in NAFDA - not even in white font. Ditto for casting spoilers during the season.

The reason I am not with you on the between-season, contracted-regulars casting promos, is because the WB will televise promos with the cast, and even if they don't, when the title credits run, who is and isn't a contracted regular will be made clear to everyone. People are not going to get their HSQ moment from credits, are they? And if so, if that's what we're protecting, I think it's frivolous.

Really? If you're talking about this thread - yes, that's true. If you're talking about the board in general - do we really have any idea how many people know the information? Who knows what?

I think this is why we're voting - to find out.

I'ma just let Cindy speak for me from now on.

I do think we have to remember this effects ONLY credit characters and ONLY summer (I think)

If you're talking about the board in general - do we really have any idea how many people know the information? Who knows what?

That's getting really close to the "all the lurkers agree with me!" argument. Obviously, we can't know what people who don't say anything know, think, feel or believe.

We *can* make an educated guess that if (pulling numbers out of my ass) 48 people have posted implying that they know the casting news, and two have posted implying that they do not, 96% of all active board members know the casting news. Anyone feel like counting posters?

I'd really like to return to this point that Cindy made:

What value is there to forbidding printed and electronic promos, when we don't forbid televised promos?

It bothers me that this discussion has turned into a thinly veiled fight about one particular spoiler, and what percentage of currently-active Buffistas know it, and which specific threads people will and won't avoid and so on. Because there's a much more general principle that gets ignored every time we devolve into that.

Allowing other network-authored promos is a logical extension of allowing aired promos. The network is advertising something. Therefore, it's officially Out There. And that's different, and very easily distinguished, from someone's con report or newspaper interview or whatever.

I think this is why we're voting - to find out.

However, people will be using their assumptions of the answer as part of their decision-making for the vote. So it may turn out to be a self-fulfilling sort of thing.

After all, if you buy the assertion that most people will be best served by X, and you're kinda okay either way, X'll get your vote.

Which means the vote'll tell you more about what people assume the demographic wants, than what it already does.

About the multi-thread thing -- if you know one casting spoiler, and wish you didn't, aren't you going to stay out of, say, Bitches for fear you'll find out more, if it's okay to speak about them all there?

Okay, I couldn't keep up with this whole discussion, so I had to skip some. Apologies.

I personally think that the spoiler definition on this board is overly sensitive. I am one of those who think that, if it's being actively promoted (particularly over the summer), I don't feel spoiled by it. But hey, I also figure that Spoilage Lite was made for peeps like me. In other words, I may disagree with the spoiler definition, but it has never hindered my enjoyment of the discussion on the board.

Frankly, I think the avoidance of casting changes on the Angel thread is very artificial. I even think the need to bring this discussion up in Light Bulbs is kinda over the top. But again, I'm not convinced it's hurting anyone to assume that someone on the board doesn't know it and doesn't want to know it, and so to keep said knowledge confined to the two spoiler threads.