We're spending a lot of time focussing on the elephant in the middle of the room.

Suppose Amy Acker is leaving the show ... Elena doesn't know she doesn't know, so she can't tell you. Are you assuming she knows, just because she knows the BCS? Are you willing to have people choose to avoid every NAFDA thread because of things they don't know they don't know?

And this affects inevitability. The WB may never mention ahead of time that Andy Hallet has left the show. It may never be apparent from promos, never make the major press.

It may not be inevitable.

On what grounds does the proposal intend this to be openly discussable?

I'm not clear on that.

I think this is a safe assumption. That's where we differ.

Well, not exactly. I think it's a fairly safe assumption too. We differ on whether we regard the observed proportions to be a statistically reliable indicator of the actual proportions. I believe it contains a persistent bias, for the reasons given.

But we also can't assume everyone knows -- and I have been explicitly told that. So weighting one's vote on how many people are inconvenienced either way, although tempting and perhaps unavoidable, isn't sound.

Again, if this is referencing my remarks in the spoiler thread, quite some time ago, I was admittedly being venty and hyperbolic.

Cindy, you weren't the only one who's said it. But I don't have Nilly's amazing powers, so citation will have to wait.

How else would it be changed?

Oh, no, I totally see why this is necessary, I just mean it points to how flinchy the board has become about these issues.

Neither. You were delurking to make a pretty good point about Xander and Anya's engagement, and then there were a lot of "Welcome Burrell!!!"s

groovy!

I just mean it points to how flinchy the board has become about these issues

Spoilers, you mean? Or changes? I didn't think these issues had come up before.

If Amy Ackerman were leaving the show, and it was publicly discussed between seasons, then yes I think it would become widely known, and would not be a spoiler.

We differ on whether we regard the observed proportions to be a statistically reliable indicator of the actual proportions. I believe it contains a persistent bias, for the reasons given.

Oh! I agree the numbers are probably not valid on a scientific level, but they do give a rough indication, which is all I meant to start with.

So if it's not widely discussed (and what's your definition of widely?) then it is a spoiler? Because that needs to be reflected in the proposal.

If AD is leaving Angel, for instance, how will the promos tell us this?

Given that they never bother to put him IN the general promos... it'd be kind of hard. Not that I'm bitter.

(Ahem)

Any cast members that they do tend to focus on in promos leaving, I think we'd tell by their absence. Or at least start speculating.

Or, if they had one of those (like the promo stills) shots with the full cast, and someone wasn't in the shot, that would be a Big Ass Clue.