How do you know the info is slim before you search, though?

I hate to say it, but I think you may be overthinking this one. I really don't see the vagueness in the original proposal.

I suppose it depends on how you define "press advertising." I was defining it as "someone official says something to the press, knowing perfectly well they'll be quoted."

Wouldn't that be a *major* change to our spoiler policy? So far, interviews with spoily info are noted as such, at least in Spoilage Lite, which is the only place I'm willing to tread for spoiler confirmation.

I would define "press advertising" as an advertisement.

I think you may be overthinking this one.

Except for the part where I don't know if the rest of the casting news I know qualifies for discussion or not. How is that overthinking?

"Officially published by the network."

Yes please.

Wouldn't that be a *major* change to our spoiler policy? So far, interviews with spoily info are noted as such, at least in Spoilage Lite, which is the only place I'm willing to tread for spoiler confirmation.

Well, but it's only for a) changes in the regular cast that b) are announced between-seasons.

So we could still have discussed Giles' departure, since that was officially announced over the summer, but we couldn't have discussed Angel's until after Graduation Day... oh wait. Never mind, that's not true, different example. We couldn't have discussed Riley's departure until after Into the Woods aired, because that wasn't officially announced over the summer.

"officially published by the netword or the production company".

What, in the WB Times? It isn't clear at all.

"That was an un-named source" "That was from a fansite!" etc. And we'd already be spoiled.

I personally like the promo limitation because it's so clear and easy to follow, you know? There's no grey area. Promo has been shown including X fact or it hasn't. Plus, it's the rule I "grew up with" when I went spoilerfree after S4 Buffy, so it's what I'm used to.

Yes. This.

Forget about the anit-spoiler drift etc. If we give up this as a policy a bunch of people are going to have to unsub massively.

Except for the part where I don't know if the rest of the casting news I know qualifies for discussion or not. How is that overthinking?

Okay, if it were me? I would just decide that, if I can't decide, it's still too spoilery. I would assume most of us would come to the same conclusion. Granted, I'm making assumptions here, but so are you. It's just you seem to assume that this proposal would lead to major spoiler leakage and I'm not convinced it will.

Granted, I'm making assumptions here

That's the essence of the problem. "Aired in show or promo" doesn't have this problem.

"Officially published by the network."

I think that is a really big change. I would further amend that to "In the summer hiatus"

It's just you seem to assume that this proposal would lead to major spoiler leakage and I'm not convinced it will.

No, I'm not.

I just think that we may have 15 people with 20 different assumptions about what counts, and how to work out what counts.

I'm trying to narrow it down to two or three. Which are "don't say anything about it, then", "ask Plei", and "use GoogleNews".

I think the first one is weird, since .. why not? I don't cruise network release spots -- there's pretty much no way in my day to day I'd find out. Second one -- pretty clear. Third one -- there'll probably be spoilage of the person searching.

But since not everyone here even agrees on what "wide" is .. it's obvious it's not obvious.

"Officially published by the network."

Check me on this, but I would read this as not including interviews, so that Joss talking about it all summer does not allow us to talk about it, but ads, posters, promos, and radio spots do allow us to talk about it.

If that is the case, that definition would have very specific repercussions on which of the upcoming AtS casting changes we can talk about.

I'm happy with this definition. And it makes it as specifically quantifiable factor as "on air promo" so we don't have to deal with anything vague like "widely known."