I don't get how "Lullabye" gives away any more or less than the other Darla Gives Birth! titles, "Offspring" and "Quickening." And at that point, we'd known Darla was having Angel's baby since the first episode of the season.

I think the *policy* has always been whitefonting titles because they aren't broadcast, but in practice we've been pretty lax.

Sorry you don't like my writing style.

I have no problem with your writing style. Lots of people say "other boards this and other boards that" in the course of discussions and I'm saying I sorta don't care. I'm not on other boards, I'm on this one".

I don't think titles are ever broadcast.

I thought that was a relatively recent development -- a cautiousness that became ingrained.

Me too. IIRC, ep titles were only considered spoilers in the main threads after the Spoilage Lite threads were created.

I recall it as coming under "not broadcast = spoiler"

Which means they're still spoilers, because they're never broadcast, doesn't it?

I don't think titles are ever broadcast.

Except CwDP. And Hush, in a promo that I remember. Which, therefore, are really the only episode titles we should *ever* be allowed to speak of.

I personally like to know the episode titles and writers ahead of time - it allows me to do a little speculation without actually knowing anything. OTOH, if you're of the "I don't even want hints!" persuasion when it comes to spoilers, titles in particular could be annoying.

For instance, I'd say that the mid-season 4 Angel run of titles would let you predict what was coming ahead of time:

Long Day's Journey

Awakening

Soulless

Okay, once you know that they're planning to get Angelus, you know that he's still around at this point.

Calvary

Salvage

Angelus obviously still around.

Release

Orpheus

These two are trickier - they could have referred to Cordelia as well (actually, I'd guessed that Orpheus was going to be a saving-Cordy thing)

Players

Inside Out

Shiny Happy People

Okay, we've obviously moved into the season-ending arc here, and are done with Angelus.

Anticipating reaction: "But that's not spoilery!" Depends on your definition of spoilery. I'm just trying to explain. Please see my first paragraph, where I mention that I personally like to know titles and writers ahead of time. (I don't see a need to post about them if there are people who don't want to know, though. It's not like we're being prevented from speculating, in the same way that you can argue that discussion is restricted over the summer by eliminating discussion of casting spoilers.)

What if ep titles were allowed after the promo for that ep had aired?

I recall it as coming under "not broadcast = spoiler"

But that can be taken to a ridiculous extreme. If there's no promo run, does that mean we can't announce that there's a rerun the following week? Or does that ruin the fun as well? I'm not trying to be snotty. I'm just pointing out that "not broadcast" is too vague a term.

Katie, apart from Soulless (which, after Fredless would just make me wonder if they're playing with me) I don't see how any of those titles are giving any information.

Hell, I still don't know why they called Orpheus Orpheus.