"Lessons"---an invitation to discuss and SPOILER reminder

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Okay, new season just started in the east (so little enthusiasm,
compared to last yearit's so sad), so let me remind everyone of the
rules.

Discussion of NEWLY AIRED episodes requires TWENTY (20) lines of Spoiler
Space, as well as the warning "SPOILERS for current episode" (or
"SPOILERS for 'Lessons'" or "SPOILERS for ep 7.01" or "SPOILERS for
tonight's ep" or whatever) in the Subject Line.
NO discussion of the episode, either positive or negative, is allowed
above the Spoiler Space.

(I actually prefer to use the term "DISCUSSION" to keep talk about the
current ep separate from SPOILERS about future eps, but I understand
that this term has not yet fully caught on.)

In addition, there is a "chatter" requirement, where you must begin
your post with something tamely non-committal (or even nonsensical) to
fill the "preview panes" on our main pages (located at
http://groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/group/buffyloveswillow or
http://groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/group/buffywantswillow ) so that people
stopping by the mainpage are not inadvertantly spoiled by the preview
panes. "OMG! Spike and Jonathan made love!" (or any other comment on
the plot) is NOT an acceptable first sentence, even if you've already
put in the spoiler space, because the panes will remove it. 

Just stall for a sentence with a random quote, or "I'm stalling, I'm
stalling, I'm stalling. Do you think I can talk now?" or "I can't
believe that Dan is such a psycho nitpicker about this just because he
got spoiled this way a couple of times last year" or whatever, okay?

These requirements last for ONE WEEK after the ep first airs in the US.
(In other words, until "Beneath You" hits the airwaves next week, and so
on).

If AT ANY TIME in your post, you discuss ANYTHING that might happen in
the future, based on ANYTHING BESIDES your own speculations, even "my
hairdresser says that halfway through the season a spell is going to
turn Buffy into an African-American and Brandy will take over the part,
so SMG can do more movies" this REQUIRES a SPECIFIC warning in the
subject line, such as "SPOILERS for NEXT WEEK" or "SPOILERS for Future
eps" or "SPOILERS for ep 7.02"you get the picture.

It is NOT, I repeat NOT, acceptable to be replying to a post that reads
"SPOILERS for Tonight's ep", start discussing FUTURE spoilers, fail to
change the subject line, and then gripe "come on, it says SPOILERS, what
more do you want??" The moment you're talking about ANYTHING other than
what has already aired, you need to change your Subject Line to reflect
that. There's a big difference between a warning that keeps non-US
posters from seeing discussions of eps that have **already aired** in
North America, and a warning that lets everybody, including North
Americans, know that the post is about FUTURE eps. Make use of this
distinction, please. 

What else? Oh yeah, at no time can a SPOILER warning have anything to
do with the actual CONTENT of the SPOILERS. No "disturbing SPOILERS"
or "Buffy and Spike SPOILERS" or "Please let these SPOILERS be true!"
headingsjust information on what episode(s) you'll be discussing,
okay?

(Most ridiculous example of this, on another list in late Season 5:
"Faith Dies! SPOILER!" Not much use, that "warning", nor, as it turned
out, much fact to the "spoiler", either.)

Anyway, them's the rules. I hope that everyone complies with them, and
that you all come forward and share your opinions of the eps.  

Good, bad, or indifferent? What worked for you? What didn't? Did you
like how Buffy and Willow were portrayed? What were their best moments?
What did you think of their interaction (if any)? Anything that
qualifies as subtexty? all this and more is just waiting to be
discussed.

Have at it,

Dan