In Web Forums, Newsgroups and Chat Rooms, What is a Spoiler?
Let’s assume you’ve just logged on to your favorite Web forum or chat room. You’re happily reading some recent discussion about a favorite television series when a poster with inside information reveals a key upcoming point about a character’s fate! She dies?! Really?!, you think to yourself in shock. But soon the shock is replaced by irritation. Like a bad accident, you couldn’t look away, and now the plot has been spoiled for you. You’ve just read a spoiler. There’s an old saying that there are no secrets in Hollywood, and ever since the Internet became a household pastime, there aren’t many secrets anywhere! Spoilers run rampant online, and many turn out to be true. For those who want to avoid spoilers, participating in newsgroups, Web forums or chat rooms can be a tricky business. But not everyone is adverse to the infamous spoiler. Some fans can’t wait for plots to unfold and hunt down spoilers with outright doggedness. These people are also usually keen to be the first to bring t
