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This page is an ideal that User:Jimbo the tubby feels the Lostpedia spoiler policy ought to be. It fixes what I feel are the many inconsistencies, errors, overreactions and downright hypocrisies in the current version of the policy. Note: this page is in no way official policy on Lostpedia, and represents only the views of User:Jimbo the tubby. To see a version without the colours indicating changes from the actual policy, see here. To clarify, I don't intend this as a substitute for the current spoiler policy. If anything, I consider it simply an essay, if you will, about what I feel the spoiler policy ought to be. The easiest way to do that was to simply rewrite it as I felt it should be. Please don't confuse this for an attempt to subvert the spoiler policy in its current form: it is not.

A spoiler is something that gives away information about future episodes of the show that have not yet been aired. In general, Lostpedia is not a spoiler site but there are a few places where spoilers may be found. In general, try to be courteous and allow people who wish to avoid spoilers to do so.

Contents 1 Motivation 2 Definitions 3 Current policy (ie: how this policy would work) 4 Spoiler definition 5 Spoilers and protected content on Lostpedia 5.1 Immediately upcoming episode names 5.2 "/Promotional" pages 5.3 Information related to upcoming episodes Upcoming episode pages 5.4 Related pages 5.5 Season Nav templates 5.6 Ep/ templates 5.7 Podcasts 6 Violations 7 International broadcast dates 8 Banner

MotivationEdit

The motivation for this policy is twofold:

• ABC, Bad Robot Productions and the creators and creative talent behind Lost have voiced their desire that the fans of the show not be spoiled by unofficial information about upcoming episodes, and only find out this information when they release it for the fans to enjoy. Lostpedia has shaped its spoiler policy to best reflect that wish. Such content is considered spoilers and is not allowed on Lostpedia.
• Many fans, however wish to avoid even information released by the show's creators until the information is revealed in the show. Such content is considered spoilers by some fans, however for the purposes of this policy, it is referred to as "protected content" and only appears certain places on Lostpedia in order to protect such fans from viewing it.

DefinitionsEdit

• Lostpedia considers a spoiler to be any content about unaired episodes or seasons which has been released unofficially by somebody who is not directly associated with ABC or Lost.
• For the purposes of this policy, protected content is defined to include any information about upcomming episodes or seasons which has been revealed by promotional material for the show (including press releases, advertisements and convention materials) or the show's creative team (such as podcasts, DVD commentaries and interviews). Protected content may only be considered as such when it comes from either:
  • ABC promotional material
  • The show's producers, directors, writers or cast
• A piece of information is considered neither a spoiler nor protected content once:
  • It has been revealed in an episode of Lost that has aired on ABC in the Eastern time zone in the United States.
  • It has been revealed in officially authorized spin-off media (excluding the Official Lost Podcast) released to the United States general public, including but not limited to:
    • Tie-in novels, such as Bad Twin.
    • Video games, such as Lost: Via Domus.
    • Alternate reality games, such as The Lost Experience and Find 815.
    • Mobisodes, such as Lost: Missing Pieces.
    • DVD releases.

Current policy (ie: how this policy would work)Edit

• Spoiler content may only be placed and/or discussed on the Lostpedia forum in the specified Spoilers sub-section. No spoilers, as defined above, are permitted on the wiki whatsoever.
• Official podcast transcripts and summaries may contain spoiler information.
• Spoilers may not be added elsewhere, with the exception of the name of the immediately upcoming episode in very limited areas.(No longer considered spoilers, by definition.)
• Spoilers, as defined above, may not be added or mentioned on user blogs.
• Images of upcoming episodes or upcoming new cast members may not be uploaded.
• Images and content (with the exception of direct sneak peeks of episodes) related to Dharma Special Access videos are not considered spoilers.
• Protected content, as defined above, may be placed on user blogs, on podcast/convention/press release transcripts or on the "/Promotional" pages.(A replacement for the old "/Spoilers pages" containing only officially released content. The need for this was agreed upon in an old discussion here.)
• Protected content may not be added anywhere else on the wiki, with the following exceptions:
  • Upcoming episode titles, officially released by ABC Medianet, may be added to the season Nav.
  • Any information on upcoming episodes from official ABC Medianet press releases (including titles, synopses, guest cast, writers and directors) may be added to a locked page for that episode. That page must be named something like "Season 6, Episode 1" until the episode has aired to prevent the title from showing up in "Recent Changes", but the actual title may be placed in the article.
  • Any information on upcoming episodes released through an ARG may only be placed on the page for that ARG and nowhere else.
  • Any information released at Comic-Con may be added to any relevant out-of-universe articles, but not to any in-universe articles. (For example, the revelation at Comic-Con 2007 that Harold Perrineau would be returning in Season 4 could be added to the Harold Perrineau article, but not to the Michael Dawson article.)

Spoiler definitionEdit

Lostpedia considers a spoiler to be any information about upcoming episodes, including cast, characters, crew, photographs, and synopses, released by any source (including ABC Medianet). Any and all information about Lost is considered a spoiler until (any of the following):

• It has been revealed in an episode of Lost that has aired on ABC in the Eastern time zone in the United States.
• It has been revealed in officially authorized spin-off media (excluding the Official Lost Podcast) released to the United States general public, including but not limited to:
  • Tie-in novels, such as Bad Twin
  • Video games, such as Lost: Via Domus
  • Alternate reality games, such as The Lost Experience and Find 815
  • Mobisodes, such as Lost: Missing Pieces
  • DVD releases
• Lostpedia administrators have determined by consensus that the information has been revealed by the producers of Lost to the mainstream media and is sufficiently widespread across mainstream and non-Lost related Internet media that it can no longer be considered a spoiler. Such information is not to be added to Lostpedia by users.
  • The producers are considered by Lostpedia to be:
    • Showrunners and executive producers Carlton Cuse and/or Damon Lindelof
    • Executive producers Jack Bender, J.J. Abrams, Jean Higgins, Bryan Burk and Pat Churchill

NOTE: Not all information from ARGs, video games, and other spin-off media can be considered canonical.

Spoilers and protected content on LostpediaEdit

Spoilers, as defined above, do not belong in any articles or pages on the Lostpedia wiki including, but not limited to;:

• Articles
• Article talk pages
• Unanswered questions sections
• User pages
• User talk pages
• Theory pages and their respective talk pages
• User blogs

Immediately upcoming episode namesEdit

The only information about upcoming episodes allowed on Lostpedia is the name and airdate of the immediately upcoming episode, if released by ABC Medianet, on the following articles only:

• The episode article
• Main Page
• Season navigation templates, which appear on all episode articles for their relevant season.
• Season 5 or Season 6
• Portal:Episodes
• Airdates

Until an episode is the next to receive its premiere broadcast in the United States:

• A new article may not be created with the episode name.
• The episode name or number may not be added to other articles in Lostpedia, including, but not limited to:
  • The articles listed above
  • Characters
  • Cast
  • Objects
  • Events
  • Talk pages
  • User pages and their respective talk pages
  • User blogs and user blog comments

"/Promotional" pagesEdit

Any page labeled "/Promotional" (ie: Season 6/Promotional) may contain any protected content, as defined above, provided that that a link to its source be provided. This includes:

• Episode titles
• Central characters
• Guest cast
• Character appearances
• Directors
• Writers
• Promotional photography
• PR synopses
• Details revealed in "Next time on Lost" promotional trailers
• etc. (all other information regarding an upcoming episode)

Provided such content is coming from an official source. No spoilers, as defined above, may appear on this page.

Information related to upcoming episodes Upcoming episode pagesEdit

The following information related to upcoming episodes may not be revealed on any existing page or article and new articles on these may not be created, even if these have been revealed by ABC Medianet, may be revealed only on the page for that episode until the episode has its premiere airing on ABC in the Eastern time zone. Furthermore, the information must come from an ABC Medianet press release for that episode, and from no other source.:

• Episode titles
• The central character
• Guest cast stars
• characters
• Directors
• Writers
• promotional photography
• PR synopses
• Images
• Details revealed in "Next time on Lost" promotional trailers, even when they are aired at the end of episodes
• etc. (all other information regarding an upcoming episode other than the title, episode number, and airdate)
• Airdate and broadcast information

Upcoming episode pages must be protected and titled something like Season 6, Episode 1 to prevent protected content from appearing in the "Recent Changes section.

Related pagesEdit

Pages for locations, characters, actors, events, etc... which are considered protected content may not have new pages created for them until after they have appeared in an episode

Season Nav templatesEdit

Upcoming episode titles may be placed in season Nav templates (ie: Template:Season5nav). There's some debate as to whether the nav should list titles using piped links (ie: Season 5, Episode 16). If users prefer this solution to a collapsible Nav, then I have no preference one way or the other)

Ep/ templatesEdit

Ep/ templates may be created for all episodes in a season. If the episode they refer to has not aired, then they must say something like Season 6, Episode 1. Once the episode has aired, the actual title may be used.

PodcastsEdit

Official Lost Podcasts are released weekly during the airing of the season and at special occasions such as Comic-Con. Lostpedia archives information on the podcasts in the form of transcript and summary pages. Because of this, any spoiler information revealed in the Official Lost Podcast is allowed only on the podcast transcript or summary pages, and nowhere else on Lostpedia. The transcript or summary page must carry the spoiler warning template if it contains any content that is considered a spoiler based upon the guidelines of this policy. Once this information is revealed via canon sources (as detailed in the spoiler definition section above), it can then be placed into main articles.

Information from the Official Podcast that clarifies already-released content from canon sources is not considered spoiler, and can be placed on the site as normal.

ViolationsEdit

All violations of spoiler policy are subject to disciplinary action against the editor's account. If you are considering posting an upcoming episode name protected content, it is your responsibility to understand the above guidelines.

International broadcast datesEdit

The English language Lostpedia is updated based upon U.S. television airdates. All non-U.S. visitors should take care not to visit pages that have been edited following newly-aired episodes and which may contain spoilers for international viewers. This may differ for other Lostpedia languages.

BannerEdit

Any page containing protected content, as defined above, must contain the following banner at the top:

Spoiler alert!