Allow Spoilers in Journals [under 2 conditions]

Oh boy, first suggestion O|-< My suggestion is to allow users to post spoilers to their personal journals under two conditions: 1. The journal title must clearly be labeled as having spoilers, such as "[SPOILERS] My Journal!", as one would do for a pg-13 journal or thread. The warning should be at the front, like the Official Spoiler Thread. 2. The spoilers must be in double hideboxes, both clearly labeled as containing SWSH spoilers. I've always been confused on the strictness of the current spoiler policy, especially when it came to disallowing spoilers under properly labeled hideboxes in your own journal. Thanks to Belial (who has been very patient with my 4890320 questions about spoilers/policies/etc ;v;) I learned the official reason why this was not good enough for a spoiler-free site, which really helped me understand the logic behind it. TL;DR: If someone quotes a post with a spoiler in a hidebox, they have been spoiled, since they'll be able to see the text content in the hidebox. While it may be common sense for someone familiar with BBCode that this would happen, remember, there's a lot of younger users and users not familiar with it that wouldn't know this is a risk until it's too late. Double hideboxes are fine on the spoiler thread, however, since a user has to knowingly accept there are spoilers in the thread merely by entering the thread itself. So, I propose journals should work the same way. If a user's journal warns there are spoilers in the title of the journal, and the spoilers in the journal are under properly labeled double hideboxes, I see no reason why (if done properly) this would be any more risky than the Spoiler Thread's existence. + Users are allowed to express their thoughts on SWSH in their own private thread without being restricted to one public thread and worry about interrupting current conversations or feel awkward posting their thoughts/reactions/art/etc in a public/discussion space. + Allows users who want to talk about SWSH pokemon, characters, or story to do so without having to wait weeks or months (on top of the weeks/months they have already been waiting) before they are allowed to. + Allows mature art/thoughts/etc that contain spoilers to be posted to mature journals, as there is nowhere else on site currently that allows mature spoiler content. + Users who want to avoid spoilers will not need to worry about them in public discussion threads, and have ample warning of exactly which threads have spoilers. + A good compromise allowing another outlet for hype/excitement/activity for users who want to talk about SWSH without making the entire site a danger zone for users who have not completed the game yet. - Users who want to avoid spoilers may no longer be able to 100% worry-free keep up with journals they previously read if it becomes a spoiler thread.

• Response 1: As long as users are cautious, they will still be able to navigate journals as the spoilers are in hideboxes. However, yes, they will now need to be cautious in those journals instead of 100% worry free, which may be too "dangerous" for someone who is very scared about spoilers.
• Response 2: This can already happen in the case of pg-13 journals. A previously all-ages journal can change to a pg-13 journal and exclude previous readers under 13.

- Users who are unfamiliar with how BBCode works may spoil themselves if they quote posts with spoilers in hideboxes.

• Response 1: Since discussions are not allowed in journals, the risk of this happening is significantly lowered. I understand, however, some users quote posts to respond to them on their own journals, so this may still have some spoiler risks, even in a non-discussion thread.
• Response 2: Since the journal title contains a spoiler warning for the content of the thread anyway, this is no more risky than the existing spoiler thread. If that user is in that thread, they accept the risk of spoilers being contained in that thread.

- Users may accidentally click the "Quote" button instead of the "Upvote" button and become spoiled that way

• Response 1: If users are cautious and pay attention to what they are clicking, ideally, this will not happen. However, I understand misclicks happen often on mobile, even if the user is being careful.
• Response 2: See the second response above.

- Users may be spoiled if they report a post that contains a spoiler hidebox for the same reason as the quoting problem.

• Response 1: Users can message a mod directly and link to the post without being spoiled. However, this may discourage users from doing so as it is more intimidating to do that than submitting a general report, or they may not know this is an option.
• Reponse 2: See second response above. However, I do realize non-spoiler content that needs to be reported is more likely to occur in a user's journal, rather than a thread dedicated to spoilers and nothing else.

- Users may incorrectly label their hideboxes or their journal, and end up spoiling someone from it.

• Response 1: This could already happen in the already existing Spoiler Thread, however, I do understand the Spoiler Thread will always be properly labeled as containing spoilers, unlike an improperly labeled user journal.
• Response 2: Users already (disregarding the rules or current spoiler policy) post spoilers in both journals and discussion threads without trying to hide them at all. Hopefully this ruling will encourage users to at least try to label their spoilers correctly, which will give spoiler-averse users more chances to avoid them. However, this ruling may also lead to more users posting about spoilers, which in turn increases the risk of someone doing it incorrectly and perhaps spoiling someone from their mistake.

- Users may incorrectly post double hidebox spoilers in discussion threads, leading to the quoting/spoiling problem.

• Response: See the second response above.

- Users may directly link to a post that contains spoilers in a non-spoiler thread (against the rules), and unsuspecting users may click the link and encounter the quoting/spoiling problem without the initial warning of the journal title.

• Response: This exact situation can already happen with the currently existing Spoiler Thread, so I don't see how this suggestion would be any more "dangerous."

I would love if this policy could be applied sitewide, especially to include things such as Art threads so they can include spoilers without the awkward PM-barrier, but I understand that poses a higher risk factor due to the higher rate of discussion/interaction and possible spoiling from quoting. If you have any pros, cons, thoughts, anything to add, please let me know! ^^/ Please vote in the poll to show your support or, if you don't support, please let me know why so I can improve the suggestion!

Support. Full support. And honestly, I'd even like this to be the policy across the entire site. I understand the concern about quoting posts with spoilers, but if this policy was applied to the entire site, there's a very simple solution: if you don't want to get spoiled, don't go into a thread with "SPOILERS" in the title, and don't quote posts in that thread that very clearly contain spoilers. Because at that point, I reckon that'd be your own fault, much like going into a thread with "SPOILERS" in the title and clicking on the double hideboxes would be your own fault.

Absolutely I agree. Have spoilers in the thread title, put the spoilers in double hideboxes. People who click on it and didn't want to be spoiled, well. That's on them. That's no longer an accident, because that's three clicks and each one has a warning that spoilers are coming. I agree that I wouldn't mind this being a full site policy as well.

oh my GOD this would be a LIFESAVER my journal is entirely about my pokemon nuzlockes, and i've been finished with my shield nuzlocke for a month and a half. it's really bothering me to not be able to talk about it for so long since my journal is my #1 reference for when i write my comics about my nuzlockes, since i really hate having to scroll for a thousand miles in discord i think i'd cry actual tears of joy if this got approved

Full support. The spoiler policy on this website is honestly so strict it's ridiculous. I feel like a double hide box that is properly labelled should be all that's needed anywhere on the website, but if we must comprise, journals only is a fair one, in my opinion.

Full support The spoiler policy on this site is quite frankly ridiculous (the game's been out for 4 months now, but whatever I don't make the rules). I would welcome actually being able to talk about aspects of the new games, and discuss how they might be implemented in Pokefarm. Another con (I know I know I love this suggestion but all cons should be considered) is that individual posts can be linked) Example: little Suzie asks a question "Oh, it's in this journal entry" Suzie clicks link to journal, and reads that entry. She does not know she is in a spoiler thread due to focusing on the content of the post. She is confused and quotes the post, revealing that it contained 'Thievel.png", and with the spoiler warnings she has now had Thievel revealed to her. That's all I can really think of rn

Haha, another one to add to the "can already happen with the currently-existing spoiler thread" pile, I suppose :v I'll add it there! - Thank yall everyone for your feedback/support! ;<; I notice there's been a few who dont support in the poll, but haven't commented? x<x I really, really would like to know why!! It's hard for me to look at this from the perspective of someone who wants to avoid spoilers or wants to retain the spoiler policy as it is, so outside perspectives would really help + would be much appreciated!!

Okay, so i played swsh, i am personally not affected by spoilers. But as someone with a partner who literally hates spoilers like a vampire hates sunlight (like literally she wont look in my party because she doesn't want to see shiny yamper) i can see where some disagreement comes from. The idea of putting it in the journal title is nice (though i think you should append this part because personally i think it should be at the beginning of the name not the emd) But i do want to ask something. is it really too hard to wait to talk about galar? Please dont take this the wrong way but there is currently the disscussion thread and the discord channel, the latter of which is pretty decent to chat in. Tbe reason im asking this is because if someone happened to stumble upon a journal entry with spoilers (with these conditions it would be their fauld but regardless) they might find huge spoilers for either a game they wanted to play or pokemon they could only experience for the first time via pokefarm because a switch is a luxury some people take forgranted.(i know i do) Because once you're spoiled on something thats it... you're spoiled, theres no going back. And considering this site is pokemon centric its fair to assume that there might be a few players that really want to experience the galar pokemon the way it is releasing right now without the possibility of getting spoiled by accident. Also as a final point i can see why they chose and all out spoiler ban. You know the saying give them an inch and they take a mile? Im just thinking if they loosen up on the spoiler ban communication issues might occur, other users might tell their friends that spoilers are okay anywhere with double hideboxes, or people skimming the update making assumptions before reading the whole post and going off to make un hide tagged spoiler posts or people who can't use bbcode that might spoil things without hideboxes. And as I said earlier, being spoiled is permanent. I cant say i dont support or do support but you really had good arguments. i just thought id give you my reasoning to why i said no. Hope it makes sense.

It might be a bit of a stretch? But people can already risk spoiling themselves on other franchises if they pop into someone’s journal, so it’s already a risk people are taking. Let’s say a new Zelda comes out tomorrow and, hypothetically, I get to play it day one. I might gush about it in my journal immediately, thus spoiling any readers who didn’t want to know until they got a chance to play. Yeah, it’s not a Pokémon game, but it’s still a popular enough title that lots of people would be looking to avoid spoilers on it, if you catch my drift? But let’s get back to Pokemon - what about the other formats? Movies? Anime, spin offs, etc? Shouldn’t they also be under just as strict a spoiler ban? Anyone remember a few Pokémon that debuted before their region - togepi and lucario, I think munchlax too? And what about Meltan/Meltmetal? I don’t recall a spoiler policy on those, despite them being new Pokémon that for some time, only certain groups of fans would know about - if you didn’t play pogo then oh well. Point being: the spoiler ban isn’t actually entirely consistent. There are workarounds if the given examples were to happen in future, and unless it was addressed immediately, then people may get spoiled without even knowing of new material. I will say if you don’t want to be spoiled you probably shouldn’t be quoting something labelled ‘spoilers’ in double hiseboxes :p So by proxy they probably shouldn’t be upvoting either. Of course, mixed posts can happen with stuff outside hideboxes but if you’re that worried, probably don’t click the dropdown menu. To (respectfully) counter Terabbit’s point of waiting, this is a Pokemon based site. It would make sense that you can natter about new Pokémon stuff on a Pokémon based site. It kinda just seems wrong? to have to wait so long, with only one thread dedicated to the subject. What about people that don’t know there’s a spoiler thread? But they know about the spoiler rule because the rules are easier to find than the thread which at the time of writing has gone untouched for four days. I certainly wouldn’t go looking for a dedicated spoiler thread if I didn’t know it existed! It should be pinned for ease of finding so people don’t have to go digging through other threads to find it. So by this some people might just assume (because staff big scary bad!™️ since pfq staff kinda tend to be more open and friendly than most other sites and it’s actually jarring in some cases jumping between sites) that heavy labels will be enough. I even had a squizz at the site rules (since thatslogically where you’d go to see if you’re allowed to do something), in which the only mention of spoilers (toward the games, PFQ specific spoilers are otherwise covered) Are as follows Tag all spoilers in (hide) tags. 6. Please avoid posting any spoilers in the chat. Hide tags do not work there. In fact, bbcode doesn't work there either. So nothing specifically mentioning a thread dedicated to spoilers. Just that they need to be hidden as per adventure rules. Sorry that’s a bit of a tangent my bad but yeah wanted some bits of evidence :) Then there’s the issue of people who (understandably!) don’t have means to access a switch, being it buying/borrowing/renting. That’s fine! While it isn’t quite the same as the real thing, if people are dying to experience the game, there are always lets plays/play throughs/whatever the kids call them these days. There are many, many Pokémon youtubers/streamers, there’s a big choice! No, it’s not the ‘real deal’ but for people in unfortunate circumstances because games and consoles are expensive, it is an option. I’m sure if you search right you could find the most minimal playthrough possible, to then fully explore and experience the game later when you get a chance! Yes it falls under spoiling yourself, but if you’ve literally got no way to get your hands on the game, it’s unfortunately the best you can do :/ Here’s hoping this makes sense, it’s been a long day so apologies if my mind is all over the place :v I’m pretty sure I’ve left a fair few points unexplained/not properly expanded on but I really just can’t focus right now but wanted to get this out while i had the chance so ouch this’ll have to do for now :0

Maybe I want to talk about something dumb I did in the game, that really isn't worth trying to start an entire convo about. Maybe I did something cool that I just want to say you can do without being drowned out because someone says something more interesting. Maybe I don't want to pop into a currently active discussion and say something not related and risk being ignored, or changing the topic entirely and annoying/bothering people who still wanted to talk about the previous discussion. Yes, we have those two places. But it's only those two. When you only have two places to go, it can be a bother to completely derail the current convo over something that could be totally minor. I got yelled at in a Discord server by some people for "spoiling" after complaining about something in Voltron even though it had been over for a year by that point. If we're gonna use people wanting to play the game as a reason, then we probably shouldn't talk about any of the games, anime episodes, or movies to avoid spoilers for those who've never played the games or watched the show/movies but plan to do so eventually. I get what you're saying, believe me I do. Like you said, once you're spoiled that's it. You can't turn back time and make yourself forget. But considering anyone can be spoiled at any time for anything, at what point do we say it's fine? When do we say, "yeah this is no longer a spoiler." A month? Six months? A year? Two years? Okay, so then should the spoiler thread and Discord channel be deleted? After all, someone might happen to stumble upon them, ignore the warning(s), and get majorly spoiled. It would be bad for that to happen, wouldn't it? As said, if we have it labeled correctly, then it's THEIR fault. Not ours. We labeled correctly, made sure it was known to be a spoiler, heck maybe we even went the extra mile and did ten hide boxes all saying there was a spoiler inside, and then they STILL looked. No matter what, some people who don't want spoilers will look for who knows what reason. Keeping the spoilers to one thread and one Discord channel doesn't really stop some people from spoiling themselves somehow.