Some Harry Potter Ground Rules

Since we're now only a couple of days away from the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book, I just wanted to make sure the forum doesn't ruin the story for anyone. After all, many people will plow through the book in a day; others will prefer to savor it over a longer time period.

Therefore:

1) If you start a Harry Potter thread that has ANYTHING to do with ANYTHING that happens in Book 7, label it as such with a "Spoiler Warning." Put this in the thread title, not just the actual post.

2) If there is an existing Harry Potter thread that does not contain spoilers, DO NOT POST ANYTHING WITH A SPOILER THERE.

I think if everyone manages to follow those simple guidelines, we should be ok.

No using transfiguration as a punishment?

Don't take the DADA job, as it will certainly doom you?

Let the wookie win (oops...wrong fictional world)

Exiled

Woohooo!! I'm a wojo!

Harry dyes







his hair purple. With pink spots. Thats what i heard.

OK, I really didn't find that funny.

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Originally Posted by snowdenscold

OK, I really didn't find that funny.

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I've heard it ends abruptly with no real conclusion between Potter and Voldemort. Voldemort is coming out of a bathroom, and Hermione is playing "Don't Stop Believing" on a magical harpsichord. The last sentence is, "Harry grimly smiled as he readied his wand."

Everybody who's read it says it is the bestest ending ever.

Oh, and also..
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... I'm kidding, if you don't know what I'm joking about.

Apparantly the NY Times got ahold of one of the one line bootlegs and did a review. Apparantly there is a clash of Good v. Evil (no shock there)

and.

(redacted)

Patrick Yates

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Originally Posted by Patrick Yates

Apparantly the NY Times got ahold of one of the one line bootlegs and did a review.

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I read the review, and it didn't have any real spoilers. It did, however, make me very, very excited to read the book.

For the record, I consider everything below to be a spoiler. I really didn't need to know (REDACTED). What part of "don't talk about the book" is difficult to understand? Geez.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Yates

Apparantly the NY Times got ahold of one of the one line bootlegs and did a review. Apparantly there is a clash of Good v. Evil (no shock there)

and.

(redacted to remove spoiler)

Patrick Yates

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What the heck. I dont' want to know anything. ANYTHING. Not even "well this doesn't happen" or "doesn't have X". Ugh, I only caught bits and pieces of the above posts before scrolling away. What is wrong with you people. This thread didn't have a "spoilers" thing at the top. So don't put anything in here that even remotely relates to anything happening in book 7!

"Sorta kinda spoiler"? I mean, seriously. Stop.


I propose you tweak the initial post in here, then delete everything else and lock the thread...

I can see how Patrick did not realize that he was posting a very, very minor spoiler. Still, I can also see how some folks do not want to know ANYTHING. So, I removed the part of Patrick's post that some folks objected to.

I think this should serve as ample warning to other folks. Do not say anything, ANYTHING, about what the book contains unless you quite clearly label the content as spoilers AND place it in a thread that contains the word "spoilers" in its title.

Thanks.

-Jason "when in doubt, say nothing" Evans

Thank you Jason. I did not read all of what was said. However, I know from experience that I am just as upset by someone being like "Don't worry, X doesn't happen" as I am by "Z happens". Why - because it eliminates a possibility and narrows options. Same goes for structure, etc. in addition to plot.

This is one of those few areas where I am the radical nutjob.

I think this thread provides a bit of a sad commentary on how folks fetishize plot as the sole component of narrative art

</snotty Humanities major>

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Jason "when in doubt, say nothing"

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I failed to heed your wisdom, which should be the 1st law of message boards...

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Originally Posted by throatybeard

I think this thread provides a bit of a sad commentary on how folks fetishize plot as the sole component of narrative art

</snotty Humanities major>



I failed to heed your wisdom, which should be the 1st law of message boards...

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Yeah to paraphrase something they said on NPR this morning, a lot of people already know the white whale comes out better than Ahab but it doesn't stop them from enjoying Moby Dick.

That said, I don't want to know in advance what happens. This is the first time I'm buying a Harry Potter book when it first comes out as opposed to waiting for paperback so I have a fighting chance of at least some of the content being news. But I'm resigned to the fact that some people just have to scoop everyone else to feel important, and I'm likely to know more than I want to before the weekend is over anyway. I hope it reads like a good book, regardless.

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Originally Posted by JasonEvans

-Jason "when in doubt, say nothing" Evans

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Jason,

If this is something you live by, I can only presume you've never been in doubt. ;-)

literally LOL!

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Originally Posted by throatybeard

I think this thread provides a bit of a sad commentary on how folks fetishize plot as the sole component of narrative art.

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I don't follow. Surely plot is one of the important components of narrative art, even if it isn't the only source of enjoyment? I don't see why it is unreasonable for people to want to enjoy the surprises of the story when reading it for the first time, in addition to all the other aspects.

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Originally Posted by Duvall

I don't follow. Surely plot is one of the important components of narrative art, even if it isn't the only source of enjoyment? I don't see why it is unreasonable for people to want to enjoy the surprises of the story when reading it for the first time, in addition to all the other aspects.

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I don't think that was his point. People like myself (in addition to not wanting to know the plot obviously), don't want to know the structure as well until we read it. The style in which it ends is just as interesting as what actually happens in the ending.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jumbo

Since we're now only a couple of days away from the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book, I just wanted to make sure the forum doesn't ruin the story for anyone. After all, many people will plow through the book in a day; others will prefer to savor it over a longer time period.

Therefore:

1) If you start a Harry Potter thread that has ANYTHING to do with ANYTHING that happens in Book 7, label it as such with a "Spoiler Warning." Put this in the thread title, not just the actual post.

2) If there is an existing Harry Potter thread that does not contain spoilers, DO NOT POST ANYTHING WITH A SPOILER THERE.

I think if everyone manages to follow those simple guidelines, we should be ok.

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Can't this sticky go away now?

Jason "self-appointed king of the off-topic board" Evans probably would prefer the sticky remain until he's finished reading HP - TDH with his kids, which, at the rate they're going, will be sometime next April.

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Originally Posted by JBDuke

Jason "self-appointed king of the off-topic board" Evans probably would prefer the sticky remain until he's finished reading HP - TDH with his kids, which, at the rate they're going, will be sometime next April.

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I'm done-- suck it!!!

I agree that this sticky is probably run its course. This thread will now be unstuck.

As an aside, there are many people like me who did not want the book spoiled who appear to have been able to read it at their own pace spoiler-free. Props to all of you who held out and did not ruin it for us!

-Jason "the 'self-appointed king' has spoken ;)" Evans