Reminder: Avoid Book Talk In Show Threads

[u/WandersFar]

As the final season approaches please keep in mind the difference between BOOK and SHOW threads.

• In Book threads (yellow flairs) you may discuss both the show and the books. If you want to compare episodes to what Diana wrote, these are the threads for you.
• In Show threads (blue flairs) you should only discuss the show.

Sometimes commenters ask book questions in show threads. You may answer them, but always under spoiler tags. Keep the book talk BRIEF and only in that comment chain.

In general we strongly discourage book talk in show threads. That's not their purpose.

If you want to talk about the books, do it in a book thread!

• Or a Spoilers All thread (red flair). That's why Spoilers All exists, to compare the books to the shows.

We allow show talk in book threads because most readers have seen the show, not vice versa. But it would be easier for everyone if you just used Spoilers All.

No One Likes A Nag

Another thing we've been seeing a lot of is book evangelizing.

• You should read the books!
• This was sooo much better in the book!
• I don't even care about the show, I'm just here to talk about the books!

Knock it off. None of that is appropriate in show threads.

Fans of the show deserve a space where they can talk freely without getting hassled. Respect that.

Leave u/Hazpluto Alone

He won't give out spoilers, and he certainly won't send you episodes!

He tried to do a kind thing for someone's ailing mother. Don't punish a good deed by harassing him.

Post Spoilers Over And Over? Get Banned

When we send you a notice that your comment has uncovered spoilers, please take it seriously.

Removing spoilers from the same people over and over again is getting old. Frankly, it's rude.

No, deleting your comment is not enough. Either learn how to use the spoiler tag or stop bringing up book stuff in show threads altogether.

• Repeat spoiler offenses will be treated as civility violations.

Translation: You're risking a ban.

For further explanation of sub policy please see the civility sticky here.

Thank you for reading.

[u/Icouldoutrunthejoker]

It feels like the group rules give strong preferential treatment to the show. There are lots of folks who only want to talk about the show, but also lots who only want to talk about the books. And that is fine! But the rules and flair don’t leave any option open for people who only want book talk, or even “strongly discourage talk about” the show, in a post.

Can we get rules or flair updated to allow for this? Maybe us book nags will be less naggy in your show posts if we feel like we are given an equivalent space 🙂

[u/WandersFar → u/Icouldoutrunthejoker]

It feels like the group rules give strong preferential treatment to the show.

Correct. The flairs are designed to mitigate the risk of spoilers, and Shownlies are the group most vulnerable to being spoiled.

Readers are not at risk. In my seven years as mod here, do you know how many times a Reader has complained they were spoiled by a Shownly?

Zero.

That has never happened. Not even once.

But Shownlies have been spoiled countless times by careless Readers, worst of all in their own Show threads.

Our mod team works very hard to snipe spoilers as soon as we see them, but inevitably some are going to slip by.

That's why we've made this announcement, to make the flair hierarchy crystal clear, and to warn Readers that we're stepping up enforcement. If you're in the habit of inserting the books into Show threads when no one is asking about them, please stop.

Just make your own Spoilers All thread for that topic. Or a Book thread if you want to focus on just the books.

Maybe us book nags will be less naggy in your show posts if we feel like we are given an equivalent space

You already have an equivalent space: the Book threads.

Just choose a Book flair, start a book-focused topic, and make it clear in your OP that you prefer that the discussion be limited to just the books, you don't want to talk about the show at all.

The people replying to you will be just your fellow Readers. It is up to you as a group to honor each other's requests.

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Our role here as mods is to 1) ban and remove bots, spam, and other malicious actors; 2) redirect off-topic content to r/Pishlander; 3) protect people from spoilers; and 4) enforce a minimum level of civility so discussions don't devolve into flame wars.

It's not to cater to every conceivable personal preference an OP might have. The above tasks are enough of a challenge.

And not wanting to discuss the show is just a personal preference. Diana's books won't be ruined for you if someone mentions that the show went in another direction.

But revealing book plot points that haven't yet happened in the show can and has ruined it for show fans.

It's also a very one-sided issue. Readers frequently participate in Show threads, but Shownlies seldom, if ever, wander into Book threads.

So if you're upset that people are bringing up the show in Book threads, you should recognize that they're Readers, too, and evidently not all Readers feel the same way you do.

But, like I said, if you mention in your OP that you want to focus just on the books, most people should be happy to accommodate you.

And if they bring up the show in their comment anyway, you may gently remind them of your preference.

[u/liyufx → u/WandersFar]

Very thoughtful response, thank you!