m (Changed protection level for "Tardis:Spoiler policy": This is a policy or help page ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))) |
Shambala108 (talk | contribs) (cleanup) |
||
| (48 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | <div id=box> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| + | Starting on the weekend of 21 July 2018, this policy is being simplified into several shorter pages to bring it into line with other policy areas. While it's being refactored, these new pages may be temporarily redundant of, or in minor conflict with, each other. |
||
| + | </div> |
||
| + | {{mosnav|p=Spoiler policy|c=Spoiler policies}} |
||
| + | {{moss|It's not just [[River Song]] who needs to worry about '''[[spoiler]]s'''. Defining them helps readers and editors alike know what to expect from the wiki.}}{{lock}}{{sc|T:SPOIL}} |
||
| ⚫ | In order to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information, this wiki contains details about all stories that have been officially broadcast, released or published for the first time, be it in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]], or the [[United States]]. These details would be [[spoiler]]s to some, but not to this wiki. If a story has been officially released, anywhere in the world, it may be discussed freely anywhere on this site. It's up to you to determine whether you wish to be spoiled about available stories that you ''personally'' have not yet experienced. |
||
| − | Instead, we only regulate spoilers which come from adventures that have not yet been released. This '''spoiler |
+ | Instead, we only regulate spoilers which come from adventures that have not yet been released. This '''spoiler policy''' defines what we consider to be spoilers. It goes on to give instruction as to how such information can and cannot be integrated into pages here. |
| − | ==How we define |
+ | == How we define "spoiler" == |
| + | {{sc|T:SPOIL DEF}} |
||
| − | A spoiler is any information |
+ | A spoiler is any information — in-universe or behind-the-scenes — coming from a story which has not yet been officially released [[#Comics are special case|in its entirety]]. Even if released by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]], [[Starz]] or [[Metal Mutt Productions]], the following concrete examples are spoilers — but this list is by no means exhaustive: |
| − | *"Next Time" trailers, teaser trailers, or anything similar |
+ | * "Next Time" trailers, teaser trailers, or anything similar |
| − | *Cast or crew announcements |
+ | * Cast or crew announcements |
| − | *Information from an official website about a future episode |
||
| − | *Information from an |
+ | * Information from an official website about a future episode |
| + | * Information from an interview with a production principal |
||
| − | *''Any'' information about an unbroadcast or unreleased story |
+ | * ''Any'' information about an unbroadcast or unreleased story |
| + | == Official info == |
||
| − | We only permit spoilers in these areas: |
||
| + | {{sc|T:OFFICIAL INFO}} |
||
| − | *articles about series, such as [[series 6 (Doctor Who)]] |
||
| + | What, then, do we do with information that comes from a reputable source like the BBC itself? We use it '''only''' on the series page. It cannot be used elsewhere. The three biggest types of "official" info are story titles, casting information, and the odd leak of in-universe information. Let's look at these three types in turn. |
||
| − | *articles about stories |
||
| − | *the [[Howling:The Howling|The Howling]] [[namespace]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | Please note spoilers are '''completely forbidden''' on in-universe pages, such as [[Eleventh Doctor]] or [[Torchwood Institute]] or [[sonic lipstick]]. The reason for this prohibition is simple: it is impossible to verify narrative elements before a story is actually released. And, indeed, even reputable sources occasionally get it wrong. If we were to believe ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'', for instance, [[Oswald Danes]] would actually be Oswald ''Jones'' ([[DWM 427]]). Because so much on a wiki depends upon the correct titling of articles, it's a tremendous time saver to wait and see what happens in the story as published or broadcast. |
||
| ⚫ | Stories that have been confirmed — by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]], [[Starz]], [[Metal Mutt Productions]] or any other production partner — but have not been broadcast are [[Tardis:Protection policy|fully protected]] to prevent creation until the stories have been broadcast or released. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Furthermore, only articles about '''series''' are generally left open to general editng. '''Story''' articles are typically protected from general editing until the moment of official release. Story names have been known to change immediately prior to broadcast, as with ''[[The Vampires of Venice]]''. This has occasioned additional work, which could have been avoided had we but waited to create the article until the night of first broadcast. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Nevertheless both series and story articles about un-released adventures must carry {{tl|pre-broadcast spoiler}} at the top of the the article, until that event has been ''completely'' broadcast or published. This alerts the reader to spoilers about upcoming adventures and places all such articles in the [[:Category:Pre-broadcast spoilers|a common category]] for easy maintenance. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Spoiler information relating to not-yet-released stories must be kept to '''series''' or, in some cases, '''story''' articles. Please do not create articles about '''narrative''' elements rumoured to exist within stories that haven't been released. |
||
| − | ===What does ''officially released'' mean?=== |
||
| − | Basically, the rule is really simple. If the factoid you want to write about hasn't been in a story that has been officially released, you can't write about it here. |
||
| − | |||
| − | However, for clarity, it might be useful to define the word ''released'' as it affects this policy. We consider something ''officially released'' when it is made available to the ''general'' public, in venues that are ordinarily and legally used for that particular medium. |
||
| − | *For [[Big Finish]] audios, the moment of public release is when a story is made available to download by the official Big Finish website. For those audio dramas ''not'' made downloadable, the moment of release is whatever date the company sets on its website for the CD release. |
||
| − | ::'''Example''': [[CC]]: ''[[Quinnis (audio story)|Quinnis]] has a release date of [[31st December]] [http://www.bigfinish.com/506-Doctor-Who-The-Companion-Chronicles-Quinnis on the Big Finish website]. However, it was actually made available for download the [[23rd December]]. Thus, the 23rd became the "date of official release". |
||
| − | *For televised episodes, time, not just date, of release is fairly crucial. And the time at which you can start editing articles about those episodes is deemed to be the top or bottom of the hour ''closest to'' the time at which the end credits roll on the global premiere broadcaster's initial showing of the episode, on their primary broadcasting channel. |
||
| − | ::'''Example one''': ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'' episodes premiere at 2200 EST (0200 UTC) every Friday night. Articles about those episodes can be edited starting at 2300 Friday nights, EST (0300 UTC). On a related note, [[TW]]: ''[[The New World]]'' was actually made available online, by [[Starz]], prior to 2200 [[8th July]] [[2011]]. However, as primarily a ''television'' episode, ''[[The New World]]'' was not open for general editing until after Starz' announced television premiere at 2300 8th July. |
||
| − | ::'''Example two''': You attend the British Film Institute's screening of [[SJA]]: ''[[Death of the Doctor]]'', in mid-October [[2010]]. The event is officially sanctioned by the BBC. Nevertheless, the date of official release remains [[25th October]] [[2010]], the date of first broadcast on [[CBBC]]. You can begin editing the article at 1730 British time on the 25th October. |
||
| − | *For books, it's the date given by the publisher as the release date. You get a copy before tha date. Nevertheless, you cannot write about that story here until the date the publisher gives as the official launch date. |
||
| − | ::'''Example''': You pre-order [[NSA]]: ''[[Borrowed Time (novel)|Borrowed Time]]'' from amazon.com. Through a fluke of shipping, it arrives through your door a couple of days before the official release date given by [[BBC Books]]. You must wait until the official release date to write articles about it here. |
||
| − | *For comic books, it's the date it '''actually''' hits comic stores (not necessarily the [[solicitation]] date), or the date it's made available on a company's official digital comic reader application, whichever is first. Though publisher's delays push back the date of official release, distributor's delays generally don't. Distribution snafus can mean that a comic has hit some comic stores, but not every comic store. The comic is nevertheless deemed to have been officially released. |
||
| − | ::'''Example one''': An issue of ''[[Don't Step on the Grass]]'' is delayed to comic shops west of the Mississippi in the [[United States]]. (No, really, it happened!) The "day of official release" was therefore deemed to be the ''initial'' day on which distribution was successful ''east'' of the Mississippi. |
||
| − | ::'''Example two''': The comic is generally delivered around the country, but doesn't hit ''your local'' comic store. The "day of official release" is unchanged. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't go to our article on that issue. |
||
| − | *For theatrical performances of live stories, the official release date is the first performance open to general admission in the first city on a tour. Therefore, if you attend a dress rehearsal, even at the behest of the production company, you have not attended a global premiere. |
||
| − | ::'''Example''': A new, two-hour piece called ''Doctor Who: The Play's the Thing'' is going on a 10-city tour, starting in [[Edinburgh]] at 1900 BST on [[1st August]] and ending in [[London]] on [[20th September]]. The article on this story, as well as those articles about elements from this story, may be edited beginning at 2100 BST 1st August. If you hold tickets to the Leeds performance on the [[10th August]], you'll have to avoid the article on ''The Play's the Thing'' until the 10th so you're not spoiled. |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Stories that have been confirmed — by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]], [[Starz]], [[Metal Mutt Productions]] or any other production partner — but have not been broadcast |
||
Information relating to these fully protected stories should go on the story's series article. |
Information relating to these fully protected stories should go on the story's series article. |
||
| − | For example, prior to the [[The Sarah Jane Adventures]] television story ''[[The Nightmare Man]]'' being broadcast it would have been fully protected, any ''sourced'' information relating to it would go on the [[Series 4 ( |
+ | For example, prior to the ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' television story ''[[The Nightmare Man]]'' being broadcast it would have been fully protected, any ''sourced'' information relating to it would go on the [[Series 4 (SJA)]] article. |
| + | |||
| − | |||
| − | === |
+ | === Confirmed actors and in-universe elements === |
| − | '''DO NOT''' create articles relating to in-universe elements or actors who will appear in yet to be broadcast or released stories. This information is often vague, inaccurate or contains spoilers. |
+ | '''DO NOT''' create articles relating to in-universe elements or actors who will appear in yet to be broadcast or released stories, '''even if the information comes from an official BBC press release.''' This information is often vague, inaccurate or contains spoilers. |
If these articles are created they will be '''''deleted'''''. |
If these articles are created they will be '''''deleted'''''. |
||
| Line 54: | Line 36: | ||
Also, please do not add spoilers to in-universe articles, even to the Behind the scenes section. Please wait until an episode airs before adding the new information. All spoilers relating to an in-universe article should be place on the appropriate series page. |
Also, please do not add spoilers to in-universe articles, even to the Behind the scenes section. Please wait until an episode airs before adding the new information. All spoilers relating to an in-universe article should be place on the appropriate series page. |
||
| − | ==Rumours== |
+ | == Rumours == |
| + | {{sc|T:RUMOUR|T:RUMOR}} |
||
| − | + | Rumours '''are''' allowed on series pages, but they must be cited so that users can verify the page's claims. Citation of this kind is effected by reference tags around the source, like this: <nowiki><ref> '''source'''</ref></nowiki>. All facts not confirmed by the BBC Press Office or members of the production crew in a formal interview must be placed within a section labeled "rumours" so that users may clearly understand what they are reading. |
|
Information without a source can be tagged with {{tl|fact}} or {{tl|facts}} which produces the following results: {{fact}} and {{facts}} |
Information without a source can be tagged with {{tl|fact}} or {{tl|facts}} which produces the following results: {{fact}} and {{facts}} |
||
| − | ===Cast or crew information=== |
+ | === Cast or crew information === |
| + | {{sc|T:SPOIL CREW}} |
||
Information as to cast and crew '''must''' initially start in the rumours section of an article, '''unless the news is ''broken'' by the production company themselves'''. Once the person has been confirmed through either official, production company press release or a known member of the production team, it may be moved to either the cast or crew section, as appropriate. It must still, however, retain a citation, as mentioned above. (<nowiki><ref> '''source'''</ref></nowiki>) |
Information as to cast and crew '''must''' initially start in the rumours section of an article, '''unless the news is ''broken'' by the production company themselves'''. Once the person has been confirmed through either official, production company press release or a known member of the production team, it may be moved to either the cast or crew section, as appropriate. It must still, however, retain a citation, as mentioned above. (<nowiki><ref> '''source'''</ref></nowiki>) |
||
Only after the story is released may the reference tags be pulled from the article. |
Only after the story is released may the reference tags be pulled from the article. |
||
| − | ===After broadcast=== |
+ | === After broadcast === |
Rumour sections are subject to complete removal after the story is broadcast or published, unless a rumour has some bearing on the story as released. By their nature though, rumours are rarely of any value once a story becomes public. If they turn out to be true, the info naturally goes into another section of the article. If they turn out to be false, the info is most often dismissed as no longer interesting. |
Rumour sections are subject to complete removal after the story is broadcast or published, unless a rumour has some bearing on the story as released. By their nature though, rumours are rarely of any value once a story becomes public. If they turn out to be true, the info naturally goes into another section of the article. If they turn out to be false, the info is most often dismissed as no longer interesting. |
||
Once the story is released, ''it'' becomes the primary source for information about itself. Thus, the credit roll at the end of the story becomes the highest-order source for information about the cast and crew, and citation for that person's involvement is no longer necessary. |
Once the story is released, ''it'' becomes the primary source for information about itself. Thus, the credit roll at the end of the story becomes the highest-order source for information about the cast and crew, and citation for that person's involvement is no longer necessary. |
||
| − | ===Full example=== |
+ | === Full example === |
| − | For example, let's imagine that Jennifer Aniston were rumoured to be in an episode of ''Doctor Who'' called ''The One with the Bug-Eyed Monsters''. |
+ | For example, let's imagine that Jennifer Aniston were rumoured to be in an episode of ''Doctor Who'' called ''The One with the Bug-Eyed Monsters''. And imagine we learned of her involvement first through a report on DigitalSpy. So initially, we'd put her in the "Rumours" section, and cite Digital Spy. Then imagine she were to be confirmed by the BBC Press Office. We'd pull her up to the "Cast" section and change the citation to BBC Press Office. Then imagine ''The One with the Bug-Eyed Monsters'' comes out. Sure enough, she's in it. At this point you can remove all citations, because it's now a fact established by the episode itself. |
| − | ==Spoilers and the forums== |
+ | == Spoilers and the forums == |
| + | {{sc|T:SPOIL FORUM}} |
||
| − | As made clear above, spoilers are ''only'' allowed on series pages |
+ | As made clear above, spoilers are ''only'' allowed on series pages. Spoilers are not allowed anywhere else, save from [[Howling:The Howling]]. They are absolutely not allowed in the various forum [[namespace]]s — i.e. '''Forum''', '''Thread''', '''Board Thread''', '''Theory''' and '''Topic''' — '''at all'''. Please be very careful about how you speak in the forums of the current series of the various programmes we cover. The excuses, "Oh, but that's in a preview trailer", or "the BBC have already released that", will not protect you from the wrath of an administrator. Our definition of a spoiler is simple, but it's different than the common definition of a spoiler. Trailers '''are''' spoilers. Information on the BBC's website prior to the broadcast of an episode is a spoiler. A spoiler is '''not''' "that which hasn't been released by the BBC". A spoiler is "'''anything''' released by '''anyone''' prior to the debut of the story in the country of first publication". Even "next time" trailers that frequently come at the end of episodes are considered spoilers here. |
The forums ''must'' be areas in which every user can go without fear of encountering material about un-broadcast episodes. Again, when we say "un-broadcast", we mean "not yet broadcast in the country of first publication. Thus, it is not a violation of this policy to, for example, talk about the latest episode of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'' on a Saturday night, even though the BBC premiere won't be until the following Thursday. Nor is it a violation to talk about the comic strip in the latest issue of DWM, even though American readers could not possibly have received their copy yet. |
The forums ''must'' be areas in which every user can go without fear of encountering material about un-broadcast episodes. Again, when we say "un-broadcast", we mean "not yet broadcast in the country of first publication. Thus, it is not a violation of this policy to, for example, talk about the latest episode of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'' on a Saturday night, even though the BBC premiere won't be until the following Thursday. Nor is it a violation to talk about the comic strip in the latest issue of DWM, even though American readers could not possibly have received their copy yet. |
||
| − | Finally, it is a violation of this policy to use the template {{ |
+ | Finally, it is a violation of this policy to use the template {{tlx|Please see}}, or any other page link, to entreat someone to come to a thread in the Howling namespace. This is the equivalent of a "form letter", and it makes it look to the reader like you're asking them to any other forum thread. If you want someone to join you at the Howling, please write out a personalised message. And, if the thread to which you're inviting them includes spoilers about the future, please '''make that fact clear''' in your message on their talk page. If a user comes to an admin, complaining that they were asked to go see a thread, and now that thread has ruined things for them, then the party who extended the invitation is in violation of this policy. |
| + | == FANDOM is partially exempt from this spoiler policy == |
||
| + | {{sc|T:SPOIL FANDOM}} |
||
| + | Following the creation of FANDOM News and Stories — stories derived from fandom.wikia.com — certain parts of every wiki on the FANDOM network contain news feeds controlled entirely by FANDOM. Occasionally, stories about ''Doctor Who'' bubble up to these feeds, and these are seen on most pages at Tardis. |
||
| + | |||
| + | It is impossible, both technically and in view of FANDOM's Terms of Use, to opt out of these stories — even when they obviously contradict this spoiler policy. |
||
| + | |||
| + | Therefore, links in FANDOM-controlled areas of Tardis pages to FANDOM-generated articles are exempt from this policy. |
||
| + | |||
| + | However, those areas of Tardis which are wholly controlled by the local community are still governed by the above rules. |
||
| + | |||
| + | Practically speaking, this means that you cannot add anything to ''any'' namespace that makes reference to a FANDOM story — except to series pages, and the Howling namespace, as discussed above. |
||
| + | |||
| + | FANDOM staff members are ''conditionally'' exempt from this notion in '''Forum spaces only''', so long as they make a reasonable effort to obscure spoilers, and they make it abundantly clear that users are being linked to spoilers. '''FANDOM staff can also post spoilers in Discussions''', but those spoilers must ''only'' be in the category called "FANDOM posts". Additionally, '''only''' FANDOM staff members may post in this category. |
||
| + | === Citing FANDOM stories in wiki articles === |
||
| − | [[Category:Policies|Spoiler]] |
||
| + | If you choose to cite a FANDOM story about something which has not been [[T:OFF REL|officially released]], it should typically be treated '''as a rumour''', if there be no official BBC announcement to back up the FANDOM story. And when citing FANDOM stories, care should be taken to give a '''proper''' citation. Sometimes, FANDOM stories are republications of work by others, so please do not attribute to FANDOM a story that was actually written by someone else. FANDOM will always make this distinction very clear. |
||
Revision as of 22:29, 23 July 2020
Starting on the weekend of 21 July 2018, this policy is being simplified into several shorter pages to bring it into line with other policy areas. While it's being refactored, these new pages may be temporarily redundant of, or in minor conflict with, each other.
|
Spoiler policy
Official releases → Where spoilers are allowed → Comics and spoilers → Ways you can avoid spoilers → What is not a spoiler → |
In order to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information, this wiki contains details about all stories that have been officially broadcast, released or published for the first time, be it in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, or the United States. These details would be spoilers to some, but not to this wiki. If a story has been officially released, anywhere in the world, it may be discussed freely anywhere on this site. It's up to you to determine whether you wish to be spoiled about available stories that you personally have not yet experienced.
Instead, we only regulate spoilers which come from adventures that have not yet been released. This spoiler policy defines what we consider to be spoilers. It goes on to give instruction as to how such information can and cannot be integrated into pages here.
How we define "spoiler"
A spoiler is any information — in-universe or behind-the-scenes — coming from a story which has not yet been officially released in its entirety. Even if released by the BBC, Starz or Metal Mutt Productions, the following concrete examples are spoilers — but this list is by no means exhaustive:
- "Next Time" trailers, teaser trailers, or anything similar
- Cast or crew announcements
- Information from an official website about a future episode
- Information from an interview with a production principal
- Any information about an unbroadcast or unreleased story
Official info
What, then, do we do with information that comes from a reputable source like the BBC itself? We use it only on the series page. It cannot be used elsewhere. The three biggest types of "official" info are story titles, casting information, and the odd leak of in-universe information. Let's look at these three types in turn.
Confirmed stories
Stories that have been confirmed — by the BBC, Starz, Metal Mutt Productions or any other production partner — but have not been broadcast are fully protected to prevent creation until the stories have been broadcast or released.
Information relating to these fully protected stories should go on the story's series article.
For example, prior to the The Sarah Jane Adventures television story The Nightmare Man being broadcast it would have been fully protected, any sourced information relating to it would go on the Series 4 (SJA) article.
Confirmed actors and in-universe elements
DO NOT create articles relating to in-universe elements or actors who will appear in yet to be broadcast or released stories, even if the information comes from an official BBC press release. This information is often vague, inaccurate or contains spoilers.
If these articles are created they will be deleted.
- To nominate a page for deletion add {{proposed deletion|reason for deletion}} and add your reason for nominating the page for deletion. See our Deletion policy for more information.
Also, please do not add spoilers to in-universe articles, even to the Behind the scenes section. Please wait until an episode airs before adding the new information. All spoilers relating to an in-universe article should be place on the appropriate series page.
Rumours
Rumours are allowed on series pages, but they must be cited so that users can verify the page's claims. Citation of this kind is effected by reference tags around the source, like this: <ref> '''source'''</ref>. All facts not confirmed by the BBC Press Office or members of the production crew in a formal interview must be placed within a section labeled "rumours" so that users may clearly understand what they are reading.
Information without a source can be tagged with {{fact}} or {{facts}} which produces the following results: [source needed] and [additional sources needed]
Cast or crew information
Information as to cast and crew must initially start in the rumours section of an article, unless the news is broken by the production company themselves. Once the person has been confirmed through either official, production company press release or a known member of the production team, it may be moved to either the cast or crew section, as appropriate. It must still, however, retain a citation, as mentioned above. (<ref> '''source'''</ref>)
Only after the story is released may the reference tags be pulled from the article.
After broadcast
Rumour sections are subject to complete removal after the story is broadcast or published, unless a rumour has some bearing on the story as released. By their nature though, rumours are rarely of any value once a story becomes public. If they turn out to be true, the info naturally goes into another section of the article. If they turn out to be false, the info is most often dismissed as no longer interesting.
Once the story is released, it becomes the primary source for information about itself. Thus, the credit roll at the end of the story becomes the highest-order source for information about the cast and crew, and citation for that person's involvement is no longer necessary.
Full example
For example, let's imagine that Jennifer Aniston were rumoured to be in an episode of Doctor Who called The One with the Bug-Eyed Monsters. And imagine we learned of her involvement first through a report on DigitalSpy. So initially, we'd put her in the "Rumours" section, and cite Digital Spy. Then imagine she were to be confirmed by the BBC Press Office. We'd pull her up to the "Cast" section and change the citation to BBC Press Office. Then imagine The One with the Bug-Eyed Monsters comes out. Sure enough, she's in it. At this point you can remove all citations, because it's now a fact established by the episode itself.
Spoilers and the forums
As made clear above, spoilers are only allowed on series pages. Spoilers are not allowed anywhere else, save from Howling:The Howling. They are absolutely not allowed in the various forum namespaces — i.e. Forum, Thread, Board Thread, Theory and Topic — at all. Please be very careful about how you speak in the forums of the current series of the various programmes we cover. The excuses, "Oh, but that's in a preview trailer", or "the BBC have already released that", will not protect you from the wrath of an administrator. Our definition of a spoiler is simple, but it's different than the common definition of a spoiler. Trailers are spoilers. Information on the BBC's website prior to the broadcast of an episode is a spoiler. A spoiler is not "that which hasn't been released by the BBC". A spoiler is "anything released by anyone prior to the debut of the story in the country of first publication". Even "next time" trailers that frequently come at the end of episodes are considered spoilers here.
The forums must be areas in which every user can go without fear of encountering material about un-broadcast episodes. Again, when we say "un-broadcast", we mean "not yet broadcast in the country of first publication. Thus, it is not a violation of this policy to, for example, talk about the latest episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day on a Saturday night, even though the BBC premiere won't be until the following Thursday. Nor is it a violation to talk about the comic strip in the latest issue of DWM, even though American readers could not possibly have received their copy yet.
Finally, it is a violation of this policy to use the template {{Please see}}, or any other page link, to entreat someone to come to a thread in the Howling namespace. This is the equivalent of a "form letter", and it makes it look to the reader like you're asking them to any other forum thread. If you want someone to join you at the Howling, please write out a personalised message. And, if the thread to which you're inviting them includes spoilers about the future, please make that fact clear in your message on their talk page. If a user comes to an admin, complaining that they were asked to go see a thread, and now that thread has ruined things for them, then the party who extended the invitation is in violation of this policy.
FANDOM is partially exempt from this spoiler policy
Following the creation of FANDOM News and Stories — stories derived from fandom.wikia.com — certain parts of every wiki on the FANDOM network contain news feeds controlled entirely by FANDOM. Occasionally, stories about Doctor Who bubble up to these feeds, and these are seen on most pages at Tardis.
It is impossible, both technically and in view of FANDOM's Terms of Use, to opt out of these stories — even when they obviously contradict this spoiler policy.
Therefore, links in FANDOM-controlled areas of Tardis pages to FANDOM-generated articles are exempt from this policy.
However, those areas of Tardis which are wholly controlled by the local community are still governed by the above rules.
Practically speaking, this means that you cannot add anything to any namespace that makes reference to a FANDOM story — except to series pages, and the Howling namespace, as discussed above.
FANDOM staff members are conditionally exempt from this notion in Forum spaces only, so long as they make a reasonable effort to obscure spoilers, and they make it abundantly clear that users are being linked to spoilers. FANDOM staff can also post spoilers in Discussions, but those spoilers must only be in the category called "FANDOM posts". Additionally, only FANDOM staff members may post in this category.
Citing FANDOM stories in wiki articles
If you choose to cite a FANDOM story about something which has not been officially released, it should typically be treated as a rumour, if there be no official BBC announcement to back up the FANDOM story. And when citing FANDOM stories, care should be taken to give a proper citation. Sometimes, FANDOM stories are republications of work by others, so please do not attribute to FANDOM a story that was actually written by someone else. FANDOM will always make this distinction very clear.