Help defining when spoiler labels are needed?

[TheyCallMeMrKid]

Just curious about the proper use of spoiler tags. Looking for input from the moderators or board veterans.

Obviously, a thread labeled with a specific air date will contain information about that day's show (thus also revealing, at a minimum, who won the previous day), but what is the recommended practice around talk about other days' shows?

For show day threads: Episodes that ran before that date vs. episodes that ran after. Should both be hidden?

Regarding other non-date specific threads: is there a time after which it is considered ok to mention episode specific information without spoilering it? 1 week? 1 month? Anything in the current season is taboo?

[Caboom]

Just curious about the proper use of spoiler tags. Looking for input from the moderators or board veterans.

Well I've been on the boards two weeks longer than you, so in comparison that makes me a board veteran and I feel qualified to answer.

For show day threads: Episodes that ran before that date vs. episodes that ran after. Should both be hidden?

Yes. Information about previous episodes should be hidden for those who watch the games out of order. And information about later shows should be hidden for those who watch on a delay, and haven't seen the latest episodes yet.

Another note for anybody using the spoiler tags: please specify what you're spoiling on the outside of the tags (if possible without giving away the information). 98% of the time something is inside spoiler tags, it doesn't spoil anything of importance for me. But from time to time there's something there I wouldn't have wanted to see, had I known what the spoiler was about.

[Bamaman]

I would say when in doubt, use the spoiler tags.

[dhkendall]

I would say when in doubt, use the spoiler tags.

This is probably the best advice, in most situations in life.

I think the rule of thumb is two weeks, though. Saying that Ken Jennings lost his 74th game doesn't need a spoiler but saying that

Spoiler

we had two tie games in the space of a week recently, and rumour is that after the ToC the rules will change so that ties are no more (apparently tie breaker questions will be used in regular games now)

might very well need to be spoilered as it referenced something that happened in the final days of October, just over two weeks ago.