Spoilers.

[Jinx]

So, what is the time limit before a spoiler is no longer a spoiler?

[Loony BoB]

In general, or at EoFF?

For me, spoilers are always spoilers, it's just sometimes considered such common knowledge that it doesn't need to be kept hidden anymore.

[Jinx]

In general.

And you know exactly what I mean. Don't be difficult.

[Loony BoB]

Uhm. Hmm. I don't know, I guess I always consider it "not okay" until everyone else has spoiled it for the rest of the world already. I mean, how long did it take for The Sixth Sense to be spoiled for everyone and their dog? Crazy.

And Titanic! I mean, oh man. How many people already knew (SPOILER)the boat was going to sink before it did? Bloody spoilers.

[Denmark]

rosebud is tyler durden

e: on topic:
there's not really a set time limit, it's just once it seems to be pervasive in common knowledge. or a few years

[NorthernChaosGod]

I'd say it depends on the circumstances. It can be different lengths of time depending on the medium or popularity I guess. I would feel no shame whatsoever ruining key plot points to someone about The Hobbit for example.

[Jinx]

(SPOILER)Snape kills Dumbledore

It's been 7 years (holy trout) nearly since this book came out, but people still get up in arms if you mention that spoiler in the wrong circle!

[NorthernChaosGod]

Yeah, seven years for that is long enough. If you don't know already, screw you, you shouldn't have waited.

[DownDiagonalLeftA]

(SPOILER)Snape kills Dumbledore

THANKS FOR RUINING IT FOR ME.

[Mirage]

Depends entirely on the situation. If you're in a situation where a book has recently been made into a movie, and you're talking to people who don't read books, it is spoilery to tell them how it ends even if the book has been out for 5+ years.

[The Man]

I'm not sure I'd place it by time. I think it's more a consideration of how much pop-cultural osmosis there has been. I wouldn't even think of spoiling someone for the ending of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly even though it's been out for 47 years. On the other hand, everyone knows (SPOILER)the flower girl dies, Snape kills Dumbledore, it was his sled, Vader is Luke's father, Janet Leigh gets stabbed in the shower halfway through the film, and so on. It really depends how much exposure the plot twist gets in the media more than anything, I think.

[Mirage]

I didn't know more than half of that. Thanks a lot!

[Rantz]

If you don't know already, screw you, you shouldn't have waited.

I've never really understood this type of attitude. Like, if you spoil something accidentally because you didn't realise someone hadn't read it, fair enough if it's something old, you shouldn't have to be super guarded about it, especially in a private conversation. But if you're gonna be talking big spoilers in public, it's so easy to just give a quick spoiler warning, or in EoFF's case use spoiler tags, and yet people act like it's this huge bother and if anyone gets spoiled it's almost like they deserve it. Which, sure, in many cases spoilers happen in contexts where people should expect them to, but even if they don't people get defensive about their right to spoil rather than just saying sorry.

I'm not even particularly bothered by it, it just confuses me.

[Clo]

I feel like if it's been 10 YEARS and you DON'T KNOW (SPOILER)THAT AERIS DIES then TOUGH TITTIES.

Plus it's been more than ten years.

And don't you dare spoiler tag that, you filthy admin.

[Denmark]

what the heck (SPOILER)aries dies her was my favorite