ADMIN: HBP Spoiler Policy

[Debbie]

No: HPFGUIDX 129899

Greetings from Hexquarters!

As we all count down the days until the release of HBP, the rumour-
mill is beginning to spin faster and faster, spitting out tidbits 
(whether true or false) about what we'll find between the covers 
come 16 July.

Beginning today, we would like members to use the "HBP" prefix for 
any post to any of our lists that contains spoilers for HBP.  
Subject headers should not, of course, contain spoilers themselves --
"HBP: It's Salazar!" rather defeats the point of the HBP prefix.

For example, an appropriate subject header might be, "HBP: Harry, 
Snape." Harry and Snape are so interconnected in previous books that 
this isn't a spoiler. "HBP: Harry, Lupin" on the other hand, *would* 
be a spoiler, as we don't know whether Lupin is in Book 6. "HBP: 
Lupin" would be better (as for all we know, you might be posting on 
why Lupin isn't in the book).

Remember that a subject header which has *both* a chapter number
and a subject is in itself a spoiler. 'HBP: Chapter 32 - Lupin' 
tells readers that Lupin turns up in Chapter 32. For a reader only 
on Chapter 7, that's a spoiler. If you want to discuss a particular 
chapter, use chapter numbers *only*. 'HBP: Chapter 32' is fine.

Also, because Yahoo's format may make reading some text impossible 
to avoid, please include a few lines of
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
space before revealing any spoilers.  Be sure to type characters 
into your spoiler lines, or Yahoo will skip over the blank lines and 
display the spoiler.

What's a spoiler? Use common sense. A spoiler is anything you KNOW 
will be in Book 6. Not as in 'I saw it in a dream'; more 'I saw it 
in the Scholastic catalog/ on the cover art / on the press 
release.'  Anything that you THINK will be in HBP based on evidence 
in Books 1-5, or your own wild speculation is *not* a spoiler. We've 
been speculating about what we THINK will be in HBP for the last 
couple of years, after all...

So, if you KNOW that parts of your post include information that 
will be in HBP, you need the HBP: prefix and spoiler space.

Please begin using the new "HBP" prefix on all of our lists -- 
especially the main list and OT-Chatter -- beginning today. And 
remember, if you have any comments about any HBP release issues, 
holler at us at:

hpforgrownups-owner at yahoogroups.com

And if you don't use it, don't be surprised if you suddenly find 
yourself being hung upside down over the Slytherin Common Room 
fire. ;-)

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible 
thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution." [PS/SS 
Chapter 17]

Be like Dumbledore. Tell people as little as possible. ;-)

Counting down to 16 July,

The Administration Team