GRRM - Winds won't release before Season 6 - Spoiler Rules on this forum?

[Colton Casados-Medve]

I'm so torn right now. On the one hand I started with the show and it motivated me to pick up the books. On the other hand I like the books a bit better due to the level of world-building, characterization, and detail that cannot be present in the show for technical reasons. 

In this blog post, GRRM states that the release of the book will be after the release of Season 6. He says that Season 6 will most likely contain spoilers for Winds of Winter (probably on major things, since a lot of the minor stuff has been changed in the translation from books to episodes). 

I don't know if I should watch the show and spoil Winds or attempt to brave a hostile internet-spoiler environment until Winds comes out and hope to god I don't see a meme or something that spoils stuff. At this point I'm also worried the show will conclude the story before the books. 

Anyways a more important question, what will be the official rule on this forum? Are we to avoid all discussion on season 6 material in terms of theory-crafting and what not, to make sure that the people who don't watch the show and wait for the book don't get spoiled? 

Thanks,

Colton

 

[Gronzag]

I skipped Season 5 and i won't watch Season 6 but it will be almost impossible to avoid spoilers all over the internet.

[Farerb]

It's not realistic.

You're talking about 7-8 years of avoiding spoilers.

[Trogdor Targaryen]

Good Luck in general. In my opinion, no matter what rules apply here, you have the rest of the world to worry about. I never once spilled anything more than a tease to my show watching friends about what I had read already but when I was working too late to catch an episode, I already knew. As much as I already knew what was coming in an episode titled "the lion and the rose," its still disappointing to hear about the purple wedding on the today show. That's what you can expect. These forums are amazing for how we behave to each other. That kind of behavior cannot be expected out in genpop. T.V. watchers are not conditioned to the restraint that we have grown so accustomed to.

It is literally impossible for the books to release before the books at this point, unless he's trolling us and has dream of spring as close to finished as he says winds is, and I don't think he's a dick like that, just genuinely trying to produce the finest work possible. I started the books late, the red wedding had already aired. I watched those three seasons at once before reading and it was disappointing already knowing Robb would die when I read it. When I read Geprgie boy say tue book isn't (nearly) finished, I dwelt on that memory. That being said, the show is missing that little thing that makes the books so good. That little thing is the detail. We book readers understand these characters better than any show viewer truly could. We understand some characters motivations better than the character themselves, you can't get that across on tv.

Even while we here people talking about what happened to Arya, or how on Jon did that and this and that and the other, what do they know of how it relates to previous generations or the character trues internal conflict. Even watching the show, what we know from our knowledge of the books makes us more in tune with the universe and allows us to spoil things that many will be oblivious to even after the HBO finale.

Hopefully this next season spends a good solid chunk of time on the kingsmoot, that would be worth watching and the show needs it. They could also use Young griff and the white harbor Davos storyline. It would make a different story with the circumstances as they are for Davos in white harbor considering Stannis, or would it? Manderly didn't need Stannis' abilities, he needed Davos'. Stannis just so happened to be the only one to send someone with those actual skills his way as an envoy. I can't remember what's up with Davos in the show.

at least theres a difference.

[Lord Varys]

I'd prefer it if we had a very strict spoiler policy over here. You can avoid spoilers about pretty much anything in the internet simply by not looking up or not reading certain posts, articles, etc. Perhaps you cannot avoid certain headlines but you can certainly try.

I've said it multiple times I won't watch the next season before I've read the book, and I intend to stick to that. Not only so much because I don't want to be spoiled but because I really had to drag myself through the last season. I honestly no longer enjoy watching the show all that much, and therefore see little reason to discuss it here or anywhere.

In that sense, I really see no reason why anyone should want to discuss the show in relation to the books when there isn't really all that much book stuff to be discussed in relation to the show.

Perhaps the admins could set up an entirely different sub forum for speculation about future events in the books in relation to/based on season 6? There certainly will be many people who want to do that, and it might be more reasonable to that in forum that is not exclusively books or exclusively show, but both.

That would be my approach to avoid spoilers in the book forums. But I warn you all, I'll go Kevan on anyone who actually ends up deliberately spoiling me ;-).

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

Well, technically, we already have it: anything show-related doesn't belong here and never did (that's what the GOT subfora are for). Things will slip through, though. That is inevitable. The policy has never been strictly followed by everyone, and that won't change.

You could just stop visiting this site altogether until you have read Book 6 (it's not as if we're being particularly interesting now anyway). Or just accept the fact that spoilers will find a delivery vector to your head, no matter what you do.

[XSarellaX]

Count me in on the group that won't watch season 6.

Actually, even if Winds were out, I probably wouldn't watch next season anymore. Before season 5, I still felt excited and optimistic about the show. Then I realized I was feeling angry and disappointed more often than I was enjoying it. It's just not worth it.

While it's very unlikely we can remain completely unspoiled until aDoS, I think we can avoid being spoiled about everything. We shouldn't give up before we see it's possible

As soon as season 6 starts, I'm only checking facebook to see my inbox. No browsing other people's pages until at least one month after the end of the season. I'll ask my friends to avoid discussing the show when I'm around.

 The hardest part will be avoiding ASOIAF online communities. But I think Westeros.org doesn't necessarily need to be one of them. If the show watchers keep most of the discussion on the show subforum, use spoiler tags in this subforum, and are careful when choosing thread titles (i.e "Season 6 spoilers- Randyll Tarly" vs "Will Randyll Tarly kill Mace Tyrell in the books?), I think we can manage

[XSarellaX]

Well, technically, we already have it: anything show-related doesn't belong here and never did (that's what the GOT subfora are for). Things will slip through, though. That is inevitable. The policy has never been strictly followed by everyone, and that won't change.

You could just stop visiting this site altogether until you have read Book 6 (it's not as if we're being particularly interesting now anyway). Or just accept the fact that spoilers will find a delivery vector to your head, no matter what you do.

The difference is that people would need to use spoiler tags forever, instead of dropping them after a few weeks.

But yeah, it's quite unlikely we will avoid all of the spoilers. It doesn't mean we can't avoid some of them though.

The thing is, we won't be able to have a interesting discussion about things like Jon Snow, because most people will know what happened in the show and won't be able  to fully engage in a thread in which they can't discuss the new information. 

All things considered, I still think we should try before we say it isn't worth it.

The bright side if the situation is that my grades will probably improve, since I will be forced to spend more time away from the internet

[Lord Varys]

Well, technically, we already have it: anything show-related doesn't belong here and never did (that's what the GOT subfora are for). Things will slip through, though. That is inevitable. The policy has never been strictly followed by everyone, and that won't change.

You could just stop visiting this site altogether until you have read Book 6 (it's not as if we're being particularly interesting now anyway). Or just accept the fact that spoilers will find a delivery vector to your head, no matter what you do.

Yeah, but I don't necessarily want to stop visit this board just because there is a show I'm not watching on TV.

You can try to canalize discussion better with a specific TWoW/books future in connection to the show. After all, shows threads are usually full pretty quickly, and there might actually be quite a few people who would want to discuss show elements especially in relation to the (future of the) books. That would be a new and unique situation, rather different from a normal book/show comparison discussion.

And I gather the potential for such discussions would be reasonably great, especially if TWoW isn't published shortly after the sixth season has aired. Not to mention that season 6 might actually already contain spoilers for ADoS if the show rushes things.

Count me in on the group that won't watch season 6.

Actually, even if Winds were out, I probably wouldn't watch next season anymore. Before season 5, I still felt excited and optimistic about the show. Then I realized I was feeling angry and disappointed more often than I was enjoying it. It's just not worth it.

While it's very unlikely we can remain completely unspoiled until aDoS, I think we can avoid being spoiled about everything. We shouldn't give up before we see it's possible

As soon as season 6 starts, I'm only checking facebook to see my inbox. No browsing other people's pages until at least one month after the end of the season. I'll ask my friends to avoid discussing the show when I'm around.

 The hardest part will be avoiding ASOIAF online communities. But I think Westeros.org doesn't necessarily need to be one of them. If the show watchers keep most of the discussion on the show subforum, use spoiler tags in this subforum, and are careful when choosing thread titles (i.e "Season 6 spoilers- Randyll Tarly" vs "Will Randyll Tarly kill Mace Tyrell in the books?), I think we can manage

Well, the moment that sort of broke the show for me were the broke Lannisters. It is such a trivial detail, but I really couldn't help myself. I laughed tears for ten minutes or so. After that, it was difficult to take the show seriously, and season 5 added to that in the sense that the overall story, dialogue, and plot scarcely resembled the books anymore.

I actually realized that I honestly don't care what happened to these people, and would not watch the show if it wasn't based on George's books. I even tend to forget what has happened in the show, a strong sign that I'm not really emotionally invested in the whole thing.

[RumHam]

I'm sure someone will create a browser plugin to redact spoilers, like someone did for the new Star Wars. It'd probably have to be more complicated, containing a database of hundreds of character and location names. But I'm sure it's doable.

[wolfmaid7]

It all seems mute. Given GRRM's post on NAB we really won't know what's a spoiler and what isn't.As he said " somethings maybe,yes, no ................the show and the books have diverged and will continue to do so."

So i say watch the show discuss the show on the show forum but until the books come out we are all very much in the dark.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

The show will spoil plot points, as in if in the book Jon dies, he will die in the show too. The show will do it ridiculously, though, like he did with his stabbing.

It's gonna be like listening rumours or gossip. You'll know who had sex with who, but not the whole story, which is what matters at the end.

[purple-eyes]

after all this is a show based on this book. 

details may be different, but major plots are going to be same. 

i think it is almost impossible to avoid spoilers. 

 

[LazyBazooka]

The show will spoil plot points, as in if in the book Jon dies, he will die in the show too. The show will do it ridiculously, though, like he did with his stabbing.

It's gonna be like listening rumours or gossip. You'll know who had sex with who, but not the whole story, which is what matters at the end.

Exactly this. Besides, there's no way you'll be able to completely avoid getting spoiled. Not unless you stay off the internet and avoid talking to people in general for the next decade until A Dream of Spring comes out.

[bent branch]

Yeah, but I don't necessarily want to stop visit this board just because there is a show I'm not watching on TV.

You can try to canalize discussion better with a specific TWoW/books future in connection to the show. After all, shows threads are usually full pretty quickly, and there might actually be quite a few people who would want to discuss show elements especially in relation to the (future of the) books. That would be a new and unique situation, rather different from a normal book/show comparison discussion.

And I gather the potential for such discussions would be reasonably great, especially if TWoW isn't published shortly after the sixth season has aired. Not to mention that season 6 might actually already contain spoilers for ADoS if the show rushes things.

Well, the moment that sort of broke the show for me were the broke Lannisters. It is such a trivial detail, but I really couldn't help myself. I laughed tears for ten minutes or so. After that, it was difficult to take the show seriously, and season 5 added to that in the sense that the overall story, dialogue, and plot scarcely resembled the books anymore.

I actually realized that I honestly don't care what happened to these people, and would not watch the show if it wasn't based on George's books. I even tend to forget what has happened in the show, a strong sign that I'm not really emotionally invested in the whole thing.

The moment that finally severed the books and show for me was when they showed the new Daario playing pattycake with Grey Worm. Yes, I know it wasn't pattycake, but it was a version of pattycake and the absurdity was just what it took to sever the two in my mind.

Once this separation has happened the show needs to stand on its own and the show isn't holding up. The show has become a series of big events with a very thin storyline in between these high points. Because of this I too find it hard to remember what exactly has happened in the show. This is a sign of waning interest on my part.

As far as spoilers go, I think we may all have different ideas about what spoiler means. GRRM may have told D&D that "Stannis burns Shireen as a sacrifice to R'hllor", but we know it cannot happen as it did in the show. For me, why something happens is far more important than what happens, so I don't feel at all spoiled on this issue. This will be the same for any other "spoilers" that may happen on the show. So if I stop watching the show it will be because of a lack of interest rather than a fear of spoilers.

[Equilibrium]

Exactly this. Besides, there's no way you'll be able to completely avoid getting spoiled. Not unless you stay off the internet and avoid talking to people in general for the next decade until A Dream of Spring comes out.

That is so not true. I really can't name one place I go on internet that can spoil me the ASOIAF, I just don't use social networks or meme sites and such.

And very few of my friends watches GoT (a lot read the books but hates the show) and I really don't expect casual acquaintances to open a conversation with latest GoT spoilers.

Yes, it can happen that I overhear some conversation about GoT, but chances are pretty low and even if I do that won't spoil me much. And if spoilers here are rampart I will not come here.

So no spoilers for me, I will remain pure until I receive the plot ending from the books.

And it really isn't that hard.

 

 

 

[apovsic]

So, where do you people live that you have to avoid friends not to be spoiled? Seriously I had lite 3 conversations about ASOIAF or GOT in five years in total.

[Equilibrium]

So, where do you people live that you have to avoid friends not to be spoiled? Seriously I had lite 3 conversations about ASOIAF or GOT in five years in total.

In US probably, they really follow the TV over there.

 

[apovsic]

In US probably, they really follow the TV over there.

 

Well, some time ago, I would be jealous. Now, not so much.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Spoilers aren't that bad to avoid. The ending of the last ep. of TBBT was a huge thing and I found out by checking the thread about it in this board.