Non Spoiled - Discussion - Suggestions - All Are Welcomed to Participate

This thread has been created to share idea's on how we can improve our Non Spoiled threads. We have had a very successful season of non spoiled members and we hope to continue going forward.

For those who are thinking of going non spoiled, post your questions concerns idea's here.

For those that were non spoiled, post any new suggestions or changes you would like to see.

The rules are sticked in this thread. For those who are spoiled, I encourage you to read them.

There are basically two types of Non Spoiled.

1. No Spoilers - this section simply watches the epi's and discusses what they viewed. There is no sleuthing at all. No outside source influences, no spoilers of any kind.

2. No Spoilers - Sleuthing - this allows for the non spoiled members who want to sleuth without spoilers. They sleuth only information that has been aired, or posted by ABC.

Once the season started we made a few changes to help alleviate the issues we had. Posts included spoilers, posts hinting at spoiled information, posts that were copied from the No Spoilers to the Spoiled section etc.

One of the suggestions given to me was to indicate in your avatar in the country section "NON SPOILED BACH 21" or something to that effect. Or you can add it to your signature line.

Spoilers are only allowed in the topics for the season that is airing. No spoilers are allowed in any other threads. The purpose of that rule is so every one can enjoy other threads without worrying about being spoiled.

If a member has that message indicated in their Avatar or in their signature line, and are posting for example in the General Discussion of a former contestant, this will hopefully trigger other's to make sure no spoilers are mentioned.

To add a phrase under your Avatar:

Profiles - (under the banner) - Information tab - Location - insert your phrase

Signature line - Profiles - Signature - Insert your phrase there - you can add colour bold etc.

If you are thinking of going non spoiled, IMO start now. It's not fair to those who are completely unspoiled, if one participates after the fact. If we feel there is information posted from the spoiled side, it will be deleted.

Litta and LadyBug graciously provided s/caps links etc, with warnings of potential spoilers. If any members needed anything, they asked, and one of the mods would accommodate.

Let the discussions begin!

I had a difficult time going into any other threads and still staying unspoiled.  99% of the time I just avoided going into any other threads like the BIP, contestant fan threads, etc because I just wasn't sure if I was going to read something that was going to give away the ending on ette.  So, are you saying that nothing that could spoil the ending of the current season can be mentioned in any of the other threads, unless those threads are labeled spoiler? I was always worried that I was going to read something to give away the winner, because I wasn't totally sure of how it worked.

I think that the color coding helped - having the non-spoiler threads in red and further down on the page helped me to not accidentally click into a spoiled thread, and helped spoiled members to not accidentally post in the non-spoiler thread.

To be completely frank, in the few times that I did enter the other threads besides the ette non-spoiler threads, the thing that played the most mind games with me were the avatars.  It was obvious to me that there were a lot of Jordan, Luke, and Chase, and None of Robby. I saw a few that had Jojo and Jordan as a couple, but none of the other men with Jojo as a couple that I can recall. For the most part, I chalked this up to the edit or individual taste of the members.  Even in the non-spoiler thread I found there to be more Jordam Luke and Chase fans than Robby fans. But, it also made me wonder if there wouldn't have been some Robby avatars IF he WAS the F1. It is human nature to possibly like a contestant if you think they are the F1.

Going one step further, and I am saying this for informational purposes, as an FYI to others who may want to try going unspoiled, and not to complain or try to call anyone out, but there is a member here who has a pattern of making her avatar the winning couple each season.  I am not saying that is wrong to do or that it is not her perogative to do so.  However, because I have been a member here for several seasons I have noticed this.  One day, while reading in a different thread than the non-spoiler thread, I happened to see that avatar. I saw Jordan. I got a stinking feeling in my stomach, thinking that Robby was going to end up being sent home, but then I somehow convinced myself that if the spoiler was that Jordan was F1 then the spoiler must be wrong, there had to be a switch up or a Mesnick.  I am telling you, this is how convinced I was that She HAD to choose Robby in the end!  But, only because I was a fantical Robby fan was I able to overcome seeing this avatar.  

I offer this up as a cautionary tale.  I don't know how something like that can be prevented. I don't think that if an unspoiled member looks at a spoiled members avatar photo and it actually has the word "spoiled" on it will help either. It might actually make the mind games worse.

Purely by accident, I posted in a non-spoiler thread, and I felt terrible when it was pointed out to me. Whatever we can do to make these threads more obvious is good. I like to read the non spoiled threads as it gives me a hint of posters' thought processes. JMO.

I agree that the avatars signatures etc can spoil the season. Particularly for the people who change their avatars to the spoiled f1 and MIA is correct, there are a few who do that like clockwork. Often . It's ok (like an opinion) but does leak to non spoiled members.
This is the first season in a while I out a signature pic in. My last siggy pic was of Emily being held by Sean. If I spoiled the season for anyone i apologize but that first kiss was too to resist IMO. It had nothing to do with being f1 but just the first kiss on the first night that I found interesting,

I too got spoiled when a spoiled member mistakenly posted in the non spoiled threads. I saw the post, figured out the ending which actually was just a confirmation of what I had suspected all along. I then pm'ed her to delete her post so no one else would see it. Which I think kept the thread clean and clear for others. Crisis averted.
I then started posting on the other side.which was nbd for me since I already knew who was f1 in my mind even prior to the spoiled post. She possibly did me a favour. ;).

ND -- glad to know I was not the only one!!!

We have a lot of members on this forum. (Close to 7000)
Not all of them use discretion or think before posting in a "HOT" thread. They should, but that's not the reality. More and more are posting from phones and the rationale I hear all the time as a mod is "I'm posting from my phone _________". This of course, does not make things right, but it was often how it worked last season from my end, as a mod.
The reality is that even with that post being reported and a mod getting to it ASAP it might not be ASAP fast enough. If the post is not reported, then it will take longer for a mod to get to it, judge it needs to be deleted then deleted.
Also--if members are to truly be unspoiled, it would probably be a good idea to stay out of threads talking about the next season. An example was reading or posting in the thread of prospective cast for this past season of 'Ette. There was a lot of meat there last season and some consequential talk.
To me, it's kind of hard to say you are totally unspoiled when the names of future cast for the season are being bandied about and discussion regarding such. JMOAA I am not trying to tell members where to read or not read on this forum. All I am saying is more added risk is there, whether it be an avatar or discussion.

I wanted to be unspoiled but still sleuth. Based on the previews alone, we were able to see that Robby and Chase went on FD and figure out most HTDs, etc. I liked knowing the final four and consider that to be part of the sleuthing. But, just as an FYI, in the beginning I did accidentally click on the spoiled thread which opened up a list of the men's individual threads. In just two seconds before I figured out I clucked on wrong thread, I was able to tell with good certainty who the final four were hoing to be based solely on the number of pages of posts they had. Again, just a cautionary tale to anyone who wants to be unspoiled and not sleuth at all.

I was able to go unspoiled to the very end because I read nothing prior to the season at all, nothing. Right now, I dont know if I will or will not go unspoiled next time. It is a double edged sword for me. I go all in for someone typically, which is nice and fun fr me, but if nobody there is truly compelling for me personally I do think the benefit is less. And for me, being totally honest, I am much more likely to be compelled by the male contestants on ette than the female fontestants on TB. So, there is that factor for me, too.

I had a difficult time going into any other threads and still staying unspoiled.  99% of the time I just avoided going into any other threads like the BIP, contestant fan threads, etc because I just wasn't sure if I was going to read something that was going to give away the ending on ette.  So, are you saying that nothing that could spoil the ending of the current season can be mentioned in any of the other threads, unless those threads are labeled spoiler? I was always worried that I was going to read something to give away the winner, because I wasn't totally sure of how it worked.

Yes, the rule is discussion of the topic title only is allowed. If we are in Jillian Harris' thread, and there is mention that they are happy considering what she went through with Ed. Someone else posts that Jordan, I'm just using that as an example, is the same as Ed and they can't see the lead being happy, THAT  is a spoiler because it's not the Bachelorette topic. Nothing about the current season is allowed in any threads other than those titled TB or the 'ette Spoilers for that season.

Same with any other thread. No mention of BIP in other threads other than BIP, Spoiler threads etc. We purposely didn't have threads for the BIP contestants that were from JoJo's season, until they were eliminated from JoJo's season.

We originally did not have a rule for spoiled members to post in Non Spoiled. If you recall, members were posting how great it was to read posts etc, however, there were slip ups. Some were throwing hints, or mentioning other contestants, therefore the rule is Spoiled members cannot post in Non spoiled threads at all.

I don't think much can be done about the avatars. I think avatars are changed according to their preference. Favourites are always established early so it's common for avi's to get changed early on. I think what it boils down to is sleuthing, regardless of who is using who in their avi's. If I'm unspoiled and I see all Jordan avi's, I'm going to think he is the F1, he is the favourite, etc, but I would still sleuth to confirm just as I do on the spoiled side until I'm satisfied.

We all know, and I'm not centering anyone out, when someone fan girls over a contestant and they are sleuthing, they will do anything to justify in their minds, that favourite is the F1. It's at that moment, one has to decide, are you sleuthing or are you fan girling? I say that, because we are looking from the outside in. We see concrete proof that so and so was home at a certain date, whether it be SM or a SM picture,  so therefore he can't be in the F3, but if one of them is a favourite, a poster will insist it's possible he had his phone, or it's an old picture uploaded etc. or they are jaded by RS. RS's spoiler was Luke was F3. Sleuthers found a f/book pic of Chase and his friends posted on the Fri/Sat before the FRC, posted by a friend. His friends had Thailand Tshirts on, a poster recognized the tshirts as they were recently in Thailand. That was solid proof that Chase was in Thailand and not Luke. However if you're fangirling over Luke, and you want him to be the F1, you ignore the proof. Change of Avi's can do the same. Sleuthing vs fangirling.

There were threads for clues for the F1. We purposely named them A B C D to avoid spoilers. The title was "Clues for F1 A and so on. If view new posts was used, you would see those threads, but you wouldn't see the  name.

A was Chase B was Jordan C Luke D Robby. You wouldn't know that unless you went into their threads.

It's frustrating for us as Kasha mentioned, because it happens. New posters are not familiar or long time posters forget where they are. I have tried to add a code into our forum so the title thread appears when replying to a post. But support can't figure it out. It only shows when you are replying and not quoting. For example right now, if I forgot what thread I'm in, it doesn't tell me anywhere. I will revisit that, maybe someone can help me with it.

I was unspoiled for approximately half the season and I had a neutral avi even when I saw how sweet and genuine I found Jordan to be and loving JoJo and Jordan together. I have literally never fan girled in my entire life (JoJo was the closest I came to it last year) but this couple made me want to. 

After I became spoiled, I wanted to change my avi because I loved them as a couple and believed in their story and was rooting hard for them despite everything that was stacked against them, not because I thought they were the "final two", I like who I like, it doesn't matter to me if they are the "popular" choice. I also have no problem liking or disliking a cast member if my opinion of them changes for whatever reason. Sorry I got off track I think.... Anyway, I debated about changing my avi because I knew it would change in my posts on the other side and I worried it wouldn't ruin it for them. When I decided to go ahead and change it, it was because I really wanted to and because I knew my unspoiled friends knew I was rooting for them and liked them as a couple. All that said, I don't know if that affected them or not?

I also felt kind of rude for lack of a better word, just dropping out of the unspoiled side without a goodbye and it's been fun etc etc.... But I knew the rules of spoiled cannot post over there and not saying I'm spoiled in case it makes people want to become spoiled too etc etc. Also, as vague as I could be in how I got spoiled, it still could've twigged (tweaked?) something to someone that could've given it away. That said,  I would've liked to have been able to post a single post there and say, "I'm sorry, I got spoiled. It's been fun and I'll miss you."

I don't know if I'm alone in this but regarding the signature lines, I don't really notice them or if I do, I don't even "see" them anymore because I get used to them. Does that make sense. So if others are similar, I don't know if that will work. 

I've posted something else regarding spoiled vs unspoiled somewhere that would apply to this topic. I'll try and find it and bring it over. Is there a quick way to find an old post of ours?

After I became spoiled, I wanted to change my avi because I loved them as a couple and believed in their story and was rooting hard for them despite everything that was stacked against them, not because I thought they were the "final two", I like who I like, it doesn't matter to me if they are the "popular" choice.

Yes that's exactly what I was trying to say. You can't always judge by the avi alone.

I would've liked to have been able to post a single post there and say, "I'm sorry, I got spoiled. It's been fun and I'll miss you."

There would have been nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, we encourage it because it's easier for the mod's to track officially that one is now spoiled.

I've been unspoiled the last several seasons, because the sleuthing has always been my favorite part of this crazy show. When I first found this site, I was still under the impression that these relationships were real. (I was so excited when Dr. Travis picked the teacher!) As I've gotten older, gotten married and had two kiddos, the sleuthing aspect of this show is really the only reason why I still invest my time. I don't think I've finished the last three seasons (Kaitlyn, Ben, and JoJo) because I haven't had anyone to root for. (Where are all the JPs?) It's getting harder and harder to stay unspoiled in this day and age--RS is really, truly here to stay. I appreciate that this board is a safe haven for the few of us that are left.

marriedtoabaritone wrote:I've been unspoiled the last several seasons, because the sleuthing has always been my favorite part of this crazy show. When I first found this site, I was still under the impression that these relationships were real. (I was so excited when Dr. Travis picked the teacher!) As I've gotten older, gotten married and had two kiddos, the sleuthing aspect of this show is really the only reason why I still invest my time. I don't think I've finished the last three seasons (Kaitlyn, Ben, and JoJo) because I haven't had anyone to root for. (Where are all the JPs?) It's getting harder and harder to stay unspoiled in this day and age--RS is really, truly here to stay. I appreciate that this board is a safe haven for the few of us that are left.

More's the pity.

I liked your post too.