England 1 up in the Ashes!

[rich p]

True enough, but is there a more entertaining sight in world cricket than Ponting being given out unfairly?

Abslolutely true!

Whingeing poms? We're novices next to Punter Ponting

 

[661-Pete]

Well ... errr... congrats to the winning team and all that etc. etc.... But there are a few more Tests to go so it's not in the bag!

As regards spoilers in thread titles - yep this can be an issue - sorry (well it's not my fault I didn't start it!). You should have seen the row that erupted on another forum, when a similar thing happened (I think it was an F1 result that got 'spoiler'd). The mods had to wade in, issued a diktat that no-one's allowed to put a major sporting result in a thread title, and if it's in the post itself, you have to put something like "spoiler alert" in the thread title. A bit draconian perhaps but the forummers acquiesced.

But the only solution, methinks, if you really want to keep in purdah until you've viewed the repeat showing, is to stay off the internet and internet forums in particular. No option. Remember that episode of The Likely Lads anyone?

 

[andyoxon]

Wotcha Pete - long time no see; how's France?

BTW highlights on here later apparently:
http://demand.five.tv/Series.aspx?seriesBaseName=CricketOnFive

Good pic... http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6740295,00.jpg

 

[ColinJ]

But the only solution, methinks, if you really want to keep in purdah until you've viewed the repeat showing, is to stay off the internet and internet forums in particular.

So, given that advice - I should avoid all cycling forums from about 13:00 to 23:00 most days from March to October plus whenever the track cycling happens to be taking place, given that I watch my race recordings late at night?

As for the 'knowing the result doesn't spoil your enjoyment' argument... Imagine the fuss if a movie review described Se7en thus - "... culminating in a shocking ending where a van arrives and Morgan Freeman discovers that it is carrying a..." Sorry I can't do it - just in case you haven't seen the movie yet. You get my point.

Do people read the last chapters of books first to see if they want to bother reading them?

What is so difficult about writing something like "TDF Ventoux stage - SPOILER" rather than "Schleck wins Ventoux stage after punch-up between Contador and Armstrong!"?

 

[661-Pete]

Wotcha Pete - long time no see; how's France?

Thanks Andy. Been absent from CC for over a year, thought about it a while, thought some more, decided to re-join quietly and without fuss. Will answer your question.... maybe .... some time...

So, given that advice - I should avoid all cycling forums from about 13:00 to 23:00 most days from March to October

I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek!

 

[ColinJ]

I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek!

I was aiming that more at the those who really think that people like me should avoid cycling sites when we might see results that we don't want to see.

If it was only one or two afternoons a year - maybe I wouldn't be too worried about it, but 3 * 3 week grand tours, several 1 week tours, single day classics, semi-classics, new races, track cycling... I'd have to avoid the internet about 50% of the time!

I may be old-fashioned, but I prefer to watch a race wondering who will do what next, not merely to check out exactly how Contador went about putting those 'x' seconds into Armstrong.

 

[661-Pete]

In that case, and seriously, the only solution is to have it enshrined in forum 'netiquette' - no spoilers. Something like what you suggested: don't put results in the titles and include the word 'spoiler' if need be. Perhaps something could be written up in the forum guidelines (Shaun?). I'm sure most folks would play along.

Pity, though, if that were to become a rigid disciplinarian rule, with moderators working full-time to enforce it and punishing infractions! I'd prefer the 'gentleman's agreement' approach...

 

[rich p]

I'm sorry Colin if I spoilt the moment for you but I wouldn't have put a cycling result up in a cycling forum but it really never occurred to me about cricket!

I can't actually believe that any cricket fan wouldn't have been hiding an earpiece at work, or sneaking a look at TMS to follow the action 'live'. If you're logged on to CC why not watch it ball by ball on the BBC? Thr suspense was thrilling!

 

[ColinJ]

I'm sorry Colin if I spoilt the moment for you but I wouldn't have put a cycling result up in a cycling forum but it really never occurred to me about cricket!

I can't actually believe that any cricket fan wouldn't have been hiding an earpiece at work, or sneaking a look at TMS to follow the action 'live'. If you're logged on to CC why not watch it ball by ball on the BBC? Thr suspense was thrilling!

Actually, I don't follow cricket! I was just extending the argument to cycling because several times here or on BikeRadar I've accidentally found out about the day's TdF stage before I got the chance to watch it.

Even subtle stuff can give away a lot. Contador - wow! would tell me that Contador had done something spectacular and I know what race he is in!

The subject comes up all the time. On BikeRadar a while back several people basically just said "We will write what we want, when we want and we don't give a toss if it spoils your enjoyment of the race. If you don't want to read what we write - don't come on the forum!" Nice...

 

[swee'pea99]

Can we just try to take on board that spoilers *do* spoil it for some people, and avoid repeats for the remainder of the series? Please? Thanks. (You can post what you like about cycle races - I don't give a stuff about them!)

 

[Shrimp_Stu]

Now KP is out of the rest of the series my initial hopes for an Ashes win have been diminished http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8162048.stm

 

[rich p]

Now KP is out of the rest of the series my initial hopes for an Ashes win have been diminished http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8162048.stm

Damn, that means we'll have to put an Englishman in and we'll be short of our Saffer quorum

 

[Dayvo]

Damn, that means we'll have to put an Englishman in and we'll be short of our Saffer quorum

As long as it's not Bell End!

 

[rich p]

As long as it's not Bell End!

Of course it will be, Dayvo. I predict a flawless double century

 

[Dayvo]

Of course it will be, Dayvo. I predict a flawless double century

In that case, your fantasy cricket team would be far worse than my Tour de Farce team!