Spoiler Slayer

PM Update

First, for anyone interested in that description of the Bronze Scene mentioned this morning, here is a new link. The reason the link didn't work earlier was due to the huge amount of traffic that the site has been getting, Angel X moved it to another spot which should solve the issue.

Herc updated his previous spoilage, including some further clarification of the Big Scooby Death (as he calls it). Some people have presumed from what he said originally, he was waffling about if it would actually happen. His concern wasn't over 'if' it would happen, but 'when' it would happen. The only thing I can pass along is that everything points to it happening during 'Sweeps'.

Although I promised I would, I'm really not ready to toss out any speculation at this time. Please do not think that I'm being intentionally vague or teasing you. The truth is, I had come up with a wide-range of possible outcomes, then crossed them off the list one by one. So it would be somewhat pointless to even post them, for all they would do is fuel another batch of false spoilage. Don't worry, if I had something that I felt would make sense, I would post it. I think that the latest spoilers we have for the next four episodes are extremely accurate, but there are still major pieces to the puzzle which are missing. I'm getting to the point where I'm beginning to think that Joss dropping the Riley tidbit, was much like a magician getting our attention focused on the hat, while he's busy pulling the rabbit out of his pocket. Which is why I'm somewhat in agreement that the 'Big Scooby Death' might very well come in Episode 15, and it isn't going to be Riley and might not be Tara. I've never come out solidly either for or against Tara dying, but considering the sources I had to believe it was going to happen. Now I'm wondering if we're all going to be shocked when shortly after Riley and his wife leave Sunnydale, (Insert Your Favorite Scooby Here) gets killed 10 seconds before the episode ends. Which I might get into a bit more tomorrow, depending on my schedule.

In site-related news, there's a good chance that I'll be trashing the current ranking system for Site Accuracy. Not the system for the spoilers, but the percentage-based system I'm using for the sites. If it does happen, it won't be until after 'Gone' airs. There are multiple reasons for making a change. The biggest issue is the sources that don't produce the Blockbuster Spoilers, but do a very good job of filling in the details. Sweetie at Fan Forum is one of these sources. She might not be the first to drop the spoiler, but she does a fantastic job of filling in the little details. She really deserves more credit than her record shows, the same goes for Wendy at BAPS. Likewise, although Angel X didn't post much at the start of the season, she has been coming on strong. Her spoilers have always been nearly 100% accurate, so she deserves more credit than being 'Not Ranked' (because the episodes still have not aired). These sites do get somewhat of a boost when I first rank the spoilers, which is why their spoilers usually start off as 'Likely'. Other sites, like the UK Rumor source, are getting points for accuracy when they don't deserve them. The fact that Buffy and Spike kissed in 'Tabula Rasa' and 'Gone' were more due to lucky guesses than anything (especially since they all tied in with the rumor that Spike and Riley would compete for Buffy's affection).

While the accuracy will still be tallied, it will expressed by something similar to the spoiler ranking system. Instead of percentages and points, it will be based on how I perceive that site's spoiler history. Although I haven't decided on the exacting ranking convention, AICN and BAPS and the Cross and Stake would all have the ranking along the lines of 'Extremely Reliable', while others like the UK Site would be ranked 'Hit or Miss' or 'Inaccurate'. I haven't actually figured out the semantics just yet. If possible, I might work in a way where you'll still be able to see the percentage and points rank, maybe as subtext or a little pop-up when you mouseover the name. Look for the change sometime late next week.

Finally, I'm always open to suggestions on ways to make the Spoiler Slayer page easier to understand. If you have questions, ideas, or want more in the way of site information and linkange, feel free to drop me a line. While I don't plan on making changes to things like the color-scheme or the layout (very complicated), the thought of changing the 'ranking system' did come from suggestions that a few people made. What do you find useful, what do you find confusing? I'm always open to new ideas and want to do what I can to make this a user-friendly place. Just click the Comments link to the left and drop me a line.