Potterdammerung: Starting to go into lockdown mode

[pegkerr]

pennswoods reports:

The spoiler trolls have started to infiltrate LJ communities in big and nasty ways. It looks like dummy accounts have been created solely for the purpose of posting spoilers, and just today several members of my f-list have reported being spoiled by these asshats.

To all my dear friends who don't want to be spoiled, I think now's the time to take a bit of a sabbatical from LJ. Don't worry, I'll be here holding down the fort.

And for those of you worried about being spoiled at a release party, I recommend bringing along a can of mace to crucio the bastards, just in case.

Another thing to consider: J.K. Rowling kept pretty tight controls on bookstores from releasing the book early by telling them that if they released the book early, they wouldn't be allowed to sell the next book. That incentive to toe the line is absolutely gone this time around. So there may be more copies floating around before the release date (and consequently, more trolls eager to spoil).

I'm about to go into lock-down mode, turning off icons and images and retreating to my spoiler-free friends list to try to avoid spoilers.

Edited to add:

I am also temporarily going to make comments friends-only. This will only last through this week, until I finish reading the book.

Edited to add again: A very irate ali_wildgoose reports:

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

IF "HARRYPOOTER" FRIENDS YOU, DO NOT GO AND LOOK AT THEIR JOURNAL. IT IS A ^*&^*%@ GIANT SPOILER FOR HARRY POTTER.

Like me, she also recommends setting your comments as "friends-only" That troll also commented with spoilers to Ali's journal.

Comments

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I don't want to be spoiled either....I'm still not sure how I feel about reading this book.

[redbird]

As a side note: Wikipedia is not going to pre-emptively stop anyone from editing their pages about Harry Potter or J. K. Rowling (because they don't like pre-emptive page protection); this is not a good time for people worrying about spoilers to go there for other information, or to do random google searches on Potter-related topics.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I don't mind spoilers in the slightest, but I am absolutely baffled by the people who are going around trying to sneak spoilers into utter strangers' lives. It looks to me like kicking over someone's sand sculpture and then peeing on the sand, shouting, "Try enjoying that, you stupid...um...enjoyer-of-things!" I just can't see what the point is other than sheer spite.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

The self-proclaimed hacker who posted one alleged spoiler says he did it because of comments made by the Pope (when he was Cardinal Ratzinger) that the HP books "lead today's youth to neo-paganism". He thinks his spoiler will make reading the book boring and pointless - apparently the idiot boy knows nothing of the joys of rereading. Or of any story whose interet is seeing how an author has handled a known tale. I can't think of a time when knowing the ending already has stopped me from enjoying a book. (Come to think of it, this is an appropriate place for that thought. After all, anyone who's read The Seven Swans knew Eliza's brothers would save her. I doubt that's ever bothered any reader of The Wild Swans. )

(Also, I suspect his spoiler of being fake because it's so lame. If it is real, then I'd *still* be interested to read to see how JKR makes something interesting that sounds so dull in a bald retelling. Isn't that what writers are *for*?)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I find that hard to believe. It could be true. But it just seems like an awfully convenient source for someone's malice. "The Pope told me to do it! Otherwise I never would have! It's all piety!" Riiiight.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

It doesn't hold up logically. "I had to read the book, to prevent other people from doing it. But that's OK, because My Faith is Pure." It's even funnier to think of if it did affect him: "I sacrificed my soul by being converted to neopaganism so others could stay pure. But now I can do spellz!"

Or, "I hacked into the book to post spoilers so no one else would want to read it. Now I'll post - but wait! Oh no, I can feel the book melting my resolve... becoming weak .... pagan influence ... too... strong! Must .... post .... spoilers .... before .... I .... become .... too .... nice!"

[redbird]

Sheer spite, and the chance to indulge that sort of impulse relatively safely (compared to in-person nastiness, where there's some risk of retaliation).

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

That's a good way to put it.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I can see finding the degree of anti-spoiler mania some people are, I'm sure, displaying (Peg isn't, and she's the most serious Potter-fiend I know) to be terribly obnoxious. Go from there to a terribly juvenile sense of humor and I can see it. And it doesn't take *that* many people actually doing it. Sad but believable, for me; monkeys are really not the best sometimes.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Yup. I've retreated to my spoiler-free friends list as well, and will be keeping away from non-moderated communities for the next 5 days.

Just 5 more days, just 5 more days, just 5 more days....

[starsthatguide.livejournal.com]

One good thing about a week of work in Atlanta and then a trip to NYC for the release party = limited internet anyway. Have a lovely week, and I'll look forward to seeing you "after the end."

[tassie-gal.livejournal.com]

Its funny - I dont actually subscribe to ANY HP comms, and never had. I have never wanted to vicariously live the books with anyone else - they are my thing, and my thing only...the endless discussion etc makes me yawn alot of the time...though I guess I had better re read HP6 before Saturday.

[sternel.livejournal.com]

I heard from a librarian friend of mine that Scholastic is threatening to withhold future releases of other big name books from any libraries or bookstores who jump the gun, since they no longer have the carrot-on-a-stick of future HP books.

But regardless, I, too, am on lockdown. Sadly. How shall I procrastinate on homework this week?

[sraun]

FWIW, it's probably going to be months before I get around to Deathly Hallows - I need to have another go at Order of the Phoenix, and then read Half Blood Prince. I'll be policing my postings for drive-bys, and will be reporting them as spam as I delete them (assuming I get any).

Good luck!

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"That troll also commented with spoilers to Ali's journal."

Deleted, it seems.

B

[cheshyre]

I found how to make commenting friends-only, and where in the settings to disable images, but how do you turn off other people's LJ-icons?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

This entry includes links for technical stuff like that.

To avoid seeing other people's icons on comments to your posts, read them on your "Recent Comments" page (once you are logged in): http://www.livejournal.com/tools/recent_comments.bml

I don't know of any way to turn off the icons for comments on other peoples' posts. I'm avoiding clicking on these altogether. Anyone else know of a way?