If there is a root node called Spoilers, where all spoilers live separate from the original thread, each spoiler "answer" can have comments and replies, which will not show up in the original thread. This keeps all spoiler related discussion tucked neatly away behind links.

Allolex points out that this departs from the SOP where one root node "contains" the entire discussion. I assume this comes from some ideal of displaying the root node and reading the entire discussion just with a mouse-wheel -- of somehow encapsulating a discussion into a glass box for all to see at a glance.

I would counter that many threads have links outside the original thread. In fact, in a heavy response thread, beyond some threshold responses are hidden behind links anyway.

<tongue-in-cheek>What are browsers for?</tongue-in-cheek> :)

There were several critiques that appeared only in the ChatterBox, and I only managed to observe a small sample of them. With the aim of wider discourse, I'll attempt to repeat them here. [Feel free to add/correct.]

1) To post a spoiler, 2 nodes will need to be created.

2) The spoiler topic would be huge.

3) The spoiler topic would have a lot of unrelated info in it.

4) Spoiler nodes would show up in searches. [I'm ambivalent on this point. Yes, spoiler nodes would show up. Would they be relevant? Are any other search hits relevant?]

I must say I'm concerned that lots of useful info is tossed around in the ChatterBox about existing posts, and never captured. This node is my attempt to mitigate that situation.

-QM
--
Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of