After almost six years editing under the same IP, I obviously prefer to write under 82... --ONaNcle (talk) 13:38, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
- Comfirmation that IP82 and ONaNcle is the same person. --82.224.88.52 (talk) 13:55, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
Almost six years
editI could have stayed six other years quite unnoticed on the British wiki, but, during the last eight days, my initial letter to the Independent of Sunday has been pasted-copied, adapted and most of all printed on 50 millions of sheets of paper all around the world. It was mainly on (Sunday) newspapers, most of them had received my letter the week before but could as well have ignored it and rely only on the Independent to paraphrase my sentences about The Mousetrap, the famous play written by Agatha Christie. --82.224.88.52 (talk) 13:55, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
The Spoilergate
editAgatha Christie spoiled (claimed by Sunday papers)
editThe following is extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2010-08-30/In_the_news and obviously need to be abridged. --ONaNcle (talk) 20:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
Agatha Christie's grandson complains: Wikipedia spoils the world's longest running play
editWhen she wrote The Mousetrap, Agatha Christie gave the rights to her grandson, Matthew Prichard, as a ninth birthday present. Prichard and the rest of the family of Agatha Christie—whose book sales are surpassed by those of only the Bible—told The Independent On Sunday that they are disappointed that the Wikipedia article on the play reveals the twist ending. The play has had the longest initial run of any, with more than 24,000 performances so far; at the end of every performance, the audience is asked not to reveal the identity of the murderer. The newspaper complains that readers of the article are informed "without warning, the identity of the murderer".
Prichard described the situation as "unfortunate", and intends "to take the matter up with the play's producer for the past 23 of its 58 years in the West End, Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen.... My grandmother always got upset if the plots of her books or plays were revealed in reviews – and I don't think this is any different ... I think it is a pity if a publication, if I can call it that, potentially spoils the enjoyment for those people who go to see the play. It's not a question of money or anything like that. It's just a pity."
The Independent on Sunday states that the English "Wikipedia's policy on spoilers appears to differ in other countries, and in France and Italy the play's twist is alluded to but not revealed...."
The English Wikipedia policy on spoilers is that:
articles on the Internet sometimes feature a "spoiler warning" to alert readers to spoilers in the text, which they may then choose to avoid reading. Wikipedia has previously included such warnings in some articles on works of fiction. Since it is generally expected that the subjects of our articles will be covered in detail, such warnings are considered unnecessary. Therefore, Wikipedia no longer carries spoiler warnings, except for the content disclaimer and section headings (such as "Plot" or "Ending") which imply the presence of spoilers ... It is not acceptable to delete information from an article because you think it spoils the plot. Such concerns must not interfere with neutral point of view, encyclopedic tone, completeness, or any other element of article quality.
The spoiler warning template was removed from many articles and was eventually deleted in 2007, accompanied by much debate (see Signpost coverage and archived discussions). In 2007, David Gerard, a "long time Wikipedian" and press contact for the English Wikipedia, removed the warning template from the English Wikipedia article on The Mousetrap. The Independent on Sunday does not mention him, but states:
When asked what the site's policy on the matter is, a spokesman said: "Our purpose is to collect and report notable knowledge. It's exceedingly easy to avoid knowing the identity of the murderer: just don't read it. Asking Wikipedia not to reveal the identity of the murderer is like asking a library to remove copies of The Mousetrap book from shelves because someone could just go and read the end."
The spokesman referred to appears to be a Wikipedia editor, Cyclopia, and the quotation to be taken from a comment made earlier this year, in 2010. This has caused controversy in more than one venue on the English Wikipedia (for example, see ANI and other discussion).
Also quoted in the newspaper was an anonymous Wikipedia user whom the newspaper referred to as "another approved Wikipedia committee member":
I would argue that, however trivial it may appear, the revelation of the ending breaches an oral contract between the actors and the audience. Such is the fame of the secrecy that an audience member cannot reasonably attend without knowing their role to play in guarding it, and thus an oral contract, implied in fact, has taken place. Given the importance of Wikipedia on the internet, I believe that they have a duty to protect this contract, as its breach is completely disrespectful of an old and well-kept tradition.
Prichard concluded by saying that he didn't "pretend to be an expert on Wikipedia or modern technology ... [but] from the point of view of the theatre-going public, I think it does spoil the enjoyment of those going to have an entertaining evening at the theatre – one part of which is to guess who the murderer is."
Independent was not the first...
editNot on only sent to The Independent on Sunday, this is the full text of the arguing widely dispatched about this Spoilergate. --82.224.88.52 (talk) 16:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
THE MOUSETRAP is the queen of crime (Agatha Christie) most successful play. Few British living in London remember about it NOT on theatre. It is the longest continuous running one and, even if the majority have not seen it at all, most of those Londoners know that the audience is asked not to reveal murderer's name. It was Agatha Christie's last will. She knew the attendance will obviously decline if it became too well known. Alas! if you type this play on Google, it will often guide you to Wikipedia. Italian and French wikis are kind enough to reveal nothing. The English one actually spoils the ending. Strangely enough, it starts by misleading the average reader : "The play is known for its twist ending the audience is asked not to reveal".
Agatha Christie's only grandson spoiling Poirot
editExtracted from an interview about Curtain spoilt by Prichard http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/tele/agatha-christie-nous-lisait-deux-chapitres-chaque-soir_915016.html the bolded part is the spoiling one --82.224.88.52 (talk) 15:55, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
Avez-vous jamais percé le mystère de sa disparition en 1926 ? --- Ça s'est passé plus de quinze ans avant ma naissance. Mais elle n'a jamais dit à qui que ce soit ce qu'elle avait fait pendant ces onze jours où on l'a crue morte ou enlevée. C'était le résultat d'événements malheureux dans sa vie privée, rien à voir avec son métier. En tout cas, elle en est revenue plus forte, plus déterminée que jamais, avec la conviction que la littérature était sa voie.
D'après quels critères acceptez-vous les projets d'adaptation des romans de votre grand-mère ? --- Sur la base du traitement ou du script qu'on me soumet, mais aussi de la réputation du producteur et du scénariste. Je regarde les films qu'ils ont faits avant, et ensuite je donne mon accord ou pas. Je suis submergé de demandes, mais je tiens à ce que l'oeuvre de ma grand-mère continue de vivre. Le seul roman dont je refuse l'adaptation est Hercule Poirot quitte la scène, dans lequel Poirot se suicide. Mon métier consiste à gérer une marque, je ne peux pas donner l'autorisation à quelqu'un de tuer cette marque.
Further reactions
edit- http://info.sfr.re/insolite/articles/Agatha-Christie-victime-du-web,147045/ Faut changer de meurtrier (just modify the ending)
- http://epochtimes.com/gb/10/8/30/n3010535.htm 维基百科“犯规”曝光“捕鼠器”杀手及结局 (emphatizing about Mathew Prichard)
- http://www.lesinrocks.com/actualite/actu-article/t/49854/date/2010-09-01/article/wikipedia-devoile-le-secret-de-la-souriciere-dagatha-christie/ la page française de Wikipedia ne donne aucun indice sur l’identité du meurtrier (French wiki gave no clues)
- http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/wikipedia-springs-mousetrap-ending-2064958.html First WikiLeaks stood accused of unnecessarily revealing closely guarded secrets. Now it's Wikipedia's turn