Factual Errors in Plot Summaries / Storylines - How to report since we can only add, not change?

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I have found several Storylines / Plot Summaries with factual errors. The guideline says, "If you disagree with the plot summary and want to substantively change it, please submit a new one with your own byline rather than edit the original and add your own name to it."

On one with incorrect info, I created a new plot summary with the correct facts about the tv show, which did not replace the incorrect one on the main episode page as the Storyline - I realize that the staff cannot watch every single episode to know which plot summary or storyline is correct, but is there a way to let someone know that there are factual errors so that the first Storyline / Plot Summary does not show incorrect information?

I have come across several of these, some of them even get the character name wrong, and it's obvious that the author did not pay attention to the basics of the tv show.

Please let me know if there is a way to report factual errors rather than just adding additional plot summaries because if the plot summary with fact errors is the first one submitted, it is used as the Storyline on the episode page, which could be very misleading to a user.

An example is the tv series Invasion 2005, Season 1 Ep 2, "Lights Out" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0612021/p...
Also see the main episode page where incorrect summary is used as thd Storyline.
Thanks!
from Anna Plummer
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Anna Plummer

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Posted 3 years ago

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3 years ago
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Steve Crook, Champion

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> because if the plot summary with fact errors is the first one submitted, it is used as the Storyline on the episode page

It was my understanding that they were selected at random

    Steve
2017-09-27T21:44:51+00:00
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Anna Plummer

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I read on the help page that it is up to the staff to decide which summary to use, but if you look at a variety of titles, the first summary submitted is always (in my experience) the first one used as the Storyline; which makes sense because otherwise, the staff would have to read each new summary submitted over the years and decide which to use, which would be a mountain of work. If multiple summaries were submitted in the same time frame, like within a few days of the release of the tv show, I could see how the staff would be more able to compare them and decide.

Also, I posted a question here not long ago about the first plot summary & storylines being the exact same as the ones used on Amazon Prime Video, and someone replied to let me know that the IMDB is affiliated with Amazon, so that explains it. I still don't understand why the community can even post plot summaries at all when they already use the ones that match the Amazon Video titles. I had previously wrote 2 plot summaries for 2 new episodes that had none at all, but when I checked several days later, IMDB had used the ones from Amazon, so I felt like it was an waste of my time to even write them if they are going to use the their own anyways. I understand that mine were probably not as good as the ones the company already has, but I think that since they have their own, written by their staff, then why would they need ours? Thank You!
2018-01-05T20:59:30+00:00
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Nivekian

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I have run into the same thing for many movies and there is no way, that I can find, of changing the defaults. Most recent being http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080861/
There is no 'counterfeiting ring in Mexico' in or even mentioned in the movie. The summary does not even appear on the edit page.
2018-01-05T21:48:05+00:00
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Peter, Champion

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Nivekian, the short text appears on the edit page in the Plot Outlines section, where it can be edited.
2018-01-05T22:00:03+00:00
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Nivekian

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Ahh... thank you. I'll have to look at the others.
3 years ago
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Peter, Champion

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I personally think factual errors in plot summaries should be corrected. If you submit a correction and explain what you are correcting, the editors may well accept the change.
3 years ago
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Joel, Official Rep

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Hey Anna,

Thanks for your post.

As Peter has kindly mentioned, if there are factual errors you submit a correction via the Edit Page button listed at the bottom of the page, our editors can review this for you and approve if necessary.

Please make sure to use the explanation field to let our editors know the reason you're making the change to help them process this!

Cheers,

Joel
3 years ago
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Anna Plummer

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Thanks Joel - Do you mean to correct the errors of someone else's summary? If so, I thought about that but was leery of changing another user's writing. Adfitionally, there are some plot summaries that have more factual errors than just a character name, where a sentence or two would need changed. Thanks for your time!
(Edited)
3 years ago
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gromit82, Champion

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Anna: If a plot summary written by another person contains errors, then I would recommend going ahead and submitting a correction to it. If the errors are minor ones, and you are not making a significant change to the content of the summary, I recommend leaving the original summary writer's name on the summary.

However, if there are major errors in the plot summary and entire sentences need to be changed, I recommend submitting the changes but removing the summary writer's byline and leaving the summary anonymous. In such a situation, it's probably best for neither you nor the original writer to publicly receive credit for the summary.

I hope this helps. Good luck!
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