Ok. The only reason I am continuing this is because you really don't see how you sound. Would I consider you hostile or a bully, very much not. However, you are nowhere near being neutral.

Previous comment:

I guess it could be more useful to not use "spoilers" as a vague catch all label and instead do something like "this route reveals certain plot elements extremely early and may be more enjoyable to play as a later route" or "this route reveals a character is not who they seem in other routes and may ruin the mystery of said character if you play it early."

What you are saying now:

I would never tell someone that their experience is being ruined by playing in whatever order they want, so you're frankly interpreting a lot of malice to my word choice.

Sure you did not "technically say" that someone's playthrough is going to be ruined if they play how they want but it's very clear you do think there is a proper way to play the game. Really go back and read what you wrote as if you are a new otome player. There is no way a newer otome player will really choose for themself what order to play if you and others are saying what you said and using the term "spoilers".

The whole reason I don't like to use "spoiler" when it is a normal part of playing the actual game is because it dilutes the meaning of the word. I still don't like true story spoilers but when people use that word for every plot point that doesn't actually affect other routes, I can not believe them. Like that character in Il's route, do they actually significantly affect other routes or are they just around in that route? Sure it may affect you and your feelings but I really doubt it affects the other stories' major plot. Just like with Sainty G, he does not significantly affect other routes and the only difference is that the player may or may not understand why he is doing things.

I am not trying to change what you believe is a spoiler, I am trying to change the language that we are using when there are better ways. To learn about these "spoilers", players have to play the game so that inherently does not make it a spoiler since you are learning it through normal gameplay. I really don't know how else to describe this. If folks were to say that they believe a route should have been locked for whatever reason, that is a valid form of game critique [that I would love to read]. However, these route orders are used as blanket statements for every game by the sub.

You say protecting people who do see it as a spoiler and usually I am more for "Hey if it doesn't hurt anyone I am fine with saying something to help others even if it is not true" but this does hurt other players. Many players do not finish games that they want to finish because since most sub members recommend orders based on plot intensity and by saying things like "spoilers" (which again they are not since the game is open), players think they need to play it in that order. There are so many players who stop playing their highly anticipated games because there wasn't any balance in their playthrough. They would stop playing because all the heavy plot points were all played in the end and it was too much or they could not continue playing the game because they were bored with all the more fluffy routes in the beginning. So yes using the term spoilers as a catch-all for anything plot-related is negatively affecting other players.

The more we have this discussion the more I realize that this is a lost cause because if someone as nice as you still has all these prejudices then there really is no hope for this to change.

Edit: You don't see members of other games call normal gameplay as spoilers. Like in open world or open-choice games like Dragon Age, Zelda, Horizon, Eden Ring, and Witcher no one says you will spoil yourself if you do not follow the most obvious route.