phil_boroff's profile

133 Messages

 • 

3.5K Points

Tuesday, July 17th, 2018 3:06 AM

Why? Keywords for TV Series Problem Continues

The Guideline is very clear:

Keywords submitted to the TV series page should be relevant to and describe the entire series. Keywords that are specific to a particular episode should be added to that episode only.

Yet, keywords are still accepted at the episode level that belong ONLY at the series level, and are duplicated for episode after episode.

Case in Point:  "Kid-E-Cats" (2016)

The same 13 keywords that exist for all 52 episodes ONLY belong at the series level.  This results in 676 incorrect keywords.  (I have submitted deletions -- a very time consuming project.). Please contact the original submitter for the above title and inform that person of the mistakes so that they do not continue.

Keyword list manager(s) should flag all submissions of episode keywords (especially orginal submissions) to make sure that they DO NOT duplicate each other, and do not include keywords that should ONLY exist at the series level.

I know that keywords are a low priority, and that all IMDb staff members are probably overworked, but... sometimes I feel like an unpaid staffer who is doing the work that should be done by the paid staff.

I would gladly come to Bristol for a couple months to work on establishing some kind of process where contributors are informed of the need to comply with Keyword guidelines.  I'll pay for the flight.  Just give me a place to live and a small per diem salary, and we could solve this problem.

Champion

 • 

14.4K Messages

 • 

329.9K Points

6 years ago

It is easy, perhaps too easy, to add keywords to many/all episodes of a series by selecting the episodes in the series-level update form. Maybe the help message displayed could mention the series/episode issue and state that episodes should not be selected if a keyword applies to the whole series.

133 Messages

 • 

3.5K Points

Great suggestion.

133 Messages

 • 

3.5K Points

A specific concern would be an anthology series, where a specific keyword may appear in many episodes, but should NOT be a keyword at the series level since each episode is a self-contained entity.

133 Messages

 • 

3.5K Points

6 years ago

For those keywords tha "only show up in certain episodes," including anthologies, that keyword should appear in each of those specific episodes.  A keyword can appear in several, even many, episodes without being a keyword at series level.  Some perimeter would need to be established.

That  staff of five or so people is us, the contributors.  Some people have such inclusive, expansive knowledge of certain series that they should be the "experts" on those series.

Champion

 • 

3.7K Messages

 • 

77.7K Points

6 years ago

Hi all,

I've contacted the user responsible now and explained the policy. I agree that the message in the submissions interface should include that point. I've added it now which is already live.

Regards,
Will

2.7K Messages

 • 

47K Points

3 years ago

If Mr. Boroff were still around on this forum, I would challenge him to explain three things:

1. If a keyword is relevant both at the TV series level and to a specific TV episode, how exactly would it be inconsistent with the guidelines to add that keyword in both places? Which exact words in the guidelines is he relying on to get to this interpretation?

2. Setting aside the plain language of the guidelines, what would be the policy rationale for forbidding a keyword from being added to an episode even if the keyword is relevant to that episode, just because the keyword is also relevant to (and has also been added to) the series as a whole?

3. Assuming he can come up with any policy rationale for forbidding a relevant keyword from being added to an episode just because it is also relevant to the series as a whole, does he believe that policy rationale outweighs the fact that such a prohibition would interfere with the ability to find relevant episodes via keyword-specific searches on IMDb?

Will has already explained in another thread that it is perfectly acceptable to add a keyword both at the series level and to individual episodes (or even to all individual episodes), so long as the keyword is relevant in all places where it is added:

We see no issue with keeping the keyword at the series and episode level, as long as it applies to both. 

That summarizes it perfectly, and that is exactly what the guidelines already allow. End of story.

(edited)