IMDb message boards

Please see the text below from http://www.imdb.com/board/announcement

In addition, we have created a new Get Satisfaction categories for "I Need to Know" to replace the "I Need to Know" message board and "IMDb Poll" to replace the "IMDb Poll" message board. A post on the Contributors Help board explains the migration path from there to the newly renamed Get Satisfaction category "Data Issues & Policy Discussions" (which is an already active community here).

An FAQ on the closure is now available at http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?boardsclosurefaq

IMDb Message Boards Announcement

IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. As part of our ongoing effort to continually evaluate and enhance the customer experience on IMDb, we have decided to disable IMDb’s message boards on February 20, 2017. This includes the Private Message system. After in-depth discussion and examination, we have concluded that IMDb’s message boards are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide. The decision to retire a long-standing feature was made only after careful consideration and was based on data and traffic.

Increasingly, IMDb customers have migrated to IMDb’s social media accounts as the primary place they choose to post comments and communicate with IMDb’s editors and one another. IMDb’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/imdb) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) have an audience of more than 10 million engaged fans. IMDb also maintains official accounts on Snapchat (https://www.snapchat.com/add/imdblive), Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/imdbofficial/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/imdb), and Tumblr (http://imdb.tumblr.com/).

Because IMDb’s message boards continue to be utilized by a small but passionate community of IMDb users, we announced our decision to disable our message boards on February 3, 2017 but will leave them open for two additional weeks so that users will have ample time to archive any message board content they’d like to keep for personal use. During this two-week transition period, which concludes on February 19, 2017, IMDb message board users can exchange contact information with any other board users they would like to remain in communication with (since once we shut down the IMDb message boards, users will no longer be able to send personal messages to one another). We regret any disappointment or frustration IMDb message board users may experience as a result of this decision.

IMDb is passionately committed to providing innovative ways for our hundreds of millions of users to engage and communicate with one another. We will continue to enhance our current offerings and launch new features in 2017 and beyond that will help our customers communicate and express themselves in meaningful ways while leveraging emerging technologies and opportunities.

Responses

Oldest First

Selected Oldest First

david_7609860

1 Message

•

656 Points

9 years ago

I gotta agree with the other users, terrible idea. Instead of improving the message boards (by introducing moderators, up/downvote system, ...) you are going to delete a beloved feature and remove even more from the community feel. IMDB should be a social site, but after this, it really won't be anymore. The alternatives you listed (other social networks) can't be used for discussions about a specific movie.

alioth_a9g37didi3cuz

4 Messages

•

714 Points

I'd recomment the up/downvote thing, I can see how daunting it may be with many thousands of particular boards, to moderate trolls--although I'd bet if the site deputized some of the serious posters who inhabit the more popular boards at least to moderate those boards (after vetting their own comment histories of course), many of them would gladly take or share the task if it meant keeping the boards. I'd be willing to serve in that too.

9 years ago

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going Made a petition, I'm just a simple man so might need help to spread the word... 2000 strong as of now

9 years ago

thefranksinatra

24 Messages

•

2.6K Points

Wow....2,000 yesterday, its up to 5,000+ already....wake up IMDB...

9 years ago

some_guy_875a8ynrmv9mn

8 Messages

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660 Points

Signed. Thanks, Dan!

9 years ago

dgranger

3.5K Messages

•

85.8K Points

David, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Wasn't a part of the orginnal idea of the origin of the IMDb was to provide a place for movie fans to discuss movies? In fact, the very nature of fans coming together of a message board to discuss anything is the very essence of social media. Therefore, the IMDb has always has been social media. I always saw it like that. Social media for movie lovers. Cinephiles, if you want to call it that (but I prefer to use movie lovers). The closing of the message boards is a betrayal of the vary founding idea, soul and heart of the IMDb. Clearly someone lost sight of what the IMDb was meant to stand for.

9 years ago

mightythorshair

9 Messages

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2.2K Points

9 years ago

250,000,000 users. Of which 10,000,000 use the social media sites. So thats 4%

brad_chapman_kf4xpbapo640m

1 Message

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724 Points

9 years ago

Goodbye I guess then. When the boards are gone, so am I. I can look up info and trivia about shows and movies on multiple sites. This was the only one I could come to and be able to talk and read about discussions for all my favorite shows and movies easily and all on one site. When I can't do that anymore, I have no more use for your site. So goodbye.

some_guy_875a8ynrmv9mn

8 Messages

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660 Points

Kills me to say it after 15 years, but same here.

9 years ago

cornelia_shields

16 Messages

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718 Points

17 years and also dismissing this site after February 20 and the people who run it as useless.

9 years ago

crazy_sven

9 Messages

•

950 Points

Me too, as a very early member. I will be leaving what will be a howling wasteland, devoid of the humanity that created it. The mindless corporate drones have done it again. Every year, we lose more and more of our crucial ability to be social and to communicate and share our interests. Chalk another one up for soulless consumerism.

9 years ago

sarah_dugan_kmpd969ndkebm

5 Messages

•

400 Points

9 years ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Boo to eliminating message boards!.

Why r u doing away with the Message Boards?????? Can't stand our conversation?

sergey_woropaew

15 Messages

•

720 Points

they was just paid by creators of shitty film.

9 years ago

jimmy_zeilinger

1 Message

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460 Points

9 years ago

Hugely disappointed. I've been coming to imdb for years after every movie I see to learn about and discuss the movie I've seen. There must be an easy to ban trolls. Someone will enter the space and put up movie and tv discussion boards, if not, I will! Please reconsider your decision. There is so much great insight and discussion these boards provide about the art of film and television.

mightythorshair

9 Messages

•

2.2K Points

9 years ago

IMDB has almost 3,000,000 followers on Twitter.

The most replies I can see to any tweet are 16, most likes 400 and retweets 300.

Nobody cares about your twitter account.

ahstaroth

3 Messages

•

1.5K Points

9 years ago

"IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. "'

Soon to be was. Sad. :( Oh well, somebody will fill the gap. Maybe I will. Forum software is abundant, it's the categorization by title and actor that will be hard.

brianreilly

1 Message

•

746 Points

9 years ago

Somehow, and unbelievably, this has managed to be the dumbest decision I've see anyone make in recent memory.
Seriously, how is social media supposed to be a substitute for the platform of discussion that takes place in these message boards? I'm incredulous at the suggestion that the boards are not heavily used; I frequent many different boards that are regularly engaged in user traffic and discussion. One of them is for a show that hasn't produced a new episode since about 2004, but is still visited by fans on a daily basis, who are steeped in conversation about their favorite content.

I've been active on these boards for over 10 years; it's how I discovered IMDB; and I often read comments elsewhere online that relate back to those boards of specific shows.

It's been an open secret for years that IMDB has never cared much about their message boards; they're poorly moderated, the means to contact people involved with the site directly are cloaked through layer after layer of sub-pages you have to wade through, before getting to a page you can actually send a message from; and even then, the response you're likely to receive is a rote, catch-all response, that amounts to, "the message boards are not the primary purpose of this site, so we don't care what happens on them; you're on your own."

It may not have been the intention for the message boards to become an online community - one that, from my own personal experience revivals Facebook for my attention, as I probably spend about as much time, if not more, here as I do on other social media. I have a button linked to my IMDB board profile set on my browser toolbar, right next to the Facebook button; and the same destination is the third web address that pops up in my mobile browser after my email and Facebook. That may not have been what you wanted your site to achieve, but that's what you've got, and forsaking that and turning your back on the people who have helped build that community, is a profoundly stupid decision. Who in their right mind decides they don't like a segment of traffic to their website?? Sure, not all of it is constructive or positive, but that's the area to address, rather than turning everyone away wholesale!
I echo the sentiments of some of the others; once the boards are gone, I won't be returning to IMDB for anything else. There won't be anything else on this site that I can't find elsewhere online. I sure as hell won't be continuing to follow IMDB on social media, let alone utilize that somehow to fulfill the purpose of the message boards.

vicky_crawford

4 Messages

•

250 Points

Agree! I read the message boards frequently, especially about the older TV shows and movies. So sad.

9 years ago

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

Don't accept defeat, petit https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going

9 years ago

thefranksinatra

24 Messages

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2.6K Points

Make them reconsider...the petition more than doubled in 24 hours, up to 5,000 signatures...

9 years ago

ginnyweasl

7 Messages

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930 Points

Seriously. I urge everyone to forward the petition to their friends and family, and explain to them why it is so important that they add their names even if they aren't regular board users.

9 years ago

thefranksinatra

24 Messages

•

2.6K Points

Yep, another day and its gotten another 2,000 signatures up to 7,000+. and Col wrote out some points or something already reacting to the sentiment, but hasn't yet officially changed course. If enough people continue to complain, they will change their mind. No one wants bad PR, at some point it doesn't even become worth it to do, because the headache it creates is worse than the minor upkeep involved in the first place. It will be up to 10,000+ within 2 or 3 days. Figure it out IMDB and make the right decision....

9 years ago

gabriella_true

4 Messages

•

546 Points

I'm seriously bummed out that they are going away. Zero point to use IMDb now.

9 years ago

capdeac

84 Messages

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2K Points

9 years ago

Nothing much else to add. This is a terrible idea. I browse IMDB daily because of the message boards. If that disappears, then there's not much left for me.

meg_hammil

1 Message

•

540 Points

9 years ago

I want to echo all the comments above. The message boards have long been my favorite part of IMDb. Getting to find real fans all over the world of odd little movies that I thought I was the only one to like, that has been wonderful. I am on a FB page for another site, and communicating about other films is very hit or miss. It's almost impossible to find old posts. The great thing about IMDb is the ability to have conversation on the pages of each individual film. No other site provides this in the same way. If all I want is a cast list I can go to Wikipedia, for heavens sake. bam particularly saddened by the comments about "Small but passionate following". I thought that was what IMDb was all about. Count me as one disappointed about to be former user. If all I want is a cast list I can use Wikipedia. Please do not get rid of our message boards.

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

Exactly, we the IMDB users who are active and make posts and share fan theories ARE IMDB and this is really inconsiderate of them... I wonder how many millions and millions won't bother going to the site if they go ahead with it.... Made a petition to keep it going https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going

9 years ago

steve_carras_fcjxonaqgysug

3 Messages

•

302 Points

Agreed,Meg, you can count me in as well.

9 years ago

cornelia_shields

16 Messages

•

718 Points

If they disrespect us by removing the boards, remove reviews and anything else you ever contributed to the site! They don't deserve them.

9 years ago

pine_43pmys9ie8uq2

3 Messages

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606 Points

9 years ago

Biggest movie database, where are we supposed to discuss movies and films now?
I learned about huge amount of good films and shows on imdb message boards, moreover, on message boards, I always found answers to confusing parts about the films, etc. What good are you now if we can't find information we need on imdb anymore. Screw you.

pine_43pmys9ie8uq2

3 Messages

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606 Points

*movies and TV shows

9 years ago

john_bennie

12 Messages

•

600 Points

What a total load of crap! It's pure cowardice on the part of IMDB. Yes, they are a bunch of rowdies on the board but it cut of the thousands of users that use this place to interact with other who like the same type of stories is just bad. It's wrong, it's bad. You should be ashamed.

Someone should organize some kind of protest or boycott!!

9 years ago

ogre_tale

2 Messages

•

354 Points

Closing the boards is a terrible idea. I've been reading, posting and responding for years and enjoyed many interesting conversations. One of the strengths of the boards is exchanges that can stretch over several years and closing them in favour of currently fashionable (and cheaper?) social media is a really poor short term decision. You may well find that a significant slice of your older and/or more thoughtful visitors simply drop off if there is no suitable medium to comment on films and thier themes.

9 years ago

sandy_prater

1 Message

•

202 Points

What an awful choice. So what if it doesn't bring in lots of traffic. Think about the fans for once instead of the bottom line. I love posing questions and getting clarification or different perspectives of scenes or a film. I've been a member since IMDb first came to life, and the message boards, cast, and trivia section are the only things I look at and the cast I can just ask google for these days. Oh well.

9 years ago

tim_lachmann

1 Message

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120 Points

Terrible decision

9 years ago

josie_smith_ck08qtyzwfsqp

1 Message

•

200 Points

I agree with so many! I have found so many new shows/movies by being in contact with other users. This is very disappointing. If IMDB is trying to lessen trolls and etc., the last place I'd turn to is a site like twitter or Facebook. Those are where trolls are born and feed!.

9 years ago

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

While organizing a boycott will be tricky (especially since alot of us are a bit introverted and that's why we go to messageboards in the firstplace) signing this petition might help https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going

9 years ago

michael_rousine

1 Message

•

100 Points

Amazon will loose customers over this. Mark my words.

9 years ago

jim_woods_b3f9mh7ni8gwq

3 Messages

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448 Points

This is total crap. It shows the laziness of IMDB honestly. Also, if they want more traffic, you could always not have the message board as hidden as it is. I love to read the message boards during and after I watch something. The "troll problem" is not remotely as bad as some make it sound in my experience.

9 years ago

james_edward_crowley

19 Messages

•

434 Points

I have been coming to IMDb for years I can't believe IMDb are shutting down the boards rest in peace I only started commenting on IMDb nearly 9 months ago so I am very sad I have been a member for 9 years have I been commenting on IMDb boards in 2007 when I joined I wouldn't be so sad because I would have experienced it more.

9 years ago

doctorbuster

96 Messages

•

3.3K Points

Some of the people over at Film General created a version of the board on Reddit. So if you wanna join and talk about film, just press the link bellow.

https://www.reddit.com/r/IMDbFilmGeneral/

9 years ago

dale_posey

1 Message

•

140 Points

Yeah. I will rarely come here without boards. I watch the trailer and read the board. If I'm bored with internet in general i enjoy coming here to read boards about movies i like (or don't).

9 years ago

razar_campbell

3 Messages

•

310 Points

I also started a new thread (some days ago) about this very topic, signed some petition somewhere purporting to relate to this and have now found my way here.
For shame, imdb!!!

This move will only alienate you from your most loyal followers. The casual user who doesn't care where he gets his info from won't be affected, because s/he doesn't use imdb that much and probably never used the boards.

We the Forum-ers are the ones you're hurting with this capricious whim. We're the ones who likely created our accounts many years ago, our first forum thread starting with something akin to "I created this account because I just had to comment on..."

And now you're telling us that this thing that is important to us just isn't important to you and quite frankly, neither are we... For Shame!!!

9 years ago

lev_olkha

1 Message

•

184 Points

You are saying "increasingly, IMDb customers have migrated to IMDb’s social media accounts as the primary place they choose to post comments "
so, when I want to read people discussing particular movie, where should I go? where do they discuss it? I couldn't find anything on your facebook page?

9 years ago

riverdeep

45 Messages

•

2.2K Points

No Lev, but seriously - do try to discuss movies, and ask questions about episodes, right there on their FB page - yes, right there where there is no facility for such discussion. Right there, where Col N is imploring us all to do! What a mess that would make of their FB page, if nothing else ;-)

PS: and jsii, since you mentioned "LIE"... what a great movie that was! I think it was Paul Dano's first? I just saw him in Swiss Army Man - what a brilliant performance!

Oops - sorry Col N - I really should be discussing this with jsii on your FB page now shouldn't I!?! Or... now let's just consider this radical idea for one cotton-pickin moment - how about we discuss it on a Message Board dedicated to Paul Dano instead? But, erm... I wonder where we would find such a message board...??

9 years ago

steven_chappell_4efh4mzjryacw

1 Message

•

140 Points

The message boards are clearly the most popular feature of the IMDB and contain many interesting conversations. The alternatives linked in the announcement are obviously not alternatives at all because you can't post to a page specifically dedicated to the movie or TV show and expect people to find it. Usage of IMDB will surely fall off sharply and advertising revenue will obviously decline with it. The decision should be reversed and the bean-counter who made it should be fired.

9 years ago

neuralatrocity

2 Messages

•

280 Points

Dear Col, social media is no replacement for IMDB and here's why: SM is just a sounding board for like-minded people who do not want to be challenged, researchers have discovered that SM users gravitate to each other thanks to their similarities and that's something we must avoid at all costs, IMDB message boards allows users to CHALLENGE each other, to see another POV,, to peer through someone else's window and not preen in mirrors, by taking away this resource you have damaged the film and tv community irreparably.

9 years ago

mlaiuppa

2 Messages

•

210 Points

I'm EXTREMELY offended by the IMDB decision to shut down the message boards.

Absolutely they are being abused. (Game of Thrones comes immediately to mind. ) There are plenty of trolls out there.

However I use the message boards to read reviews of movies I might want to see, TV shows and to find information like costuming, music, etc.

I don't do Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Imgr or any of those other social media platforms.

I rely on the IMDB message boards for all sorts of information. INFORMATION! Like filming locations. Or info on uncredited cast.

If there are abuses of the message boards it is the laziness of IMDB that failed to monitor them or force abusers and trolls to abide by board rules.

Without the message boards I can't say I have any reason to frequent the IMDB website any more. I can just as soon get information on casting and reviews from Amazon or Google.

It is users and the message boards that MADE IMDB. (I've been coming here for decades. Yes, must be over 20 years.)

So in conclusion, your decision sucks and I think in the end you'll regret it. But it will be too late to put Humpty Dumpty back together again after you push him off the wall.

Really a pity. You used to have a really great resource here. Now it's just going to die.

9 years ago

gabrielle_benschop

4 Messages

•

384 Points

It's late at night, and I don't have time to read through all these responses, but every one I've seen has been the same. You are removing a rich history from your website. THE one and only water cooler where people can discuss obscure films. You're doing a heartbreaking disservice to the world in removing the most drawing feature of IMDB. You are removing half the data from your database; which is the best part: the discussions. Please tell your members what we have to do to keep the boards alive, because there are thousands of us eager to help. It hasn't fully hit me yet how much this will hurt, but when those boards are officially gone, my heart will sink. I'm begging you to please reconsider.

9 years ago

michaelm_3383609

1 Message

•

150 Points

I will be finding another movie site, last thing I want is one that doesn't want human opinions expressed, the message board was where I was able to really measure how a movie made people feel, the reviews re not a discussion with counterpoints, just one sided rantings.

9 years ago

carrigon_stw

5 Messages

•

780 Points

Removing these message boards is going to harm the Indie film industry. The message boards have been a vital place for directors, film crew, and actors to interact with fans. There have been many posts where a director or actor have come on the boards and given invaluable trivia about their films that we wouldn't have found elsewhere. They also rely on fan feedback to see what worked and what didn't work with the films. It will be harder to find info on new indie films, as they often post a new film's website address in the boards.

If trolls were the real issue, why not get free volunteer moderators for the boards?

Destroying one of the oldest and most popular message board communities makes no sense. The message boards are the heart and soul of IMDB.

9 years ago

filmcuckoo

4 Messages

•

274 Points

The hastily ill-advised decision to demolish Message Boards is this far the most incomprehensible decision, that IMDb has ever done. We've all witnessed the steady, yet firm decline of the services, that IMDb used to provide. It can only go faster and deeper downhill from here on. Instead of focusing on real issues, such as fake voting and dishonest voting frauds, which have grown exponentially for the past 5 years, should have been bigger concern... but no... "we'll stop providing IMDB Message Boards instead" - Without Message Boards, the voting frauds will also grow exponentially, as when the boards are gone, there is no longer anyone to inform or challenge the more obviously manipulated scores. So what will IMDb do now, to battle against vote manipulation, I ask? -Have you people really thought this thing through? Also, ending the boards will also mean the end of all intellectual and academic discussions, which was made easy and natural through IMDb boards - that too will be gone, among many, many other positive aspects that the boards provided. Or is this just another manifestation of "Business & Profits before common good"?

9 years ago

david_carter_4865473

1 Message

•

100 Points

This is a seriously miss guided decision, I end many other solely visit IMdb to find out others views on the film I have just watched. Giving in because of a few trolls is a lazy excuse and dont tell me social media is the answer because it simply isnt.

9 years ago

filmcuckoo

4 Messages

•

274 Points

More and more I read comments and articles around the web regarding this abomination of eliminating IMDb Message Boards, the more I begin to realize, that using trolls as an excuse, is just about nothing short of naïve! I begin now to see the ancient beast of corporate greed, which quite famously doesn't really give a damn about user comfort or what users really want. There are ways to fight trolling, but eliminating boards is surely not among wise decisions - This is just so bonkers, that it can only make people angry. I wonder also how well do the predicted account drop-outs calculate against the much, much higher number of account deletions than expected? -Now, that surely isn't smart business, if you'll simply loose your customer base, for something as trivial as this. And there is no substitute for boards, no social media channel or outlet can replace the very nature of message boards. It would be also wise to remember, that message boards was what started the whole Internet, in the form of BBS. If IMDb actually does eliminate the boards, that will also be a firm confirmation how little they actually care about the users, and will ultimately be nothing less than slapping the face of every legitimate IMDb user, and a potential Amazon customer, which they don't seem to realize. This thing will backfire for sure!

9 years ago

s_l_4779796

3 Messages

•

160 Points

IMDB there's so much good amongst the bad, don't do it.!!!

I've been posting on these message boards since 2004.
In that time, I myself was a much younger, troll at times but people grow up.

These boards are full of incredible stories and anecdotes, many people here who have met or even worked with the stars and crew of films, occassionally some of the people listed on the site even post here themselves.

Sure there are some nasty comments but they aren't the majority.
There's discussion on so many things, technical details, fascinating bits of trivia missing from the trivia page, observations, recommendations of other films or even advice on where to find hard to get movies.

There's an treasure trove of information here and it's a huge disservice to stop it. We're not all angry children, political activists (from either side) or hateful.

Why not consider revising the forums instead, limited posts per day? More intense verification before posting, better word filters, maybe even user voting.

There are (literally, obviously...) tens, if not hundreds of thousands of individual boards on so so many little people in the industry, people from history, so much data there, all to be wasted.

This is a massive shame and I'm hugely disapointed.
I would consider a $10 a year fee to post here if that's what's even needed.

Please consider.

9 years ago

michelle_osborne_enbwx50lq6iaa

1 Message

•

120 Points

The message boards are literally the ONLY reason I come to IMDB. I like to discuss movies I just saw or my favorite TV shows. Otherwise I won't have any interest in coming to the site. Wikipedia gives me more info.

9 years ago

filmcuckoo

4 Messages

•

274 Points

I wonder if IMDb even has thought, that while the actual posting community may be relatively small in numbers, the number of people reading the boards is in comparison gigantic. I agree with the view, that there's really no point complaining about this, they will do it no matter what, even with 10 million signatures on that petition won't change their minds! Which means it's time to protest: So, how about a total contribution boycott? It is already very clear IMDb is not going to respect users or their wishes. (It hasn't done anything in this regards, for a decade!) What does Mr. Needham think will happen to his precious moneymaker, if users would simply just stop contributing? What would happen, if adding images, trivia, titles, photos, technical data, bios, plots, keywords, and countless forms of other info and data, which IMDb has always taken as granted, all the data they have gotten free of charge, and what has actually made it as Internet Movie DATABASE, would just stop? No more data, no more nothing but titles with no content or any other points of interest, what would happen to the number of subscriptions? -Why would anyone want to visit a database which no longer has any data accumulating?

9 years ago

filmcuckoo

4 Messages

•

274 Points

9 years ago

theresa_mcgrory

1 Message

•

124 Points

I for one, am that type of user. I read on imdb daily, rarely ever post. I won't have a reason to go to the website when the message boards are gone!

9 years ago

laura_mathias

1 Message

•

140 Points

This is not a good decision. I come to this site almost daily, and whenever I look up a person or movie, one of the first things I do is take a look at the message boards. And yeah, there are a lot of dumb trolls, but for every one of them there's someone with great insight or unique information -- and hey, I'm not too self-important not to enjoy the occasional silly "looks like" threads! I've had some of the liveliest online discussions here, and had questions answered I couldn't find elsewhere.

Please, please reconsider this. Think of the traffic decrease. Think of the stale lack of community. It simply won't be the same site. While change can be good, cutting out something that's become such a source of fun and knowledge for so many simply makes no sense.

9 years ago

wendy_l_temple

7 Messages

•

1.3K Points

It also markets films and tv series because it piques interest. This is a decisions by people who have no imagination, I have a marketing and database background, there is incredible buzz, synergy, and good will here, not to mention it drives traffic to the site.A real marketing genius would take these things into account, it's more than just numbers. Clicking "follow" on Twitter is not engaging someone at all.

9 years ago

darin_o_neill

1 Message

•

120 Points

You people at IMDB are fools. It is we, the users, that have made you the powerhouse that you are and you decide to go and alienate a large portion of us by doing this. Way to go. Brilliant.

9 years ago

dgranger

3.5K Messages

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85.8K Points

Col, I have a very interesting question to ask you. I saw this decision to close the message boards on the main "free" IMDb.com site but I haven't seen a word stating if it is closed on both IMDb.com AND IMDbPro too. Or did you close it on only the free site and left it open on the pay site? That is a question I think many would like to see answered. Did you close the message boards on IMDb Pro too?

9 years ago

dan_lever_ii

1 Message

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100 Points

I'm now dropping IMDB. I've been a member for a long time, and looking at the site even longer.

RIP

9 years ago

fiveisforsecret

4 Messages

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280 Points

Since it’s evident that IMDb has had some serious – however wrong – reasons to make this decision I’m afraid that no amount of reasoning here – however valid – is going to change anything. So just a couple of obvious points before this barbaric act actually happened.

First – following your warped logic all roads should indeed be ‘cancelled’ because both fools and accidents are quite frequent there (incidentally, some technical maintenance may be very instrumental in reducing the latter – but it has nothing to do with closing them altogether, hasn’t it?).

Now – your reply of sorts.

“Message boards are always temporary in nature: content is not meant to be kept forever and can be removed for a number of reasons, including expiration (i.e. when a conversation does not see any activity for a certain period of time).”

Yes, maybe. But there are threads which date back to the early 2000s (I believe there is no need to come up with examples?), contain extremely interesting discussion (facts, personal interpretations and back and forth between those). That is the stuff has been around and accumulating like for a decade and is still ongoing. There are hundreds of them. You want to just send it to a trash bin? And still pose like someone who kinda gives a heck about cinema afterwards? Is it supposed to be funny?

“There are some interesting discussions with content worthy of being preserved, but that content is better suited to being stored in permanent parts of IMDb (such as user reviews, FAQs, trivia, goofs to name just a few).”

It’s plain bullshit. You know perfectly well that most if not all of the stuff mentioned above does not fit in with any of ‘permanent parts’. And will have to just perish.

So, I have no idea what exactly you’re trying to accomplish: make everyone a FB user, turn IMDb into one big ‘safe space’ (in case you’ve forgotten where you normally wind up when you introduce such initiatives you should re-read Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”) or simply – and stupidly – pursuing your monetary gain here and now with profound disregard towards what’s going to happen in the very foreseeable future. But what you’re going to do is not akin to burning books. It IS burning books. And I guess you know who – or what – is infamous for doing so. And that is exactly what you’re going to turn yourself into on February 20.

9 years ago

tony_roy_3824p5m5kam9p

1 Message

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160 Points

So now that the IMDb message boards will be shutting down, where am I to go in order to comment and discuss a particular movie and TV series? On the IMDb site it is written, "Increasingly, IMDb customers have migrated to IMDb's social media accounts as the primary place they choose to post comments and communicate with IMDb's editors and one another".
Ok, I'm here on social media. Am I suppose to put my comments and questions in a IMDb posting of a completely different movie every time they post something?
This doesn't make sense at all. The official Facebook Page or Group for IMDb doesn't have all the movies and TV series that the website has. And how am I suppose to search - where's the Search feature?
History:
The Internet Movie Database began in the year 1990 as postings to Usenet, which essentially was a message-bulletin board. It began as postings on: "rec.arts.movies.movie.database" Usenet Newsgroup.
And, just like each message board which today resides at the bottom of each movie and TV series, people were in those days able to comment, ask questions, discus, a particular movie, TV series etc.
So it is ironic that IMDb is going to shut down a part of its history. If it wasn't for the "rec.arts.movies movie database" Usenet (which resembled a bulletin and message board) the creator of IMDb would have had to wait until the "Internet" was invented in order to begin the website. And without Usenet, there would have been less inspiration to create a site in the first place.

9 years ago

dgranger

3.5K Messages

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85.8K Points

Thank you for confirming what I had said earlier. Message boards are social media and the the IMDb was social media in its inception . What the hell people think Facebook and Twitter are? They just glorified message boards. Facebook is a crude glorified message board.

9 years ago

drtalos

7 Messages

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620 Points

maybe looking at this the wrong way. long ago, i stopped posting anything meaningful on FB outside of media, sports, weather... because imo FB has shown itself to be worthless for (dynamic) meaningful conversations. FB has proven itself to financially viable while arguably becoming socially worthless. same can be said about a lot of social media. new ideas will take their place. better ideas. better venues. we'll know it when we see it, and should gravitate there. one can only rail against astonishing idiocy and shortsightedness for so long - allow it to die, and move on to something superior.

9 years ago

cornelia_shields

16 Messages

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718 Points

The only good thing about such a heart wrenching situation is learning how many truly care and that it can serve as an example for preventing such disasters in future. Here it's taken me a vast amount of time just to reach the bottom of the first page of an at least 8-page topic!

9 years ago

nick_kwcn6104axmkd

1 Message

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102 Points

When you start to count just numbers and "the majority of users" is when you start to lose your way. Congrats IMDB management! You entered the Trump era consistently!

9 years ago

deana_weibel_swanson

1 Message

•

140 Points

Please bring the message boards back. Even though I sometimes had to slog through ignorant, baiting comments, I also found incredible information and connections to other users. This is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. I will be much less likely to use IMDB in the future now that the message boards are gone. Listen to the people who use your site and bring them back.

9 years ago

tim_axtp4nimmbhbi

1 Message

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224 Points

I came to IMDB to discuss movies and shows. Deleting the message boards was a huge mistake. Though I guess Amazon, which runs crappy B movies on Prime, was threatened by honest discussions of those movies. Blech! Canceled Amazon Prime and done with IMDB...I can get the same facts on movies, shows and actors via Google. Buh-bye IMDB an d Amazon Prime!

9 years ago

john_smith_iem8xs72j5uma

1 Message

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120 Points

Been using the boards for years.. poor poor decision to remove them.. hang your heads in shame imdb..

9 years ago

sdk_elmaruecan

54 Messages

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2K Points

How twisted can logic be when one decision that makes thousands of people unhappy is deemed 'rational'

9 years ago

john_deer_2198v6dhckwiy

1 Message

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80 Points

What a ridiculous decision I am leaving your site! Why do you HATE free speech?

9 years ago

ludo_maas

1 Message

•

160 Points

on every visit on IMDb, I added the film I watched to my archive, gave it a rating, and immediately scrolled down to the forum to read people's opinions, theories and discussions. Especially the smaller titles had interesting posts. This kills about 85% of IMDB's charm for me.

9 years ago

williams2600

2 Messages

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164 Points

I have an OCD-like compulsion to rate every movie I watch, so I can't completely threaten to leave and never return, but now that the message boards are closed I will probably spend a fraction of the time on the site. Like, maybe a tenth of the time I used to.

I mean at this point I discuss movies more than actually watch them. Honestly the site was more useful to discuss the janky rating system itself than for reliable ratings. You can get info and meta-critic ratings on movies everywhere. It was a place to analyze the zeitgeist, issues, reviews and reviewers, not just movies. Also, when you use one feature you spend more time and use more features, hence more ad revenue, right? Kind of seems like a moronic decision from a financial standpoint, but what do I know.

I get that there are trolls, but where else am I going to discuss Sven Nykist or Thea von Harbou? Somewhere other than IMDb, I guess.

9 years ago

matthewevenson

1 Message

•

100 Points

Bring back the boards!! Watching the Oscars and saw a trailer for Will Smith's new Netflix only movie Bright. My first stop was IMDb message boards only to remember shit, they got rid of them. So sad.

9 years ago

ted_wray

1 Message

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122 Points

Dropping the Discussion Boards was a HUGE mistake, it takes the "community" out of IMDB. The principal reason to see a film in a theater is to see it with others and then discuss it afterward. Now, for me, IMDB is nothing more than a reference resource. Instead you did not even leave it up closed to new posting. Apparently the yuppies and slackers have taken over.

9 years ago

susan_pacanowski

1 Message

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60 Points

I can't believe they did away with the message boards! Thayer was the only reason I ever got on IMDB. Will be using this site rarely now. Hopefully the powers to be will see what an ill advises mistake they have made.

9 years ago

mudsharkbytes

2 Messages

•

218 Points

Kinda surreal isn't it? I mean, who would've thought this great thing they had - instead of coveting it and working to make it even better, they just pitch it out like last weeks garbage.

The sickening part of it is - all that trivia and information and anecdote - all those conversations - just *poof* gone. Kaput. I'll bet the dumbasses didn't even archive them.

I never say never, but I have no plans to ever visit IMDB again after this. If I need details about a movie, I'll use google or wikipedia from now on.

9 years ago

miriam_erez

7 Messages

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524 Points

Yesterday I found a post by an IMDB staffer named Col, and disregarded the original topic to tell him how we feel. I can't believe they didn't consider making the boards a paid service. Win-win: IMDB makes $, keeps out the riff-raff, everyone benefits. I completely agree with your lament. I was just thinking about the same thing yesterday and hoping that at least they archived them. IMDB, if you're reading, please, please reconsider.

9 years ago

miriam_erez

7 Messages

•

524 Points

Better suggestion entirely: www.themoviedb.org. Just joined. Leave IMDB in the dust. If they make the effort to track us all down to announce that they've reinstated the boards, I'll be back. Otherwise, onward to www.theMovieDB.org.

9 years ago

linda_h4vmrdruelqyh

1 Message

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140 Points

I don't use social media only the message boards on imdb and now I had to sign up to this annoying account too. So please do tell me how can I read individual comments about certain programmes when I don't use Facebook or Twitter, nor do I have any intention of using them.?
Removing the message boards was the dumbest idea you thought up.
So please do tell me, how do I read comments and contribute to them? Also did you consult your users? I don't think so.

I look forward to your quick response to my question and a quick resolution to this problem.

9 years ago

tj_turner

2 Messages

•

430 Points

Just FYI, IMDB, I haven't been back on your site a single time since the forum closed and guess what, I can find all of the info I would have gone there for just as easily in tons of other places. So you've permanently lost me as a user. Good job.

9 years ago

abhinav_5502122

9 Messages

•

586 Points

I don't think IMDb gives a damn about anyone. Anyone. Whenever I watched a movie, the first thing I did was go to the movie page and scroll down to the bottom and look at the message board. It was damn fun and what exactly separated IMDb from other movie sites. too bad they dissolved the message boards. Shame on IMDb. I highly doubt the vision of IMDb team. I used to visit IMDb everyday, now I visit maybe once or twice a week to only rate the movies. I don't think even a single person likes this idea of removing the message board. IMDb won't even let an app developer create an app for windows phone. Goes to show that IMDb really doesn't give a damn about anyone. Be a developer or the users of IMDb. So many people complaining and the IMDb team be like, "oh! look at those sheep. They will get used to IMDb without message board and the mobile version of IMDb. haha."

Shame on Col Needham and the team.

9 years ago

safeinsanity

2 Messages

•

136 Points

These are the real IMDB message boards archived and resurrected.
https://www.imdbarchive.com/

9 years ago

shasha_music

1 Message

•

80 Points

This is such a sad change. Not only have they removed real interactions, they've replaced it with algorithms to calculate a user's interest - it'll never be the same.
The whole reason of using imdb personally was for the referrals, and while I may not have posted I certainly relied on the many replies in the last 17yrs for discoveries and to read about other's thoughts. It was real. RIP.

9 years ago

utpe

2 Messages

•

94 Points

I'm sorry Mr. Needham, but the reasons you state above as to why the boards were
removed is just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. The real motivation behind disabling them has to do with that pending lawsuit regarding displaying actors' birth information. The timing of it and the removal of the boards line up perfectly. You're probably afraid that somebody is going to post something personal and get you in an even more world of hurt. Well, I may agree with you on that, but getting rid of every board wasn't a solution. At the very least, you could have kept them for movies and TV shows. If trolls were a problem on the main boards, then fine, I can live without them, but don't you think the whole purpose of an Internet Movie Database would be to discuss such? Sure, you can do that on here, but why bother? Social media doesn't have to dominate the way we post comments. BBS has been around for several years and will never go anywhere. You had no qualms about implementing the system back in 2001, but suddenly, in 2017, it's a problem? Yeah, right. I can sit here all day and speculate as to why you felt the need to shut the boards down, and possibly refute every single lie in your original message. I really wish you would reconsider, but I don't see that happening. Obviously, the petition and responses weren't enough to stop you. I'll just keep posting on http://imdb2.freeforums.net/

9 years ago

owenrees

523 Messages

•

15.3K Points

The reality is much more mundane. Boards ran on obsolete technology which could not be supported any longer. Options were to shut down boards or divert scarce software developer time to rework and migrate to new technology. Usage and value of boards was too low to be worth the effort, especially given the continuing cost of dealing with the anti-social posters.

That was clear from the discussion on the boards before they shut down. The information may be in this thread too but I am not going to read through all of it to check.

9 years ago

utpe

2 Messages

•

94 Points

Owen: Nothing against you personally, but I don't buy it. Mr. Needham didn't object to updating it back in 2013. As to why he never bothered doing anything about it thereafter, I'll never know.

When the announcement came along in February of 2017, people were actually volunteering for free to help improve and moderate the boards. This is evident due to the other site created above with the posted link, even among others such as The Movie Database (TMDb) and MovieChat. There's absolutely no excuse as to why they shut the boards down on IMDb, other than that pending lawsuit. That's really the only excuse I believe.

You don't terminate a functioning board system after 16 years and try to blame it on obsolete technology. They obviously had some other motivation behind it.

Even MSN is guilty of the same thing. They used the Facebook commenting as a way to state opinions on certain articles. After removing it, their excuse was to find a better system themselves. They could have easily stated the trolling and negative comments had nothing to do pertaining to what was written. Granted, they're not an editorial site, but some of what they claim to be relevant information was obviously a few opinions of one-sided journalists.

BTW, If Amazon has forums for politics and such, then why remove it from another site owned by them? I'm guessing Mr. Needham is trying to push the IMDb app as much as possible.

9 years ago

owenrees

523 Messages

•

15.3K Points

If you have not read https://www.beatworm.co.uk/blog/inter... then you should. It goes into some detail about the design and implementation of the boards and how dependent they were on the platform that used to support the main site pages.

9 years ago

stacey_robinson_kcaf804jruhyq

3 Messages

•

312 Points

I am starting to wonder what imdb is even good for anymore.
The organization of the site and particularly of the app is generally worse than what I can find from other information sites like wikipedia or rotten tomatoes.
The whole point of going to that sight was to visit the message boards and get others peoples' takes on a film, learn something new, see it with different eyes.
Now that's gone, I don't know where to go for that community feedback.
I really miss it.

8 years ago

paul_brien_abcsffv5d0xp3

1 Message

•

322 Points

9 years ago

Message Boards R.I.P. A nail in the coffin of IMDb. A very big mistake and a very bad decision that needs to be reconsidered.

some_guy_875a8ynrmv9mn

8 Messages

•

660 Points

More like the final stake in the heart. (By the way, that's a MOVIE reference, for those of you at IMDB.)

9 years ago

adrian_williams_fu91xxg7des48

1 Message

•

222 Points

9 years ago

I hope someone picks up the same format and make millions doing it. You might as well shutdown the entire IMDB, since people are going off Rotten Tomatoes now

thefranksinatra

24 Messages

•

2.6K Points

I think you might need to post your email address...

9 years ago

julie_brenner_wilcox

1 Message

•

300 Points

9 years ago

Don't do this!! Huge mistake! The message boards are such a big part of why people visit this site. I've been using them for over 14 years and I always check out the boards after watching a movie - especially an older movie. If trolls / spammers are the problem, you can higher mods to filter those out and a lot of times you can find volunteer mods. Don't get rid of the message boards!

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

Petition here https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going#

9 years ago

kevin_hovis

2 Messages

•

256 Points

Signed it. Thank you!

9 years ago

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

•

1.5K Points

No problem, spread the word

9 years ago

faith_skygarden

2 Messages

•

326 Points

9 years ago

Taking away the message boards is a terrible idea. Please reconsider. Why is IMDB deciding that the site should be LESS interactive?

dan_lehnberg

20 Messages

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1.5K Points

Agreed but there is a petition https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-keep-the-imdb-messageboards-going#

9 years ago

Col_Needham

IMDb message boards

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