IMDb is shutting down its message boards.
- Thread starter Gaith
- Start date
I practically beamed from ear to ear with schadenfreude when I heard this.
After years and years of posting at the forums (my first registered account dates back to 2000), I finally closed my account last year. Yup. 16 years and I was outta there. That's how bad things were getting.
95% of the people commenting in the forums were not movie fans or viewers who had seen the TV show or move they were commenting about.They were crazy fanboys, MRAs, racists, bored teens and backlashers hijacking the forums as a battleground against rival fanboys, stirring up drama for fun, using the forums as an extension of whatever twisted agenda they were a part of (Alt Right, MRA) or campaigning other posters into massively downvoting a movie for a variety of stupid reasons.
The forums were getting so bad that it was depressing how quickly and predictably any board for a new TV show or movie would break down in the exact same way:
So given all that, I couldn't be happier that the boards were pulled. Now all of these losers no longer have a "safe space" online and like someone else said, will have to find something more productive to do with their time.
As for people wondering where to go for their discussions? There'll be a new and hopefully much better site. I'm sure of it.
After years and years of posting at the forums (my first registered account dates back to 2000), I finally closed my account last year. Yup. 16 years and I was outta there. That's how bad things were getting.
95% of the people commenting in the forums were not movie fans or viewers who had seen the TV show or move they were commenting about.They were crazy fanboys, MRAs, racists, bored teens and backlashers hijacking the forums as a battleground against rival fanboys, stirring up drama for fun, using the forums as an extension of whatever twisted agenda they were a part of (Alt Right, MRA) or campaigning other posters into massively downvoting a movie for a variety of stupid reasons.
The forums were getting so bad that it was depressing how quickly and predictably any board for a new TV show or movie would break down in the exact same way:
- Comic Book Movie--hundreds of Marvel and DC fans hurling insults, posting box office earnings and trolling with a steady stream of, "Totally flopped!! Only made $$$ this weekend, hahahaha!!!" posts.
- IP with prominent minority actor--the usual racist posts, coupled with hundreds of passive aggressive comments about "agenda," "diversity being shoved down throats," "SJWs," "show/TV show being ruined," "minorities being too overrepresented because they only represent X% of the population."
- IP with prominent female lead--rants about Feminazis, SJWs, Mary Sues, and the woman obviously being "shoehorned" into the role for feminist reasons
- Any TV show with a hardcore fanbase, regardless of quality of show--"Get off the board, haters," "If you don't like it, don't watch," "Let's see you do better" to anyone who even remotely expressed a tiny criticism. Or worse--being called a "moron," "idiot," "troll."
- Any classic movie or famous director--"Most overrated ever," "Worst movie ever," "Most overrated director ever."
- Movies with infamous rape scenes--Almost always, 90% of the posts would be about that and nothing else and talking about how "hot" it was or debating whether the victim enjoyed it or not. And only because posters only knew the clips via popular porn sites and had never, ever seen the movie in its entirety.
- Movies in some kind of b.s. controversy or targeted by fringe groups--Hundreds of posts begging everyone to either boycott the film or give it massive one stars at the IMDB and dislikes on its YouTube trailer. Go look at the A Dog's Purpose forum. This is not an exception. This was beginning to be the norm at the IMDB.
So given all that, I couldn't be happier that the boards were pulled. Now all of these losers no longer have a "safe space" online and like someone else said, will have to find something more productive to do with their time.
As for people wondering where to go for their discussions? There'll be a new and hopefully much better site. I'm sure of it.
I don't know, I got pretty good over the years of filtering out the shit posts. For me, the treasures were worth picking through the trash. I know "this is why we can't have nice things" and all but now we have nothing.
Despite the overwhelming amount of crap posts, I'd still venture over there to see people's opinions on movies, actors, etc. My biggest gripe, though, was not with the content, it was with the app (Android, not sure if it was the same with the iOs app), which displayed the first 20 messages, and then an option to view the next 20. The problem was, every time you went back from a message on a post past 20, it would bring you to the first 20 again, restarting the whole process. Shoddy work, in my opinion.
I don't buy their, "Most of our users use Facebook to communicate" logic. That might work for recent works, but what about people who are watching movies more than a few years old? Or have something specific they want to ask/discuss?
There is a conspiracy theory that since Amazon owns IMDb, it might be to its benefits to shutter the message boards. Some people think that some studios might be upset about the comments on their IP, so they brokered a deal where Amazon would get rights to their stuff if they did away with the boards. There's no evidence for this, but it definitely sounds somewhat plausible. Warner Brothers, for example, seems to be putting forth the opinion that their lack of critical success is due to Marvel's fans badmouthing their movies.
Likewise, I wonder if it has to do with the recent California law regarding posting birth dates for actors. While the Constitutionality of the law may be in question, the boards could be seen as a loophole, as a user (maybe even one with ties to IMDb) could have started a thread on an actor's age. Someone online pointed out the law protects message board posts, but just because it protects it, doesn't mean that they can't be sued and caught up in the court system to prove that right.
All of which makes me appreciate this board more, as, more often than not, we actually have good quality discussions here.
I don't buy their, "Most of our users use Facebook to communicate" logic. That might work for recent works, but what about people who are watching movies more than a few years old? Or have something specific they want to ask/discuss?
There is a conspiracy theory that since Amazon owns IMDb, it might be to its benefits to shutter the message boards. Some people think that some studios might be upset about the comments on their IP, so they brokered a deal where Amazon would get rights to their stuff if they did away with the boards. There's no evidence for this, but it definitely sounds somewhat plausible. Warner Brothers, for example, seems to be putting forth the opinion that their lack of critical success is due to Marvel's fans badmouthing their movies.
Likewise, I wonder if it has to do with the recent California law regarding posting birth dates for actors. While the Constitutionality of the law may be in question, the boards could be seen as a loophole, as a user (maybe even one with ties to IMDb) could have started a thread on an actor's age. Someone online pointed out the law protects message board posts, but just because it protects it, doesn't mean that they can't be sued and caught up in the court system to prove that right.
All of which makes me appreciate this board more, as, more often than not, we actually have good quality discussions here.
Trying to censor actors ages and birthdates via LAW???
Free speech is slowly being eroded away.
Shady backroom dealings designed to keep a squeaky clean public facade and make more money, rather then have anyone attack their products and employees.
Very slippery slope. This is kind of scary.
Free speech is slowly being eroded away.
Shady backroom dealings designed to keep a squeaky clean public facade and make more money, rather then have anyone attack their products and employees.
Very slippery slope. This is kind of scary.
I'm not surprised either. There are a lot of trolls on there. Maybe they just got tired of dealing with them. It sucks that they're closing down, but I'm pretty much resigned to it.
Trust me, people in their thirties and forties living in their parent's basement have a lot of disposable income. Not that I know anything on this matter, of course.
Now YouTube comments on the other hand...
I'm disappointed solely for the reason that I watch a lot of movies, I watch a lot of obscure movies which are difficult to find information on. The Messages boards on each film often provided some answers I needed or if I had a particular question on something. There is a lot of crap and trolls but some good stuff will be lost too.
But wait, how else are we going to know if someone thinks a certain actor/actress is gay?
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But wait, how else are we going to know if someone thinks a certain actor/actress is gay?
Ask the magic 8 Ball?
But wait, how else are we going to know if someone thinks a certain actor/actress is gay?
If they are male I can handle it.
I think vandalising Wikipedia is about to become a lot more popular.But wait, how else are we going to know if someone thinks a certain actor/actress is gay?
Won't they still have their user generated lists? You know "150 actresses I can't stand" which lists essentially every actress currently working in the TV/film industry.
Very disappointing. I like to see what others have said and reacted to a film after I watch it and, while a lot of the boards for older have little or petty content taking it away of course is removing a lot of mini-forum for particular movies that otherwise would get really little attention and discussion, even answering of particular questions (rather than a whole big website around one franchise, much as I also like this site).
Having boards for particular actors and directors probably is less valuable and more prone to troll-ish bashing but even they can have some good discussions.
Edit: BTW, Arrival is a pretty good example of a film that was pretty love it or hate it and yet on its board there's a fair amount of discussion, among people who disagree, that's pretty substantive and respectful.
Having boards for particular actors and directors probably is less valuable and more prone to troll-ish bashing but even they can have some good discussions.
Edit: BTW, Arrival is a pretty good example of a film that was pretty love it or hate it and yet on its board there's a fair amount of discussion, among people who disagree, that's pretty substantive and respectful.
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