I Need To Know : Is this a joke?

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IMPORTANT: IMDb is the worlds 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 IMDbs message boards on February 20, 2017. This includes the Private Message system. After in-depth discussion and examination, we have concluded that IMDbs 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. See more

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?

**~Not my circus, not my monkeys~**

I am seriously wondering if they've been hacked. Like, what?

But if they were hacked, it's REALLY good

I don't think it's a joke.

Still in shock. I thought the boards were good.

I think all the people b-ing and moaning about this and that INSISTING that IMDB do something (when IGNORE worked just fine in most cases) helped kill it.

I also think that most message boards were useless. I would watch a show. Maybe not a perfect show but one that made me think or one I liked and wanted to talk about. Sure as shooting, most threads were along the lines of "Utter tripe" "Worst show ever" "Hated it".

It's not that I was offended or put off that someone didn't like a show I liked. It was the overwhelming number of these types of threads that had no meaningful content in them except for the poster to declare to the world that they were of elevated intellect enough to hate pretty much everything (it seemed) they ever watched. They drowned out any meaningful discussion and I'm sure folks just popping in off the street (and not used to IMDB's massive troll population) were completely put off.

If IMDB wants to have any credibility, those message boards were a massive liability toward that end.

Even this board, which I liked visiting because I like research and answering questions, has become massively off topic. I check in and - on the front page - after ignoring the complaint posts, the game posts, the list posts, the questions asked a year ago and bumped repeatedly by the OP when an answer isn't given, and the question about that two second clip of music or tv show in the background of the action on screen, there hasn't been that much I thought was a question that could actually be answered. I was talking myself into stop coming since it just wasn't letting me do what I love: research for answers.

I've been a member of the boards for almost 15 years. I had some good conversations, I've learned a lot (how to get a thick skin and avoid trolls), I've even made a few friends. I've saved conversations I've had on boards here because I felt they were meaningful.

But if I'm honest, I have to agree with IMDB, the members/users of these boards killed the boards. I once said that some folks here were like elementary school kids when the teacher was out of the room. They had no internal moral compass and needed someone with a ruler to whack them on the head to keep them in line. IMDB didn't want to put their focus on holding the ruler. Who can blame them. I modded a site for a few years and it wore me down dealing with irascible a**s.

I very much agree with you.

People do seem to become obsessed with something they didn't like and make it their mission to destroy the board of said film or show.

I shall miss this board a lot though,it has helped me sleep at night on a number of occasions

So if they could just keep this board,that would be great.

Sir Guy Grand-I like school of Rembrandt
Youngman Grand-St.Rembrandt's high

I really hope it's the Russian or North Korean hackers. If not, the imdb site will lose most of its value.

How disappointing.

The trolls have won.

I'm really disappointed if this is really happening. IMDB is a site I visit several times a day and I like having the opportunity to discuss movies and stars with others on here. I don't use any other social media sites as I try to avoid sites that encourage narcissism.

No. It's not a joke.

The anti-Trump lefties did it. Now we'll have to migrate to another forum and IMDb will lose millions of followers. Maybe they'll reconsider after they notice that shutting down the boards was a bad idea.

"I know where I came frombut where did all you zombies come from?"

Imdb can't cope with disapproval of it's pimps.

WTH

**~Not my circus, not my monkeys~**

This sucks. Been using these boards for 15+ years.

I wish they would give a better reason than it's used by a small but vocal group. It is not a small group. It's a lot of people. What's the real reason? They don't like people openly Shari g different ideas? Yes there are some trolls but there has to be something More to it.

Exactly, the trolls can be a pain but that's what the ignore button is for. Maybe we should petition to keep the boards, as getting rid of them is as good as submitting to the losers who want to ruin it for the rest of us.

Welcome to america. If you cry and stamp your feet enough.. you will win. Hopefully that will change now though

If they were only closing the non-movie related boards I could understand, but the ones pertaining to specific titles or persons - or this board, right here - actually is the very core of what IMDb is about. None of the other social media outlets can hope to serve the same purpose.

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I wish they would give a better reason than it's used by a small but vocal group. It is not a small group. It's a lot of people. What's the real reason?

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Well, it sure isn't that the boards are "no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide." Because in the next paragraph they boast how their Facebook and Twitter have "an audience of more than 10 million engaged fans" - meaning Facebook and Twitter certainly aren't providing a "positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide". 10 million, that's 4 percent. Hell, I didn't even know about all their social media outlets until this announcement. And none of them are of any interest to me, and I daresay the vast majority of the 250 million members - who no doubt joined for the information, rather than the celebrity gossip.

Yes I didn't even know about these other social media outlets they are talking about existed. The boards are where people share ideas and information. This is madness. So many people use the boards, it can't be that not enough are. I'm hoping if enough of us petition we can change their minds. Whether you are left or right, we need to unite and tell IMBD we want and need these boards! Put our differences aside and help keep free speech open. I'm just shocked at this. I have my theories why, and have said it another post, but even those who never agree on here need to come together and UNITE and tell them to keep the boards open!!

What other websites are there like IMDb? With message boards for movie/TV fans to interact.


Below is a link to my other unsolved threads.
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000001/thread/265796345





https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraDernBonusHole

I dont even know. Rotten tomatoes maybe, but the few movies that I've checked out so far have way less active discussions than here.

I felt the same when I checked out Rotten tomatoes.

One thing I'm going to miss about IMDB is how I'm using it at this moment. I'm watching a show and wondered who the actor was so I looked him up. He hasn't acted in anything since 1990. So I go to the boards and people have updated info on what he is doing today. Of course I can go to Google and search for myself but it's nice to see others who miss this actor & wonder what he is up to now. Is that so dumb? I'm just really going to miss that interaction with other users. You can't get that anywhere else.

I agree the trolls or haters can get nasty. I saw someone suggest making users pay about $10 a year or so. This would keep trolls from making so many sock accounts. That is if trolls are why the boards are being shut down.

Life moves pretty fast. If you dont stop & look around once in awhile you could miss it - Ferris

The only other place I've seen meaningful discussion of specific movies or tv shows is reddit. There's a lot of interaction on Mr. Robot, for example. I've just recently joined, so still have a learning curve.

I use IMDb 20% of the time to look up who's in what, where I've seen an actor before, trivia, etc, but 80% of it is to interact with other viewers on what I have just watched.

Without the 80%, I wont' be here nearly as often.

I think they think once you're interacting on a board, you aren't looking at the trailers, etc. Which means that IMDb has finally sold out.

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"Don't make me kill you again."

First off, I don't TwitSnapPinTumbl so how does one hold an actual conversation? Second, they say that the official Twitter account has an audience of more than 10 million engaged fans but I see there's less than 3 million followers (my math isn't adding up this morning). I'm sooo confused

Jack Warned Us. & now we die.