IMDb is closing its forums.

WeirdRaptor · **on:** February 06, 2017, 11:08:36 PM

A few days ago, Internet Movie Database announced they were going to be closing their message board features on February 20th. Yeah, the jerks who run that website had literally given their entire 250 million user base only a few weeks' heads up before it's all just gone! I've been a member of that site since freaking March, 2003! 14 years of my internet experience and of having a guaranteed place to talk to many of my online friends, and it's just going away in a few weeks!

I am both saddened and angered by this turn of events, mostly because of the short notice its just been dumped in our laps. They couldn't give us a six months notice, bare minimum? Screw those guys! IDMb has got to have one of the most incompetent and apathetic Administration team I've ever seen in my life and instead of addressing the long-standing issues with the site, all of which are simple fixes, they'd rather just shut the forums down. They'll pay for it, of course, because many of us only went there FOR the message boards. So when the mass exodus happens, they'll find they just shot all their own toes off.

Sorry, I just had to vent. Not sure if this belongs here in the Fridge or in the "After Midnight". Feel free to move it if fits better there, Mods.

Nick22 · **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2017, 11:19:18 PM

that stinks WR, especially since you had been there a long time. like you saidm, they are only hurting themselves in the long run.

rhombus · **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2017, 12:05:25 AM

At the very least they should have given everyone more notice in case the community wanted to move over to a different forum. I have seen this happen before on some political forums where people have some notice of the forum closing and most of the established members move to a new venue so that the old social group stays together - but with only two weeks of notice such a shift to another forum would be difficult.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #3 on:** February 07, 2017, 02:16:45 AM

@Nick: Oh, yes, they are.

@Rhombus: That is being attempted right now. I've been collecting links from proposed alternatives I've seen the usuals I converse suggest. Right now, no less than three new sites have been created for IMDb users to go to when the message boards close down. They've each gotten hundreds of members just in the few days since they've started, so its something, at least.

As for the reasons why IDMb is doing this, I've heard everything from laziness to politics being the reasons for the decision.

LBT90321 · **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2017, 04:34:15 PM

It's sad to here it. IMDB has always should details on its movies to us. Where will they go ?

Nick22 · **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2017, 05:57:49 PM

whats the sayiing - never blame malice when stupidity will do?' it applies here, imo.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2017, 10:31:44 PM

Stupidity sounds about right. Oh, you should see IMDb's Facebook and other social media right now. The users are being hilarious passive aggressive right now.

Actual quotes:

"Ooh, look at all these new features you're implementing! Now if only I had a message board I could go to where I could discuss them with other people."

"The new features look cool. Wish I could discuss this with other users."

Their social media is getting absolutely flooded with stuff like that.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2017, 12:15:21 AM

Quote from: WeirdRaptor,Feb 7 2017 on 10:31 PM

Stupidity sounds about right. Oh, you should see IMDb's Facebook and other social media right now. The users are being hilarious passive aggressive right now.

Actual quotes:

"Ooh, look at all these new features you're implementing! Now if only I had a message board I could go to where I could discuss them with other people."

"The new features look cool. Wish I could discuss this with other users."

Their social media is getting absolutely flooded with stuff like that.

I looked up this recently to see what was going on, and not sure if you heard this on any of the articles, but in at least one I found, an admin of IMDB said, and I (try) to quote:

"We don't need the forums anymore. They're no longer a positive user experience. We have social media now. Users have already migrated over there. So we're getting rid of the forums."

Well not word for word what they said, but it's the jist of it.

Judging from these passive aggressive comments, I don't think the IMDB users share their sentiments.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2017, 04:50:27 PM

That is a load of crap. The forums have at least 250 million users on it who go there daily and absolutely no one is happy with the decision on our end.