IMDb isn't the only one shutting down their message boards

What's up with this? Is this some new trend?

Another webpage whose message boards I used to frequent was GoComics. For those of you not familiar with the site it was a place to read your daily newspaper comic strips online. Each strip had its own message board where readers could make comments, and post images and live links. In early January these boards were shut down and replaced with a bare-bones stripped-down version which allows only simple text. GoComics explained this was due to problems with trolls and spammers.

This totally killed the concept. Because the comic strip is a visual medium, the inclusion of images really enhanced the message board experience, especially when dealing with a classic comic with decades of history. It really helped when a new reader had a question about the background of a certain character, and a knowledgeable fan could provide links and images to said character's origin story arc. Plus it was a lot of fun when users would exchange birthday congratulations and holiday greetings accompanied with some often clever and impressive graphics.

So GoComics decided to destroy the message board experience for all its readers, including some who had been loyal followers for years, rather than deal directly with a handful of spammers. It would have been very easy to just shut down the accounts of those causing trouble.

Some users theorised that GoComics redesigned their website so it would be more compatible with mobile devices. Is IMDb doing the same? What is their objective? They were always able to shut down troll accounts in the past. Why not continue to do this if trolls are truly the reason behind these changes?

Something doesn't add up here.