I know IMDb sees the message board platform as out-dated, but this place had an atmosphere found nowhere else. I have appreciated their structure, the original emoticons.
But I think IMDb has already decided that yes, they should close the boards. And so they will.
Adieu.
You are right. The alternatives IMDb is specifically pointing out as primarily used by members for communication are not relying on much, if any, financing directly from IMDb. This sudden shutdown a week before the Oscars is too much too soon.
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/).
If Playboy is willing to admit its mistake, then I think we can hold out for IMDb to eventually do the same. It is probably a good idea to shut the current format down to do a major redesign, but so far, that is not the public plan. The easy question becomes, does every new project and person need to have their own board? How many boards are added per year, or even by day? The financials have to be viable, and it is clear that within the current methodology, these boards are expanding faster than the user base by a wide margin.
If you were going to design updated boards for IMDb, how would you do it?
Yes.
I am Judge! Jury! and Executioner!
If you were going to design updated boards for IMDb, how would you do it?
It seems they're already looking into designing something new. My guess is it will be open to data-mining, as other social media platforms are.
Col Needham wrote on the Contributors Help board:
This [boycotting IMDb] is all without even seeing what we are going to do next and how we intend to create a better community experience.
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000042/thread/265872385
Yeah, if one actually reads even the first paragraph of the FAQs, it is pretty clear that this particular technology can no longer produce a positive experience. A replacement solution is most likely being considered sooner rather than later, but the issues regarding the current forum could not be ignored while a replacement is founded. The gap was left wide open for something or nothing to happen. No one knows where IMDb goes from here.
Col Needham specifically posted a link to a specific portion of the original engineer's memoir about working on the project. The date of the posting is not likely coincidental. The posting is a fascinating look into the creation and progress of the early years of the message board. It also goes into why it is failing, and why it should have had a major update almost a decade ago. I can even imagine that the non-existent major update could have needed a reboot by now.
https://www.beatworm.co.uk/blog/internet/imdb-boards-no-more
I have no doubt that they would have preferred to have a replacement lined up for release in early March. If not for some mismanagement or lack of interest, maybe it would have happened by now. The simplicity and functionality on the user side is one of the primary reasons made it attractive. If they choose to recreate a message board for the new era, that is something that has to be replicated.