Just when it seemed life could not become much more pointless and disheartening and people could not get any more stupid, greedy, worthless, useless, and thoughtless, the (until now, mostly) great site Internet Movie Database has announced it is closing its message boards! Anyone wanting to archive content has till February 20 to do so and then it's adios! At least two petitions are circulating to put a stop to this travesty of destructive madness. I signed both, with the following comments:

The Internet Movie Database Message Boards are a valuable and irreplaceable resource preserving years of thoughts, memories, and emotions! So now the heartless landlords are giving the users who took years of their own priceless time and effort to create this beautiful community a lousy FEW DAYS to archive EVERYTHING and then it's bye-bye!? The list of TITLES ONLY of threads in which I have posted runs FIVE PAGES, at 25 titles per page! In other words, 125 posts per year! Multiply that by the time I've been a member, 17 years this month, and it comes to 2,125 posts, assuming I consistently made the same amount and did not make MORE some years! And yet these thoughtless fools seemingly believe all their contributors of many years' standing have nothing better to do than to DROP THEIR WHOLE LIVES to spend DAYS opening THOUSANDS of threads, copying and pasting the contents of each post, (many of which will make no sense out of context, having been made in response to others), find some other site, and copy and paste all that content BACK IN? Are they just coldhearted and sadistic or ABSOLUTELY INSANE??? Please don't add any more grief and frustration to this already bleak and utterly discouraging world! Thank you.

Those wishing to comment can do so on the site's Facebook page or until February 20 on the board here: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000042/thread/265872385

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

Does that affect the user reviews, which I've often enjoyed, or just the discussion threads?

quote:

Originally posted by douglasSP:
Does that affect the user reviews, which I've often enjoyed, or just the discussion threads?

Not sure but if certain suspicions are true--that powerful studios are behind this because they want the public to believe their party line BS publicity rather than real peoples' honest opinions--I would expect ratings and reviews to be targeted as well. Another reason could be the possibility of industry enemies posing as members of the public slinging dope on the movies, studios, and stars.

If Internet Movie Database does not stop this nonsense immediately, everyone interested in culture, the arts, and the preservation of nearly three decades' worth of valuable knowledge of film and TV history needs to BOYCOTT THE HELL out of owner company Amazon.com and its CEO Jeff Bezos! Here are instructions on three ways to contact them, and any other suggestions are welcome. http://www.wikihow.com/Email-Amazon

To answer my own question: I posted a strongly-worded message on the Internet Movie Database message boards of Col Needham and Jeff Bezos, their Facebook pages, an Amazon.com contact form, the "Boards Closure FAQ" thread on the main IMDb board, and emailed jeff@amazon.com and col.needham@imdb.com so someone ought to see it! I urge all here to do the same! Give them no rest until this is satisfactorily resolved!

Checking the "Boards Closure FAQ" thread shows that Col Needham is already paying enough attention to answer questions.

It would take a catastrophe of monumental proportions to get me off Facebook. I will boycott Amazon for purchases and may delete my account depending on the response to this situation.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

quote:

Originally posted by douglasSP:
Does that affect the user reviews, which I've often enjoyed, or just the discussion threads?

Right now they seem to be expecting users to still write free reviews, synopses, and possibly add trivia and other contributions for their benefit as the owners lie and obfuscate while laughing all the way to the bank at the users' expense. If they kill the boards they are in for a huge and rude shock to say the very least!

Since the IMDb owners persist in being short-sighted, stupid, stubborn pigs intent on committing website-icide, users are starting to export their contributions in the form of reviews and other content, delete them from IMDb, and save them for alternate sites. Two sites said to have duplicated and saved all the IMDb content can be found here:

http://www.moviechat.org

and here:

http://imdb2.freeforums.net

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

Time to hit those responsible where it counts. Please copy and paste the following and distribute as widely as possible.

Internet Movie Database Fans Unite! Don’t let IMDb get away with the wanton destruction of nearly thirty years of message board content from millions of users including irreplaceable input from participants in many historic shows! Some of this valuable insight came from people no longer with us. On February 20, all message boards on the site are scheduled for deletion. All pleas to archive the content while upgrading the boards, or even creating completely new boards and making the old boards available as read-only archives, has fallen on deaf ears as the owners continue to obfuscate with silly excuses about the setup being ancient and trolls making the boards no longer a positive experience, insulting their loyal users and concealing their true motives. If the ill-advised owners insist on destroying one of the best sites on the internet, they must not escape unscathed. Here is a step-by-step plan to make them regret one of the poorest business decisions made in the history of decision-making, not to mention a senseless destruction of culture.

1. Go to your user profile at http://www.imdb.com
Remove any reviews or personal contributions which you may have made to the website which can be removed other than message board posts. Archive them for future usage on other sites.

Removing reviews is a simple straightforward process not involving having to go to each individual page and hunt your own review. In your user profile, click on reviews. They can be exported and saved by saving each page of reviews as a PDF file and also copying and pasting as text. The expanded view should display the full text in a copy-friendly format. Then you can go right down the list deleting each one.

2. Make your ratings private.

3. Post your views on the board closures to Get Satisfaction. Upvote others with same issue: http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?getsatisfaction

4. Spread the #IMDBExodus hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, or any other media of your choice, on February 20th.

5. Delete your account from IMDb -- here's the link -- http://www.imdb.com/register/delete Or, if you intend to continue visiting IMDb, use a browser extension such as AdBlock

6. Remove the IMDb app from your devices.

7. Since IMDb is owned by Amazon.com, BOYCOTT AMAZON! If possible save your Amazon content, such as Wish List, elsewhere as well, and delete your account! (If you wish, you can find for yourself contacts for Amazon Feedback, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, and IMDb owner Col Needham, but they are not included here as they result in dismissive form replies.)

8. Set up a dummy email address and create a Troll account at IMDb.

Someone needs to begin a list of top movies in which Amazon is invested, which they are either funding, or are bestsellers for Amazon. Go to your IMDb Troll account and post a flaming one-star review panning as many of these cinematic efforts as possible!

These are just a few ways you can turn your feelings about IMDb's closure of the message boards into actions that will eventually have an impact on the site, if enough people act.

9. Check out alternate sites. Of about 40 choices, as of now these 4 have emerged as the best possibilities.

https://www.imdforums.com

http://imdb2.freeforums.net

http://www.moviechat.org

https://www.themoviedb.org

10. If there is any other content important to you, such as user comments on your favorite movies, save it in some form now, because after all these actions take place, Internet Movie Database will not be an extant entity much longer!

Another to consider is identifying their advertisers. Perhaps they are listed somewhere and we can all contact them urging a boycott.

Thank you for your support.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

Another David Cassidy disaster.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/music...7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

Such a sad state for someone who contributed such happy music.

Terribly sad! Those who pray, please offer prayers for him to do as well as possible with this situation.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/ce...fcL&ocid=mailsignout

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

It is impossible to fathom the depths with which I utterly execrate these wicked worthless wolves, Col Needham and Jeff Bezos, and all they and those like them represent. To call them wolves is a slander upon wildlife and to call them bastards is an insult to the illegitimate. I had barely settled into a passably normal sleep pattern following the disastrous 2016 election when these pinheads couldn't let well enough alone and restrain themselves despite all objections, remonstrances, and plain common sense, from obliterating the heart and soul of the best website in existence devoted to television and film and those who love these art forms. They now drive me to sitting up till 3:30 night after night, aching, exhausted, but relentless, seeking in some small way to offset their damages and make them suffer the consequences of their evil actions.

Their kind will eventually destroy all living things not counted among the 1%. I know my insignificant infinitesimal existence is doomed, slated to be wiped into oblivion just like the Internet Movie Database Message Boards, but this knowledge that every aspect of our existence is manipulated by malevolent millionaires has turned me into CAPTAIN FREAKING AHAB, and the system is MOBY FRICKING DICK! I will hurl my harpoon against its blubbery carcass until it drags me into the depths howling curses upon its miserable machinery with my last breath! The vital difference between me and Captain Ahab is, I am not alone. Thousands, nay, millions, will rise up hacking with harpoons to SLAY THE BEAST! If the LAST THING I DO is to wrench even a small piece out of the slimy hides of these robber barons before my utter and ignominious obliteration, my wretched and pointless existence will be justified!

May the Internet Movie Database sink without a trace and drown all rats who sail in her!

Lately several prominent public figures have been in severe trouble, but they're mostly politicians and so not worth mentioning.

In a rare, if not unprecedented, move, actor Kevin Spacey is being cut out of a new film, his every scene replaced by Christopher Plummer!

http://www.latimes.com/enterta...-20171109-story.html

quote:

In a rare, if not unprecedented, move, actor Kevin Spacey is being cut out of a new film, his every scene replaced by Christopher Plummer!

How on Earth is that supposed to work? Plummer is 29 years older than Spacey!

quote:

Originally posted by douglasSP:
How on Earth is that supposed to work? Plummer is 29 years older than Spacey!

The character is in his eighties, anyway, so Spacey wore heavy make-up. Moreover, Plummer was the producer's first choice, so it'll work!

Although most of these accusers may be truthful, this whole situation still has me thinking about the tragedy which befell one of Ray's favorite comedians.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-14640719

The whole current climate kind of smacks of witch hunt times.

And now they're after Garrison Keillor!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/ente...n/ar-BBGl9iv?ocid=sf

Although I am all for anyone, no matter how famous, guilty of actual wrongdoing, being brought to justice, every day is looking more like the 1690s and 1950s-style witch hunts, not to mention the 1980s Satanic panic!

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
And now they're after Garrison Keillor!

Although I am all for anyone, no matter how famous, guilty of actual wrongdoing, being brought to justice, every day is looking more like the 1690s and 1950s-style witch hunts, not to mention the 1980s Satanic panic!

Garrison is a good man, and this accusation is bollocks. Witch hunt is right; this reminds me of the witch hysteria of olde (and of Mary Bradbury), when one need only accuse another of witchcraft and their lives were ruined. This is becoming the norm with this sexual assault movement. Should you believe the women? Absolutely! If they're telling the truth.

Updates, lissen up, people, we got updates!

A collection of 98 letters someone neglected to burn 150 years ago reveal Charles Dickens to be a wretched putrid rotten rat! I am genuinely glad I read his books and saw the movies before this came out! (This would make a good movie, though...and I really wanted to see The Man Who Invented Christmas!) https://allthatsinteresting.co...charles-dickens-wife

We are not supposed to like Laura Ingalls Wilder anymore because either she was a racist or she repeated something somebody said like 130 years ago which now comes across as racist, or something. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog...ed-of-childrens-book

Dr. Seuss is also racist! https://www.dailywire.com/news...utm_campaign=dwbrand

All of John Wayne's films must be burned and everything named after him renamed because he made a questionable remark in a MAJOR NATIONAL PUBLICATION nearly 50 years ago! This didn't just surface last week! It is lucky he didn't have a son named after him, though I am not sure about grandchildren. www.eastidahonews.com/2019/03/...nterview-resurfaces/

Some claim that Neil deGrasse Tyson is bad, he says he isn't: https://blogs.scientificameric...academic-inequality/

They are tearing down a statue of Michael Jackson based on a documentary alleging things which may or may not have happened: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-en...-manchester-47468074

I am not over Dustin Hoffman yet, which I guess I have to believe as Meryl Streep and others have said it, and Bill Cosby, I believe because enough evidence existed to convict and imprison him. Of all these, he is the only one who I can't have anything to do with any of his work, watching, listening, even looking at pictures of him.

The way things are trending, who is left to go after next besides Fred Rogers and Beverly Cleary? Beverly Cleary is guilty of, as far as I can tell, writing a large number of children's books not including BIPOCs (new word). What they'll get on Fred Rogers I shudder to imagine but I'm sure they'll come up with something. On that day I will give up on the human race entirely and be genetically modified into a kangaroo or something.

Incidentally, this is one of my favorite shows, but it ruins false concepts, not people. https://www.trutv.com/shows/ad...verything/index.html

Sent to a historic reenactor friend: Well, enjoy it while it's still allowed. I am reading Where the Red Fern Grows for the third time and wondering when PETA will get around to having it banned. I suppose you heard that Laura Ingalls Wilder's name was removed from a famous children's book award, her supposed offense being repeating actual things white settlers said concerning people of color during her childhood. I was accused of racism myself several times by people who saw the cover of my book and didn't read the book! I saw a very good segment on Forbidden History the other night about Native Americans, stating numerous tribes had been at war with each other for thousands of years and white settlers provided a mere temporary distraction. Only one tenth of one percent of Oregon Trail emigrants were killed by Indians attacking a wagon train. I suppose those at Whitman Mission don't count as the settlers were stopped for the winter--that is, those killed weren't driving wagons and those driving wagons at the time weren't killed. I immediately wondered, and I think I'll try to contact the show, whether they CAUGHT HELL for that!!!!!!!!!! It instantly brought to mind a little incident in St. Charles/St. Louis in September 2006. As you will recall, I made a great point of attending to try to get the bad taste from Lewiston out of my mouth. As you will also recall, the Lewis and Clark expedition was temporarily halted, both the original and the 200th reenactment, by protests, and by the same tribe both times! I was at the breakfast table with a dentist from Mississippi who portrayed Meriwether Lewis, an older Native American woman, and others. I started to say something about the Sioux being rather an aggressive tribe (which Sioux historians themselves have admitted--look up the flap about the book Hanta Yo sometime--) and the Native American woman cut me off saying they WERE NOT! Well, I didn't like to mention, so I didn't, because this particular woman happened to be Mandan, but I recalled this quote from Charlotte Black Elk on the PBS series The West: "We were a warrior society, and that's very much a part of our culture. We have an expression that whoever didn't fear us, hated us, and we took great pride in the fact that everyone either hated us or feared us. The Cree people in their stories would say, 'When the Crow were coming to fight, we sent our little boys to fight. When the Mandan were coming, we sent the old men. When the Sioux were coming, we painted our faces for death and prepared to die.'" And yet here was, not only a Native American woman, but elderly and old enough to know better, trying to tell me the Sioux WERE NOT EITHER aggressive and I'd better not say it! When the world was supposed to end seven years ago, I finally got around to reading the post-apocalyptic classic Earth Abides, by George R. Stewart, which I highly recommend. I also make a point of watching every program about lost or fallen civilizations which I can catch on TV. I attempted to watch one about the Greeks last night, I don't pretend to have caught all of it as it was one or two a.m., but I did gather that a large flowering of their culture occurred AFTER a major social collapse. I hope that either happens after I have already died or that it doesn't happen to Western Society at all (there is trouble all over Europe so it's not just a matter of America collapsing) as I don't expect to survive it, but I fear America is headed that direction and hope some of at least either the best or most characteristic ideas and culture can be preserved by whatever means. With your historical reenactment experience you have very good survival skills so if you happen to number among the survivors, please remember me, thank you.