Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Ideas to improve Criticker and new feature requests, as well as announcements about new enhancements.
BadCosmonaut
Posts: 355
4400 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:08 am

Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by BadCosmonaut »

Recently IMDB got rid of their forums. This included both their general forum, and every movie specific forum on individual movie pages. I understand why they got rid of the general forums, as they probably had high maintenance relative to the payoff of keeping them. However, I think the pendulum swung too far when they also got rid of the forums on specific movie pages. The movie specific forums were very useful if someone had a question or comment about a movie. Many movies had hundreds of threads with questions, answers, fan theories, theme discussions, etc. These discussions were invaluable to me in understanding movies that were on the more cryptic side. Many times, if I had a question about a movie, I could find a thread where someone else had already asked my question plus had it answered. If such a thread didn't exist, I could make one, then check back a few days/weeks/months later to find it answered. I've seen threads answered many years after they were created.

I think criticker should step in to fill this void. The current criticker forums have a movie specific forum, but I don't think it's adequate to fill the role I'm talking about. There are so many movies that prompt good discussions. So many movies that can prompt hundreds if not thousands of discussions. Most movie forums on imdb had tens if not hundreds of threads...

The current "movie-specific" criticker movie forum would be inadequate for that many discussions. Imagine if the current "movie specific" forum had 150 threads on each of the top 1000 ranked movies on the site. It would be a nightmare to navigate and search through. This is why I feel like this forum is so underused. If I watch some old Soviet movie most people haven't seen, what's the best place for discussions about that movie?

But rather than ask why the current system should be switched to my recommendation, I'd ask "Why keep it how it is?" It makes the most sense to have threads about a movie be on the movie page. With movie-specific forums on each movie page, I know that every thread will be about that particular movie. If I go looking in the current "movie-specific" forum, I'll have to either dig through the pages to try to find what I want or search for it. It's possible that I won't find what I'm looking for when searching if the thread even exists, which it probably doesn't.

Also, I think my suggestion will prompt for more threads to be made about specific movies. I know I would make more. I'd feel like the chance of a thread leading to a discussion would be much higher on the movie page than in the general forum. Why? Because the time when people would most likely want to post is right when they've just seen the movie and rated it and then scroll down to check out the movie's forum section to see what others are saying. That's when it's fresh on their mind. That's when they have questions. That's when they want answers. That's when they want to share their wonky ideas and insight that others might have missed. And that's when they would know there is a place where they can look with threads only about that particular movie. People don't want to waste their time.

I think that scenario is much more likely than someone seeing a movie, rating it, then heading to the general forums to search for random discussions about some obscure movie from 1957 Ukraine. I just don't think that's how most people work.

Is this making sense? I guess I can't see even one reason to keep it how it is now, other than the reason that it costs developer time to make the switch. In the long run it might even pull more people into the site if people start finding answers here they can find no where else.

PS if you do this, you should migrate all exist "movie-specific" threads to their new homes on the movie pages.

td888
Posts: 836
3955 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:44 am

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by td888 »

An excellent idea.

mpowell
Posts: 3851
1201 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2005 10:22 am

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by mpowell »

Great ideas! We've added this to our list of things to consider for the future. It might be a little tricky to work into each individual page, but I'm sure there could be some sort of solution. Thanks again!

BadCosmonaut
Posts: 355
4400 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:08 am

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by BadCosmonaut »

movieboy wrote:Forum on movie page sounds like a good idea. However, the one problem would be that we would never know something new has been commented/posted about a movie until we go to the movie page. So may be can have a page which links to the most recently updated 20 movie forum pages.


Yes this is a good addition. Also, maybe it's possible to allow users to subscribe to individual threads (even if they haven't posted in it) and/or subscribe to entire movie forums if they want. This kind of functionality may already be present in the current forums.

Ramy
Posts: 86
1485 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:46 pm

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by Ramy »

I love this idea!

djross
Posts: 1212
5318 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 12:56 am

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by djross »

If such an idea is adopted, it may as well be extended to filmmakers as well. Could be good.

Anomaly
Posts: 472
1894 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:21 pm

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by Anomaly »

Great idea, though I think if it were to be implemented, the "movie-specific" forum should be retained as a collection of all the threads for movies that people have posted in, so you can see the most recent/active discussions, etc.

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by livelove »

Now with IMDB forums gone, this would be the perfect IMDB replacement.

@moderators:
I think this would drive a lot of folks to your page. There are literally millions of people without a home now, eagerly searching for one.
This would also be the perfect time, as no real IMDB forum replacement candidate was able to establish itself thus far. Criticker could fill the void, but only within this narrow timeframe now before another site manages to unite the former IMDB forum users currently dispersed over a multitude of lesser known sites just like criticker.

Therefore the potential of growth would be very real for criticker, but only if you act soon.

BadCosmonaut
Posts: 355
4400 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:08 am

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by BadCosmonaut »

I agree this could bring people in. I also agree that no other movie forum has yet to rise up to replace the IMDB specific-movie forums on their movie pages, and that some site will eventually rise up to fill that void. Criticker could try to get in there while the getting's good.

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: Have a forum on each movie page, and delete the general "movie-specific" forum

Post by livelove »

Anomaly1 wrote:Great idea, though I think if it were to be implemented, the "movie-specific" forum should be retained as a collection of all the threads for movies that people have posted in, so you can see the most recent/active discussions, etc.

great idea!

Post Reply