The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has announced that it will be shutting down its message boards in two weeks.
“After in-depth discussion and examination, we have concluded that IMDb’s message boards are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide,” the company said in an announcement. “The decision to retire a long-standing feature was made only after careful consideration and was based on data and traffic.”
IMDb says that the primary reason for the shutdown is the migration of users from the boards to social media for interaction and discussion. However, the site’s message boards and user movie rating system have come under fire recently for turning into a popular spot for internet trolls.
One recent example could be seen on the site’s page for Raoul Peck’s Oscar-nominated documentary “I Am Not Your Negro,” which was hit with a flurry of negative reviews and one-star ratings before its wide release last Friday. The documentary currently has a IMDb user rating of 5/10, compared to a Metacritic score of 96. The boards have also received criticism for allowing movie debates to become filled with personal attacks and hateful comments.
The message boards will officially shut down on Feb. 20 after a two-week transitionary period.