The "Welcome IMDB Refugee" page

If you aren't logged in, you will see a big "Welcome IMDB Refugee" banner under our banner and tabs.

Whereas I think it's a good idea to include such a thing, I have some issues as to what the page contains.

It says: "whereas IMDB was clunky and unmoderated, Movie Forums is neither of those things" or "This place isn't the free-for-all IMDB often was: vulgarity, pornography, threats, or harassing".

Granted, since I was never active on the IMDB forums, I don't know if this is true. Still, this isn't my point.

What I have an issue with is that these kind of messages make clear to IMDB refugees that we think lesser of them and the place they called home before.

I think we should make it clear that we want them and that they have to adjust to our rules somewhat more subtly. Bluntly pointing out issues that may have occurred on their forums can be insulting and may discourage them from registering and being active here. I know I would be.

__________________
Check out my blog: Yasashii's Retro Game Playground

It's fair, I didn't take offense to it in the least.. Anyone that was there knew it was outdated and unmoderated and to a lesser extent, a cesspool of trolling.

The only people I see that offending are the trolls. everyone else should be happy that's said.

I've only just read the whole banner. Seems fine to me, and I'm a recent refugee.

What Odum said.

I take your points. I don't really disagree, since you were thoughtful enough to phrase them as possibilities: IE: some people might feel this way. But I think there's a little logic trap that limits the downside: the people most likely to feel insulted are the people most likely to have been part of the problem to begin with. Anyone who wasn't like that will naturally realize we're talking about others. And I think it got bad enough over there that pretty much everyone will have run into it at some point, and understand the distinction.

Most of it's just statements of fact, anyway: I don't think anyone, no matter how much they love IMDB, will pretend the software wasn't clunky or that the board was properly moderated. And there's an "often" in that second bit that makes it clear we're not talking about everyone.

It's not an unreasonable point, though, and I appreciate you thinking of it.

Obviously, the responses you're getting are a biased sample - i.e. you're only hearing from IMDb posters that weren't offended by the characterization, and thus chose to register and post here.

As another of the recent migrants, though, I certainly understand the way our former place of residence is being described. I had some great conversations there, but it fully earned its reputation for toxicity. Anyone who had observed what went on there would be a fool if he/she wasn't at least a little wary of a sudden influx of posters from that source.

That said, your welcome is very much appreciated.

Yeah here's the funny thing, our first night here we were outwardly SAYING it was a cesspool... Now WE knew it was, but it wasn't until they closed I started googling articles to see if they were reporting heavy drops in traffic like I suspected, that I noticed the ENTIRE Internet knew it was a cesspool.

so it has a pretty well known reputation, I see no problem with addressing that, those of us leaving all that behind have no problems and are actually glad to hear this place won't be IMDb 2.0.

The ones that still want to fight, dox, make threats, those are the ones that won't like hearing it's moderated.

Aye. That said, I can definitely appreciate some kind of "nobody picks on my brother but me" thing, where it's different coming from me/us.

what I find interesting is the few newbs who arrived the same time I did weren't scurrying from board to board spamming with the link like so many were doing with the new copy cat forums. They were sending private invites to those they thought would fit in. Seems to have been a general understanding that 1. it was a place to get away from the cesspit and 2. the newbs understood that regulars simply dont want a massive influx because it causes unrest.

My two cents...

This forum is located in Trump country and phrasing things with sensitivity and compassion to all, is currently being contested.

Seriously though, this banner does one more thing pretty effectively, it discourages those who are easily offended, and in my opinion, that's a good thing, always.

__________________
"I may be rancid butter, but I'm on your side of the bread."
E. K. Hornbeck

Yeah but you weren't really addressing the users as much as the environment and that was clear.. Not to rehash a dead subject, but the "welcome" we got on night one where some people were "kidding" with us telling us we weren't wanted here, anyone from IMDb was scum, Can't we just mod them all? etc... now that's a huge difference from just saying "I know how it was over there, and it won't be like that over here" that's simply just not insulting. if anything, it's comforting (as long as you're not a troll)

One's insulting the users, one's insulting the environment. and like I said if you guys want to slam IMDb, I'll join right in Pretty much all of us will.

As someone who has been made to feel like an outsider from the day I was born, I have no issues with that. In 10 years I never once had a problem with trolls. Not once. But unaccepted? PLENTY experience in that. Still ongoing, in fact. None of it bothers me anymore...and I haven't seen the banner. I'm always logged in.

Well someone can be logged in and still see the banner... if they have fewer than 100 posts. But since you've made yourself quite at home already, you have way more than that.

__________________

Yeah..the 100 post ship sailed after 5 days....