April 4 ~ Original Brokeback Board at IMDB Is Verrrrrrry Busy!!

[Spooky_Rabbit]

Already posts from people that have now seen it for the first time ever and LOVED it!

Warms my heart.............   

[EnnisDelMar]

I see a lot of troll posts too

[vkm91941]

I see a lot of troll posts too

A lot is an understatement Brandon...they are overrun!  It's all out war over there and I felt I could not in good conscience abandon them so I've been in the trenches all blessed day.  Our posts vanish like smoke in the wind and the trolls go untouched in spite of repeated reports.  Once I again I have filled IMDB's help box with a dozen various messages on the subject.

I got a short e-mail from Alex today...about the Star Wars kids telling me he was investigating unofficially.  Hoorah not a canned message!....there is hope.

[EnnisDelMar]

I think they've added a thing where you cannot report more than once without explaining why you are reporting..try it out and see, it happened to me.

[Spooky_Rabbit]

There is definitely a Troll Blizzard goin' on... We knew that was gonna happen.

But it is nice to see the people that are being blown away, seeing it for the first time.

We're all vets.  Nice to hear from the virgins.   

[Phillip Dampier]

I guess quietly inviting the real people over there over here through quiet PM invites may be an option if handled correctly.

[delalluvia]

Yeah, it's a hell-hole over there.  Foxasshole has 70+ threads, some as old as 7 hours and they're still there.

I've reported more than once and didn't get the "ah-ah-ah" message.

Stupid board auto-moderating.  They're abusing and harrassing anyone who comes there, have overrun the board and we get limited on how many times we can report them.

I sure hope you're right vickie in that SOMEone is taking action.

[chefjudy]

while I was on the board earlier today, there were literally a dozen or more troll threads - I started reporting them over and over and finally the mods got the message - I guess Vik was there too doing the same thing - at any rate they began disappearing - which brings me to a question:  if every computer has a distinct ip addy, how can these kids change it and get back in regardless of what screen name they use?? maybe I need a lesson in internet protocol 101, but I don't get how they can be barred and then get back on and use the same ip addy - anyone care to clue me in?

thanks!

[Spooky_Rabbit]

Judy,

It's my understanding that IMDB doesn't go by IP address but by email.

So you start up another new hotmail email account and you're back on...

 

[vkm91941]

Well after 12 hours of troll slaying and repeated abuse from the newbies on the board as well as obscene posts directed at me again by foxinator2 and a few less than pleasant PM's from some old board regulars telling me that I'm over reacting I have decided that I will not return to either the PT or BBM boards on IMDb again.  I just don't need the stress especially when the efforts are unappreciated.  A small handful of us can't do it alone.  The board  can be swept clean for all I care I give up.

[Phillip Dampier]

while I was on the board earlier today, there were literally a dozen or more troll threads - I started reporting them over and over and finally the mods got the message - I guess Vik was there too doing the same thing - at any rate they began disappearing - which brings me to a question:  if every computer has a distinct ip addy, how can these kids change it and get back in regardless of what screen name they use?? maybe I need a lesson in internet protocol 101, but I don't get how they can be barred and then get back on and use the same ip addy - anyone care to clue me in?

As Spooky said, IMDb's rudimentary forum software does not allow for user blocking by IP.  The software they are using is several years old and - it's based on a very simple software platform.  Since forums are secondary to their overall mission, they don't appear to be devoting a lot of attention to doing something profoundly different.  If the troll wars spread into other forums, it would not surprise me if they dumped the entire system.  I'm sure they have employees sitting there dealing with abuse messages, and I can only wonder what kind of meetings they are having discussing the amount of time they are spending on it.  That would also explain why this automated message thread reporting & deletion thing seemed to appear out of nowhere.  It had unfortunate circumstances and is ripe for abuse, and they are probably talking about that as well. 

[SFEnnisSF]

Well,  If we can't fix it, we've got to stand it.  I just really feel sorry for the people coming onto that board who really liked the movie and have to deal with that.  I know they will find another place to post on their own.  It will be ok for them.  I myself, am never looking back to that board.  I just can't.  It hurts too much. 

[delalluvia]

Well,  If we can't fix it, we've got to stand it.  I just really feel sorry for the people coming onto that board who really liked the movie and have to deal with that.  I know they will find another place to post on their own.  It will be ok for them.

Well, we didn't stand anything, we packed up and said Sayonara.

I feel bad for the newbies as well.  I still go and post occasionally and report trolls, but they'll have to gang up like we did and find their own way.  There are plenty of other boards around.

[YaadPyar]

I feel bad for the newbies as well.  I still go and post occasionally and report trolls, but they'll have to gang up like we did and find their own way.  There are plenty of other boards around.

True dat!  A simple Google search reveals lots of hang-outs.  Phillip - I'll let you re-invite folks at IMDb when you think it won't be abused.  I don't have enough posting history there anymore to know who to trust...

[Phillip Dampier]

True dat!  A simple Google search reveals lots of hang-outs.  Phillip - I'll let you re-invite folks at IMDb when you think it won't be abused.  I don't have enough posting history there anymore to know who to trust...

I am beginning to wonder if there is even an interest at all by the trolls to bother outside of IMDb.  Anyone using a search engine will rapidly discover there are other forums off IMDb, but I haven't really noticed troll attacks being a problem.  This may be more of an IMDb phenomenon than anything else.  I have promoted BetterMost even in the midst of trolls over there before and never had one nasty visitor here.  Right now I'm not going to bother because I have my hands full here and am starting to rely more and more on others helping spread the word.

I suppose I should organize BetterMost/Brokeback Mountain Missionaries.

[ednbarby]

I suppose I should organize BetterMost/Brokeback Mountain Missionaries.

 

I myself am working on a grass roots missionary effort in my office to build a legion of people as obsessed as I am with this movie.  As much as I'll never, ever stop loving posting with all of you dear, dear people about it here first and foremost, I'm feeling the *need* lately to talk about it using my actual speaking voice.  Every time I find a new fan in the flesh, this rush of words comes out of me as if I've been mute all my life and just figured out how to finally say what's been on my mind.  I figure the more people I have to actually talk out loud about it, the less neurotic I'll be.  Hey, it's worth a shot, right?

So far, I've lent it to two people who have not yet seen it - one who loved it so much, she kept it a second day to watch it again and is still happy to talk about all things Brokeback with me.  And one who disappointed me greatly this morning by saying she thought it was a beautiful love story and all, but not Academy Award-worthy because it doesn't have "mass appeal."     (Note to self: Never lend her another movie.)

And I've lent it to two people who've seen it once before in the theater back in January but who have felt ever since that they really need to see it again.  The reason they haven't yet is that apparently, they actually have lives.  (Note to self:  Explore that option further in about three months after you've watched this movie at least 100 times.)  They're both going to watch it tonight.  I'm actually really looking forward to their reviews because they're excited (who wouldn't be?) about finally seeing it again.  I said to one of them, "You *really* need to see it a second time.  You don't fully appreciate Jack until you do, I think."  And he goes, "Oh, I'll see it ten more times."  He's planning to buy it tomorrow after work, but he's happy to watch it again tonight in the meantime.

When I dropped the other copy off to my other friend this morning who's seen it, an executive administrative assistant was in her office chatting with her, and she goes, "Oh - that's out now?  Great!  I've been meaning to buy it.  And I don't buy movies, usually."  Turns out she's seen it twice in the theater - once with her husband, and once without because he "ruined it for her" the first time.   She said she knew he was a little homophobic and was overly concerned about how he'd react to the love scenes, and that she had a "MUCH more enjoyable time of it the second time around."  Then she goes, "I just think they're both so handsome, the music is amazing, the scenery is jaw-dropping, the story is so rich, the acting is perfect across the board - it's just a beautiful, beautiful movie."

While I'm sad I can't convert everyone, it's nice to know that for most people, this is a religion that sells itself.

 

[YaadPyar]

I suppose I should organize BetterMost/Brokeback Mountain Missionaries.

I love this!  Barb, you are the first official missionary.  I wonder if this will be modeled after the Mormons...each one committing to two years of volunary service to spread the word.  We go out into the world dressed in checkered shirts, jeans, cowboy boots & hats, handing out free DVDs for the unconverted.

To make sure we stay connected to the original source materials, we read the "Story to Screenplay" with our missionary partner each morning, and end each day with a screening of the DVD.  We will have both the story memorized by page number (the BBM version of Chaper & Verse) and the movie memorized with HH:MM:SS codes as well as scene numbers.

We revere the saints (Annie Proulx, Ang Lee, Diana Ossana & Larry McMurtry, James Schaumus, Gustavo Santaolalla, Rodergio Prieto, Heath Ledger, Jake Gylenhall, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Pierre Tremblay) and elevate the story to divine revelation.

YeeHaw!!!

[YaadPyar]

In the interest of being compassionate to our newbie BBM friends, I posted this at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/board/flat/40256001.

This board is disappearing - where to go next (READ ME) 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You may or may not know that this BBM message board is being decimated by trolls. From over 150,000 posts just a number of weeks ago, it's down to about 34,000. Some of the most fascinating threads discussing every imaginable topic about BBM have disappeared, and this will no doubt continue. IMDb administrators don't have the interest and/or resources to address this problem.

This note is especially for those who have just discovered BBM - IMDb is not a great place to continue your journey. For anyone seriously interested in exploring BBM, I encourage you to google "brokeback mountain fan forums" and visit some of the other sites out there. They are moderated by real people (most moderation at IMDb is automated), and are free (mostly) from trolls and trollish activity.

Best wishes!