Slashdot Mirror
IMDb Turns 15
An anonymous reader writes "15 years ago today, Col Needham posted some shell scripts to rec.arts.movies which allowed anyone to search lists of actors, actresses, directors, and biographies. From this humble beginning -- which predates Yahoo, Google, and even the web itself -- the IMDb has wrangled the collective wisdom of millions of submitters to become not only a top 100 website but also a standard Hollywood tool for filmmaking. IMDb is celebrating with a retrospective of the last 15 years of IMDb and movies. Congratulations to IMDb and the internet community that built it."
Its easy to see that the IMDB is one of the oldest if not the oldest internet services (I'm not talking about protocols). And it also predates the web. I was wondering if any of you could name other Internet services that predate the web and still exist today. What constitutes a service is probably difficult because things like IMDB made a move from Usenet to Web which are two very different protocols (although they used them simularly).
DISCLAIMER: Again, i'm not talking about protocols like HTTP, Usenet itself, IRC, etc.
I just want to say Thanks! to everyone who has contributed to the the IMDb effort. Indeed, time and time again I have found it to be the ultimate resource when it comes to films. The database is always very complete, the summaries and cast lists accurate, and all in all it is a very helpful website.
Many cheers and pip to them all! May they continue to provide such a useful service for years to come.
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
Leaves me with the feeling that bigness + age != niceness.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Without you I wouldn't know that actor's name that was in that one movie that uhh... oh wait I know this one, he starred with umm, shit, what was her name?
As a gift I will unblock all the ads for one day!
crazy dynamite monkey
Cheers!
-Buddy of DoQ
Google groups link: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.movies/bro wse_frm/thread/47bf560d092d9314/2c3c98e25987bf44?l nk=st&q=group:rec.arts.movies+author:needham&rnum= 2&hl=en#2c3c98e25987bf44
More than just top and bottom 250 movies http://www.imdb.com/Top/
http://www.imdb.com/interfaces
http://us.imdb.com/Licensing/structure.html
http://us.imdb.com/database_statistics
The original Usenet post is here, courtesy of Google.
ITS A MOVIE SITE. When the hell were movies NON-BLOODY-COMMERCIAL?!
The site has a huge database, it's very easy and trustworthy to use.... it has some crap. So what? So does every site that needs to make money.
Shut it.
They have info on movies, television, video games, you name it. Something more befitting of a database that has more than just movie information.
Indeed. Just look at Burger King. They lost a lot of ground on McDonalds because everyone thinks they only sell burgers. No fries, no Coca Cola, just burgers. Altho I am shocked at the lack of Scottish dishes at McDonalds. I felt betrayed.
The same thing holds with RadioShack. I thought it was radio only until I found out they also sold TVs and phones. WTF is going on around here?
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
# Agent information and other data has been moved off of the free IMDb site and onto IMDbPRO, which I refuse to use.
There's little real need for the non-industry to know agent information.
# To insert data into this database, such as photographs of my favourite actors, costs money. This was
supposed to be a free site.
It's absolutely free to use. A site of that size can't live off of goodwill, sunshine, and gumdrops. I'll take a bit of annoyance to have it retain the useful information.
# Flagrant product placement. Virtually every "article" on IMDb's front page is a paid advertisement. Most "articles" are just used to link to Ama$on items.
They are a resource, not a content provider. There are thousands of useful review sites What else do you want? If you really want to complain about sucking the corporate teat, at least bitch about AICN, IMDB makes no pretenses of objectivity.
# IMDb has given nothing back to the community; rather it takes from the community (the poor) and gives to a large e-tailer (the rich).
It provides a huge service to the community. They don't owe *you* specifically a damn thing.
I count 7...
I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
Guess I should be on the lookout for "Legend Of Zorro" to be appearing here soon as well...
Be sure to remember the Programmers Prayer
... how The Man with the Smallest Penis in Existence and the Electron Microscope Technician Who Loved Him is not on the Top 250 movies of all time list?
And now, for a sig that's a complete copout.
If by "wrangled" you mean "took contributions that users gave to the community for free, and used them to make money" then yes. Wrangled. Our friends at GraceCDDBNote are great wranglers too.
...and so does most of the people on IMDb forums