With every new redesign or change of [insert your favorite social media platform or website here] one must expect a certain level of backlash from users who have grown accustomed to the way things were. However, the vitriol hit a new height when Box Office Mojo launched their new redesign, and every ounce of it was deserved when it comes to the unnavigable update.
Courtesy of their parent company, IMDb (a subsidiary of Amazon), the new update is not only frustrating from a user experience in terms of trying to find data, some of the data that was previously available either isn’t there at all or has been locked under an IMDbPro paywall. While a spokesperson from the company said “these updates were made in response to customer feedback and usage patterns, which will continue to inform future feature launches,” a group of dedicated coders are now, thankfully, taking things into their own hands.
The subreddit r/TheBOMRebuild launched just a few days ago with the following message:
The new Box Office Mojo is crap. Lets rebuild something new! Anyone that wants to help rebuild can leave a post here with their skillset and the timings they are available. Any and all kinds of help is welcome. Artists for logo design, aspiring analysts for the story column, programmers for the website itself, enthusiasts for funding, lawyers etc! All updates on the rebuild – screenshots of earlier versions and beta tests – will be posted here.
The response has already been overwhelming, with the launch of a new name–The Box Office Initiative–as well as a Discord and Github channels to let the developing and coding commence. Users are also already discussing not only which features to reinstate but also which features BOM was missing. So, if you are an experienced developer or simply want to provide input on new, better iteration of what went up in flames last week, feel free to jump in.
So, it may be a ways off, but those who refresh every Sunday morning for the weekend totals or enjoy looking through Hollywood history can rest assured that something better is on the horizon. As the famous line goes: “If a corporation destroys it and a community rebuilds it, they will come.”