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Col Needham founded IMDb on October 17, 1990, after compiling lists of film information that originated from a Usenet posting about actresses with beautiful eyes.
Answer: True
Explanation: Col Needham founded IMDb on October 17, 1990, building upon film information lists that began with a Usenet posting about actresses with beautiful eyes.
IMDb transitioned to the World Wide Web in 1995 under the name 'Internet Movie Database Online'.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb transitioned to the World Wide Web on August 5, 1993, and was initially known as the 'Cardiff Internet Movie Database'.
Rob Hartill was the founder of IMDb and its first web interface author.
Answer: False
Explanation: Col Needham founded IMDb, while Rob Hartill was the original web interface author for the Cardiff Internet Movie Database when it moved to the World Wide Web in 1993.
IMDb launched its first official foreign-language version in French in 2008.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb launched its first official foreign-language version in German (IMDb.de) in 2008, not French.
IMDb's main office was located in London as of its 25th anniversary in 2017.
Answer: False
Explanation: As of its 25th anniversary in 2017, IMDb's main office was located in Bristol, UK, not London.
What was IMDb's original name when it first transitioned to the World Wide Web?
Answer: Cardiff Internet Movie Database
Explanation: When IMDb first transitioned to the World Wide Web on August 5, 1993, it was known as the 'Cardiff Internet Movie Database'.
Who founded IMDb and in what year?
Answer: Col Needham in 1990
Explanation: IMDb was founded by Col Needham on October 17, 1990.
Which language was IMDb's first official foreign-language version, launched in 2008?
Answer: German
Explanation: IMDb launched its first official foreign-language version, IMDb.de, in German, in 2008.
Who was Rob Hartill in the early history of IMDb?
Answer: The original web interface author for the Cardiff Internet Movie Database.
Explanation: Rob Hartill served as the original web interface author when the Cardiff Internet Movie Database first launched on the World Wide Web in 1993.
Since 1998, IMDb has been owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Google.
Answer: False
Explanation: Since 1998, IMDb has been owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, not Google.
IMDbPro is a free service that allows entertainment industry professionals to upload photos and access agent contact information.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDbPro is a subscription service for entertainment industry professionals, requiring a yearly membership fee of US$149.99, and is not free.
Before its acquisition by Amazon, IMDb generated revenue primarily through user subscriptions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Before its acquisition by Amazon, IMDb generated revenue primarily through advertising, licensing, and various partnerships, not user subscriptions.
Amazon.com acquired IMDb in 1998 with the strategic intention of using it as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes.
Answer: True
Explanation: Amazon.com acquired IMDb in 1998 with the strategic goal of leveraging it as an advertising platform to promote the sale of DVDs and videotapes.
In 2008, IMDb acquired Box Office Mojo and Rotten Tomatoes.
Answer: False
Explanation: In 2008, IMDb acquired Withoutabox and Box Office Mojo, but not Rotten Tomatoes.
IMDb introduced its 'Résumé Subscription Service' in 2006, allowing industry professionals to post resumes and photos for a yearly fee.
Answer: True
Explanation: IMDb launched its 'Résumé Subscription Service' in 2006, enabling industry professionals to upload their resumes and photos for a yearly fee.
Which company acquired IMDb in 1998?
Answer: Amazon
Explanation: Amazon acquired IMDb in 1998, and it has operated as an Amazon subsidiary ever since.
What is the annual membership fee for IMDbPro?
Answer: US$149.99
Explanation: The annual membership fee for IMDbPro, a subscription service for industry professionals, is US$149.99.
Which of the following companies did IMDb acquire in 2008?
Answer: Withoutabox
Explanation: In 2008, IMDb acquired Withoutabox, a platform for film festival submissions, and Box Office Mojo.
What was Amazon.com's strategic intention behind acquiring IMDb in 1998?
Answer: To use IMDb as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes
Explanation: Amazon.com acquired IMDb in 1998 with the strategic goal of utilizing it as an advertising platform for selling DVDs and videotapes.
When did IMDb introduce its 'Résumé Subscription Service'?
Answer: 2006
Explanation: IMDb introduced its 'Résumé Subscription Service' in 2006, allowing industry professionals to post their resumes and photos for a yearly fee.
IMDb was originally known as the Internet Movie Database and provides information on films, television series, and video games, but not podcasts.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb, originally the Internet Movie Database, now includes information on podcasts, which were added to the database on October 21, 2021.
As of 2024, IMDb was ranked among the top 100 most visited websites on the Internet, according to Semrush.
Answer: True
Explanation: According to Semrush, IMDb was ranked as the 51st most visited website on the Internet as of 2024, placing it within the top 100.
As of March 2022, IMDb's database contained approximately 11.5 million titles and 10.1 million person records.
Answer: False
Explanation: As of March 2022, IMDb's database contained approximately 10.1 million titles (including television episodes) and 11.5 million person records, which is the reverse of the statement.
The IMDb Top 250 list includes documentaries, short films, and TV episodes, alongside feature films.
Answer: False
Explanation: The IMDb Top 250 list explicitly excludes documentaries, short films, and TV episodes, focusing solely on feature films.
The film 'The Shawshank Redemption' has held the highest rank on the IMDb Top 250 list since 2008.
Answer: True
Explanation: As of June 11, 2025, 'The Shawshank Redemption' has maintained its position as the highest-ranked film on the IMDb Top 250 list since 2008.
IMDb publicly discloses the criteria for a user to be considered a 'regular voter' for the Top 250 list to ensure transparency.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb intentionally keeps the criteria for a user to be considered a 'regular voter' for the Top 250 list secret to prevent manipulation and maintain the integrity of the rankings.
A separate Top 250 list for television shows was introduced in 2010.
Answer: False
Explanation: A dedicated Top 250 list for television shows was introduced in 2015, not 2010.
IMDb's ad-supported streaming service, Freedive, was rebranded as IMDb TV and later as Amazon Freevee, before its content was merged into Amazon Prime Video.
Answer: True
Explanation: IMDb's ad-supported streaming service underwent several rebrands: from Freedive to IMDb TV, then to Amazon Freevee, before its content was ultimately integrated into Amazon Prime Video.
IMDb added the ability to include podcasts as titles to the site on October 21, 2021.
Answer: True
Explanation: IMDb expanded its database to include podcasts (both series and episodes) as titles on October 21, 2021.
As of March 28, 2025, IMDb tracked over 10 million TV episodes.
Answer: False
Explanation: As of March 28, 2025, IMDb tracked 8,641,299 TV episodes, which is less than 10 million.
Which of the following types of information is NOT typically included in IMDb's online database?
Answer: Proprietary financial reports of production companies
Explanation: IMDb's database includes cast and crew details, biographies, plot summaries, user ratings, and reviews, but not proprietary financial reports of production companies.
As of 2024, what was IMDb's global website ranking according to Semrush?
Answer: 51st
Explanation: According to Semrush, IMDb was ranked as the 51st most visited website globally as of 2024.
Which film has held the highest rank on the IMDb Top 250 list since 2008?
Answer: The Shawshank Redemption
Explanation: Since 2008, 'The Shawshank Redemption' has consistently held the highest rank on the IMDb Top 250 list.
What types of content are explicitly excluded from the IMDb Top 250 film list?
Answer: Documentaries, short films, and TV episodes
Explanation: The IMDb Top 250 film list explicitly excludes documentaries, short films, and TV episodes.
What was the final rebranding of IMDb's ad-supported streaming service before its content merged into Amazon Prime Video?
Answer: Amazon Freevee
Explanation: IMDb's ad-supported streaming service was finally rebranded as Amazon Freevee before its content was merged into Amazon Prime Video.
When did IMDb add the ability to include podcasts as titles to its database?
Answer: October 21, 2021
Explanation: IMDb added the capability to include podcasts as titles to its database on October 21, 2021.
As of March 28, 2025, approximately how many movies were tracked by IMDb?
Answer: 706,198
Explanation: As of March 28, 2025, IMDb tracked 706,198 movies in its database.
What is the qualification requirement for a film to be included in the IMDb Bottom 100 list?
Answer: It must receive at least 10,000 votes.
Explanation: To qualify for the IMDb Bottom 100 list, a film must receive a minimum of 10,000 votes.
What was the initial name of IMDb's ad-supported streaming service launched in January 2019?
Answer: Freedive
Explanation: IMDb's ad-supported streaming service, launched in January 2019, was initially named Freedive.
IMDb's message boards were permanently removed by February 20, 2017, due to issues like trolling and low ad revenue.
Answer: True
Explanation: IMDb's message boards were permanently removed by February 20, 2017, citing reasons such as not providing a positive user experience, susceptibility to trolling, and low ad revenue.
The content of IMDb's message boards was permanently lost after their removal in 2017.
Answer: False
Explanation: The content of IMDb's message boards was preserved by Archive.org and MovieChat.org through web scraping before their permanent removal in February 2017.
The IMDb website was filtered in China in 2010.
Answer: True
Explanation: The IMDb website was indeed filtered in China in 2010, restricting access for users within the country.
The 'Hoang v. Amazon.com, Inc.' lawsuit resulted in IMDb being ordered to remove the age of the actress from her public profile.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'Hoang v. Amazon.com, Inc.' lawsuit concluded with IMDb winning the case, and the decision was affirmed on appeal, meaning IMDb was not ordered to remove the actress's age.
California state bill AB-1687, an anti-ageism statute, was successfully implemented and remains in effect, requiring entertainment services to hide subscriber ages upon request.
Answer: False
Explanation: California state bill AB-1687, an anti-ageism statute, was ultimately struck down in February 2018 and affirmed in June 2020 as an unconstitutional content-based restriction, and therefore does not remain in effect.
In 2019, IMDb changed its policy to remove birth names that are not widely and publicly known, particularly for transgender people, while still maintaining credited names.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 2019, IMDb updated its policy to remove birth names that are not widely and publicly known, particularly for transgender individuals, while ensuring that any previously credited names remain visible.
When were IMDb's message boards permanently removed?
Answer: February 20, 2017
Explanation: IMDb's message boards and all their content were permanently removed by February 20, 2017.
What was one of the primary reasons cited for the removal of IMDb's message boards?
Answer: Susceptibility to trolling and disagreeable behavior
Explanation: One of the primary reasons cited for the removal of IMDb's message boards was their susceptibility to trolling and disagreeable behavior, alongside low ad revenue and high operational costs.
In what year was the IMDb website filtered in China?
Answer: 2010
Explanation: The IMDb website was filtered in China in 2010, restricting access for users within the country.
What was the outcome of the 'Hoang v. Amazon.com, Inc.' lawsuit regarding the disclosure of an actress's age?
Answer: IMDb won, and the decision was affirmed on appeal.
Explanation: In the 'Hoang v. Amazon.com, Inc.' lawsuit, IMDb prevailed, and the court's decision was affirmed on appeal, allowing IMDb to continue disclosing the actress's age.
What was the ultimate fate of California state bill AB-1687, the anti-ageism statute targeting online entertainment employment services?
Answer: It was struck down as an unconstitutional content-based restriction.
Explanation: California state bill AB-1687 was ultimately struck down as an unconstitutional content-based restriction, and therefore did not remain active.
What change did IMDb implement in 2019 regarding birth names?
Answer: They removed birth names that are not widely and publicly known, especially for transgender people.
Explanation: In 2019, IMDb updated its policy to remove birth names that are not widely and publicly known, particularly to address concerns from LGBTQ groups regarding 'deadnaming' transgender individuals.
Col Needham sends an annual newsletter to contributors on the first day of each calendar year, listing site statistics and top contributors.
Answer: True
Explanation: Col Needham distributes an annual newsletter to contributors on the first day of each calendar year, providing site statistics and acknowledging top contributors.
IMDb offers complimentary free access to IMDbPro to its top 50 data contributors.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb offers complimentary free access to IMDbPro to its top data contributors, a number that has increased over time from 100 to 250, not specifically the top 50.
IMDb publicly discloses that its website is primarily run using Java-based software for security reasons.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb no longer publicly discloses the specific software it uses to run its website, citing security reasons, though it was originally Perl-based.
Volunteers who contribute content to IMDb retain full copyright and control over their individual contributions, including the right to modify them.
Answer: False
Explanation: While volunteers retain copyright on individual contributions, the compilation becomes IMDb's exclusive property, granting IMDb full rights to copy, modify, and sublicense the content. Contributors also cannot directly modify data on impulse.
IMDb allows contributors to directly add, delete, or modify data on impulse, similar to Wikipedia.
Answer: False
Explanation: Unlike Wikipedia, IMDb does not allow contributors to directly add, delete, or modify data on impulse; all data manipulation is controlled by IMDb's salaried staff and verified before posting.
IMDb provides a public API for automated queries to its database.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb does not offer a public API for automated queries; instead, most of its data can be downloaded as compressed plain text files for processing.
How does IMDb manage data manipulation compared to user-contributed projects like Wikipedia?
Answer: IMDb's data manipulation is controlled by its salaried staff and verified before posting.
Explanation: Unlike collaborative platforms such as Wikipedia, IMDb's data manipulation is managed by its salaried staff, and all submitted data is verified before it is posted.
What is the copyright policy for content contributed by volunteers to IMDb?
Answer: Volunteers retain copyright on individual contributions, but the compilation is IMDb's exclusive property.
Explanation: While volunteers retain copyright on their individual contributions, the compiled database content becomes the exclusive property of IMDb, which holds the rights to copy, modify, and sublicense it.
Which of the following is NOT a programming tool mentioned for processing IMDb's plain text data files?
Answer: A proprietary C++ API provided by IMDb
Explanation: IMDb does not provide a public API for automated queries. However, command-line tools, a Java-based GUI application, and the Python package IMDbPY (cinemagoer) are mentioned as tools for processing its plain text data files.
What is the primary purpose of the annual newsletter email sent by Col Needham to contributors?
Answer: To list various information about the past year on the site, including statistics and top contributors.
Explanation: The annual newsletter from Col Needham serves to inform contributors about the site's performance over the past year, including statistics and recognition for top contributors.
What incentive does IMDb offer to its top data contributors?
Answer: Complimentary free access to IMDbPro for the following calendar year.
Explanation: IMDb incentivizes its top data contributors by offering them complimentary free access to IMDbPro for the subsequent calendar year.
What is the Java Movie Database (JMDB) reportedly creating?
Answer: An IMDb_Error.log file listing errors found while processing IMDb plain text files.
Explanation: The Java Movie Database (JMDB) is reportedly creating an IMDb_Error.log file, which documents errors encountered during the processing of IMDb's plain text data files.
IMDb STARmeter Awards are determined by a panel of industry experts, not by page views.
Answer: False
Explanation: IMDb STARmeter Awards are determined by IMDbPro STARmeter rankings, which are based on actual page views from the site's monthly visitors, not by a panel of industry experts.
Salma Hayek received the inaugural 'IMDb Icon STARmeter Award' to celebrate IMDbPro's 20th anniversary.
Answer: True
Explanation: Salma Hayek was indeed the recipient of the inaugural 'IMDb Icon STARmeter Award,' which was launched to commemorate IMDbPro's 20th anniversary.
How are recipients of IMDb STARmeter Awards determined?
Answer: Based on actual page views from IMDbPro STARmeter rankings.
Explanation: Recipients of IMDb STARmeter Awards are determined based on actual page views from IMDbPro STARmeter rankings, reflecting their popularity on the site.