Membership
The database was initially fully open to the general public, but in 2004 the system was changed so that only registered members could view information. Membership was free but required a commitment to contribute to the site in some way (for example, submitting reviews). This decision created controversy amongst the internet community, but led to an expansion of the editorial team and a large increase in the quantity and quality of data.
In 2006, access to the database was changed again to allow nearly full access to all areas of the database. Posting in the forum and submission of reviews still requires registration.
Read more about this topic: Hong Kong Movie Data Base
Famous quotes containing the word membership:
“The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don’t acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead.”
—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (b. 1922)