Why did we change our name to MUBI?

RLS: They’re not talking, but they’re watching…with envious eyes. And slowly, and surely, they draw their plans against us.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!

As if “flickr” suddendly changed name in “bebop” in a couple of days.

But godd, a MOOBIE… Is a man with boobs…
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moobie

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moobies

Come on. You just can return back.

These marketing guys have been extracting the urine from poor auteurs suckers. They must have been rolling on the floor after taking all of 1 second to come up with Mubi. This is even worse than the overpaid tw*ts who thought the best TV advert to attract more British visitors to Wales was to show a guy cleaning a bike covered in mud- and this in the middle of the most miserable wettest muddiest period in Britain for many years.

@Kenji, lol

When you read Efe’s intent, you can see how this no longer is The Auteurs. It isn’t so much about quality films anymore as it is about creating a more interactive IMDb. Maybe in that sense, Mubi fits, a dumbed-down spelling of movie, like Elmer Fudd might say.

EFe – “but one that is also open to those for which “auteur” means nothing, but HIS GIRL FRIDAY is his favorite film, Kiarostami her favorite filmmaker, A CITY OF SADNESS and TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER two of the best movies she or he has ever seen”

i don’t understand how anyone would have made the decision to watch two or three things….and then love it without knowing what an auteur is. not unless they were watching movies by random lottery. it doesn’t make any sense.

i should try it on my boss whose favouite film is fantastic four. he doesn’t know what an auteur is but he’s always ‘passionately’ discussing crap movies. think his favourite filmmaker will become kiarostami? i don’t,.

I don’t think a film site like this is going to interest the masses anyway.. I’ve shown this site to coworkers, friends, etc. when I’ve been on it at work and so forth.. If they aren’t really into film, they wouldn’t have an interest in being on a site that discusses film. If they just want to see dumb Hollywood movies, they’ll just watch the ads on TV.

I think this site appeals to people seriously into film and always will, so the name change is silly. However, I still love the site and will still use it. I’m on this site to discover and learn about new films and directors. I’m a cinephile, and this is a place where I can go and be nerdy about my interests. I personally don’t think the name change is going to do anything positive for the site, and I hope that the main content of the site will remain the same.

MeMbErS rEaCt To ReCeNt WeBsItE dIsTuRbaNce

hello everyone,
we are not changing our focus and mission, although I acknowledge that the name change suggests it. I’ll fight this vigorously. will wait for another day or so until people calm down, and will post a detailed response to issues raised. have a good weekend.

In all respect the change of the name and the motivation why the name has changed into Mubi evokes in me the doubt that there is not the same mission anymore.
From the very beginning since I am user of this site I understood it as an online cinema for films you can´t see anywhere. In the motivation I feel the intention that this site is going to grow.
There are thoudands of good films which have neither a distributor nor a DVD release but obviously as far as I can see through my followers and friends on this site there is a need for that. I always understood the former THE AUTEURS (sorry I am not able yet to use MUBI) was an alternative to commercial online cinema.
I am confused and don´t see a clear line about the sometimes neccesary economical motivation of this site and the ambition of being a sophisticated forum.
And about auteurs. Even my father who was a coal miner was able (even without mentioning it) to see the difference between an auteur like Ford or Hitchcock and their plagiats. If there are cinephiles on this planet who do0esn´t know what an auteur of cinema is, than a site like this doesn´t make no sense at all.

It seems auteurs/mubi staff seem quite attached to the new name; as apparently they’ve paid quite a bit already, and been planning and starting links and promotion thru Mubi, then it’ll be hard to get a change of heart. Anyway, they know where they stand with our views. I find it hard to understand the thinking behind Mubi and how it was accepted and imposed without proper consultation with us the users. That’s happened, but there’s still a chance for the damage to be repaired. In the meantime i’ve been trying to think up an acronym for MUBI to rescue the situation but it really is a bad combination of letters.

I can understand that they want to earn money. Okay. But then they have to be clear if all the wonderful activities like GARAGE for example is part of the whole concept or just a decoration of a totally different ambition. Once again the motivation I heard why they changed the name is just and simple rubbish. The stupid fuss they made about the Oscar event made me already a bit supicious.

I guess we’ll have to wait for Efe’s response to see what the go is. I’ll hold off an opinion ’till then.

/quickly learns how to install forum software

You can already read Efe’s response on Indiewire,

(Efe) Cakarel wants to grow members into the millions. So he went on a quest for a new name. He called on ad agencies all over the world to find a simple, easily-typed name. “Find me my global brand, my Sony,” he told them. It took nine months, but finally an agency in Tokyo knew they had found the name. Mubi.

Here’s the rest. Sounds like his mind is made up. Maybe it will turn out to be the best worst name ever, but judging by the numbers he is looking for, it sounds like we have been Miramaxed. Funny that a Tokyo agency came up with the name. They didn’t have to look very far.

There is no need to hold back an opinion, independent of what they say why they changed the name.

efe,

this is a travesty. period. i can remember three years ago being very excited to find something intelligent on the web, but i believe this is proof of dilettante-ry on your part. personally, i don’t care to get you rich, and i don’t care to try to have discussions about film with people who don’t understand the word “auteur.” the language barrier thing is BS, i must say.

i’m afraid you are going to lose more than one member…i’ll give it a few days to hear your responses to what has been raised here, but i’m afraid that loss may include me.

e.

A Tokyo agency? They need to learn how to speak English. I’m glad efe wants millions of members. He should be happy with the nice small community he has. It makes no sense for this site to be geared toward millions. He should have created a separate more mainstream site if he wanted MILLIONS. As we know, the masses have no taste. Thanks but no thanks, Efe.

Elizabeth – you have a point. In trying to gain new members, he may end up losing members.

Moderated

I think they’ve proved that the spirit does not remain the same. This is a disgusting idea. Everyone hates it. They’re going to find a new audience, possibly. A dumb-ass audience of couch potatoes who never seen the light of day because they are busy watching Shawshank Redemption and Iron Man for the 50th time. Ugh!!!

i think the main thing aside from the asinine aspect of the actual name is that this has been a sharp jolt to those who believed that this site was partly a community effort rather than a commodity effect.

whereas we were encouraged to believe that the site was created by peers, it has quickly become apparent that there is an ivory tower and Efe is in it, directing hell.

power to -lessness in four dumb letters.

what mr cynical Efe needs to address in his comments is to tell us how we can all buy shares in his beloved behemoth so those that have built its reputation up at least get something out of it.

“I can understand that they want to earn money. Okay. But then they have to be clear if all the wonderful activities like GARAGE for example is part of the whole concept or just a decoration of a totally different ambition.”

Actually, Garage may benefit by having more eyeballs coming to TheAuteurs. If there is more money, there would be more investment and promotion of such projects…?

Wanting more people to come here is not the problem. The new name is silly. The vague connection it has with ‘movie’ is laughable (or even offensive as some have pointed out) and more apt for a clueless 13 year old rather than an MIT/Stanford graduate…

I can somewhat understand Efe wanting a simpler name. But why not, for example, take something in a (famous) film and then using it or at least doing a pun on it? it would have been a nice in joke as well as an interesting conversation starter and it would have also achieved the goal of a simpler and catchy name. Coming up with such a silly name after a nine month search is utterly stupid.

Also, as many others have also noted, Efe could have simply started a forum topic on this and yes, some of the usual suspects would have huffed and puffed about the greatness of “TheAuteurs” but at least some enterprising souls may have come up with a simpler, catchier and more interesting name than this.

Maybe Efe thinks even bad publicity is good publicity. If that is the intention, our cynicism would be quite apt indeed…

Dear, Mr Efe Cakarel,

i have a great respect for your work and also i hope that you are going to read carefully and consider users complaints and advices, as they are all of best intention.

i think that many would understand the need of changing the name, but what is revolting is a name choise you have made. people can understand reasons for changing the name, but what they cant understand is – MUBI. how this 2 syllables that have no music, no beauty, no meaning can refer to what this community is. for some people this name is so ridiculous, that they would consider it a bad joke.

how can someone with an excellent business instinct and easthetic sense, who have founded a community with such a unique, noble mission, go for something like mu-bi.

the largest social networks have names that are more than 4 letters, transfer the spirit, dont associate with an anime hero (or other meanings suggested), are not a mockery for someones pronunciation or just random sounds and would not be SHAMEFULL to recommend to friends – and they are easily typed and remembered all over the world.

if professional marketeers worked on this – a very badly done job. if it took time and money – all the worse.
here you have hundreds, thousands of PASSIONATE, INTELLIGENT people who would be happy to baptise this site with a new name – for free, in short time. why not consult your loyal users? it seems strange having such a big, free intellectual resource and not to use it. more so members who have contributed vastly might feel deeply offended by such disregard

i dont know how many people could convince you to agree for such a name, but i guess you already have enough voices contra for a second thought

i cant imagine how calling it eg. 10MUSE ( some dumb example to show what a name can contain) be difficult to remember for those, who dont know that cinematography is a 10th Muse. and there are so much more variants that people here could suggest

if the community is going to undergo changes to match the new name i am afraid to be in the number of those who leave

please as a intelligent and reasonable person, reconsider your choise, nothing is too late to change,

best regards, ivanca

ps it may seem strange for a new comer to be so enthusiastic, but my friend introduced me to this community shortly after its foundation, though i signed up just now, and as a fanatic filmfreak ive been very deceived. this place for me is a cinematographic sanctuary and mubi is not how it can be called. its almost blasphemous regarding the precious pictures present here

BTW – I did not sign up for “MUBI” – this is a disgrace. This is like Vietnam. They need to admit their mistake. Sooner than later would be nice.

Here is a comment by Oracle’s Larry Ellison quoted in New York Times about Sun:

“Really great blogs do not take the place of great microprocessors. Great blogs do not replace great software. Lots and lots of blogs does not replace lots and lots of sales.”

We can say the same thing about a website’s name (and in this instance, I don’t think it is even a great name). A website’s name does not take the place of a good website…

Btw, if you are trying to improve the forum side of things, please take a look at Manchester Guardian’s customized WebCrossing based forum here

It is well-structured and clutter free (including a very user friendly thread subscription feature). By allowing a similar hierarchical structure, you can keep both the hard core cinephiles and regular movie buffs (as well as everyone in between) satisfied (and even separated if necessary to minimize the skirmishes…) ;-)

It even has a Film section here and you can see how the users themselves are keeping it well-organized without the endless repeat topics like our forums.

If casual browsing does not convince you why it provides a superior forum platform than almost anything out there, please join and use it for a few days. You’ll soon see how cumbersome our forums are…

It is a community effort. We have helped build his data base over the last two years. Not that he and his crew couldn’t have just cut and paste the info from IMDb into MUBI themselves, but it is a low blow to up and change the name in an effort to reach an even broader audience, as if 260,000 isn’t a very impressive number in itself. But, I guess a million members would sound much more impressive to advertisers.

I thought one of the reasons for a site like this is because Efe was trying to attract more serious moviegoers, by offering movies to watch that weren’t in the mainstream. So, I would well imagine that those who want to watch Lars Von Trier know what an “auteur” is. The tie into Criterion, Scorcese, Cannes and other film festivals would also suggest an intelligent audience capable of pronouncing “movie.”

Methinks the tyranny of branding is turning out to be a double-edged sword in the case of THE AUTEURS/MUBI brand name debacle. The reason so many people are pissed off must have something to do with the brand loyalty around the ‘THE AUTEURS’ identity, surely? Rather short-sighted, to say the least, to generate this brand loyalty then turn around and shred the ‘brand name’ by not only replacing it unilaterally but by replacing it with a meaningless name justified in all kinds of dubious ways. Mutiny on the Mubi seems the only sane course of action – Amaaaandla!

And a third time:
Sounds like MUBI owes its unhappy members a refund.
Me, I’m fine for now, because my membership fee was relatively inexpensive.

I joined and created my profile in a website called “the auteurs”, and that was for a reason.
It is true, I had a little problem reading the word for the first time, but then I went to high school and college and the problem seemed to be resolved. So, now I find myself having problems reading mubi. Should I ask Daddy Yankee for linguistic help?

Much nicer to think of oneself as an “auteur” than a “mubite,” that’s for sure. I’m just amused by the reasoning behind this move, or should I say mube, in that there are some folks in this world who would be hampered by the letter “v.” This forum being largely a printed medium, I wouldn’t think it would much matter. Me thinks the real reason is that Efe wanted something cute and catchy that didn’t sound snobby. Efe is catchy, assuming I imagine the pronunciation correctly, why not that?

An Open Post to Efe and the MUBI staff and ALL users of this site:

Efe said on the previous page – in case anyone missed it:

“hello everyone, we are not changing our focus and mission, although I acknowledge that the name change suggests it. I’ll fight this vigorously. will wait for another day or so until people calm down, and will post a detailed response to issues raised. have a good weekend.”

Thanks for at least acknowledging the numberous threads and posts opposed to this recent name change. We will wait for your response. Hopefully, the site focus will not change. I have had the opportunity to vent my own concerns and poke some fun at the name change while at it. I am trying to maintain an open perspective, but am frankly puzzled at the change.

There exists here a loyal and dedicated group of impassioned film lovers who came to this site precisely to escape the mindless blabber that exists everywhere on the internet. Here we felt a sanctuary of sort from the dumbing down going on all around us. Here we could come and discuss films and ideas that matter with like-minded individuals who shared our passion for quality films. We came because of an idea and an ideal.

Personally, I enjoyed bragging to friends that I was on a site calling itself the auteurs. There was usually the need to explain what the concept of this site meant to me, as envisioned in its name. It seemed to be a site that promoted a certain tone of intellectual and social discourse. it stood apart from the bland and ordinary, It was more than a cut above the rest and that’s what made it great – in our eyes.

We had filmmakers and wannabees and people committed to extending the art of film by making them. We had film critics, scholars, teachers of film, and students of film studies. We had fans of movies no one had heard of before, but were now beginning to appreciate. Discussions here were lively, intense, funny, even shrill. No one, however, doubted for one minute that this was the place to be.

We were loyal to a fault to the auteurs brand. It was us and reflected us. Had a shirt existed with the auteurs brand on it, I would have worn it proudly, explaining to every curiosity seeker out there just what it stood for – imho.

Now, many of the loyal supporters of a particular brand and style feel a bit betrayed. The brand name has changed and we wonder why. What does that imply to the site? We want answers that are direct and forthright. We believe in this site with our heart and soul, but question where it is going. The loyal users of this site are owed an explanation that is frank and to the point.

Then, perhaps, a constructive dialogue can begin.

Thanks, RLS – commited user (in various guises) since Nov. 2008.

Note: I came here to escape another (since defunct) Criterion site which was unwelcoming and hostile to my own posts. This site seemed an ideal oasis at the time. The tone was serious, with lots of good-natured humor to spice things up. I found a home here and hope I still can. But I wonder whether this is still the inviting, friendly, serious place for film discussion it was then. We are all wondering, too.