4 ms·

Lately it feels like Netflix's algorithm is "just show Netflix produced content". Maybe I'm being nostalgic but I really miss the old shooting star recommendati

by j-kent 6y ago

Lately it feels like Netflix's algorithm is "just show Netflix produced content". Maybe I'm being nostalgic but I really miss the old shooting star recommendation system where you rated content and got similar likes from other viewers.

robdachshund 6y ago
They got rid of the rating system because amy Schumer's special tanked
tourist_on_road 6y ago
I read somewhere they realized that just giving a thumbs up or down on a title is much reliable than having star recommendation system
- Red_Leaves_Flyy 6y ago
  I thought it was that people were using the stars 'wrongly' according to Netflix. How one can use a star rating system wrongly is beyond me.
  - smabie 6y ago
    I'm guessing the distribution of reviews was bimodel. Ideally, people should use a 5-star system in a way that it provides a normal distribution. Most content should fall between 2 or 3 stars. But it doesn't actually work that way, 4 star uber drivers get kicked off the platform, 2 star Amazon products suck, 2-3 star movies suck. 4-star movies are okay. As such, I think we can conclude that people don't actually know how to use a star rating system and we should just get rid of it.
    - AuryGlenz 6y ago
      I wonder if letter grades would be the way to go in relevant countries. Most people have internalized what a “C” means pretty well, even taking grade inflation in to account. Hell, that’s the whole reason 10 star rating systems are bad, as people treat 7 like it should be average and 5 is a failure.
  - rospaya 6y ago
    I regularly see people having trouble with doors or elevators, so it wouldn't surprise me.
  - dbbk 6y ago
    I think it's quite obvious that the vast majority of selections would have been 1 or 5 stars.
lancesells 6y ago
I haven't been subscribed for about 6 or 7 months and the algorithm is mainly what drove me away. Outside of sports it's a service that seems to want to be every channel at once and that's mainly just not what I want. I'm not interested in game shows, reality shows, hgtv-type shows and it seems like there's no way to stop seeing this content no matter how many "thumbs down" I give each show. I'm not expecting to not see stuff I don't like but I want to at least give it a thumbs down and get it out of the interface. HBO Max I'm on the fence about. I really like HBO but not sure I need or want everything that comes with the Max flavor.
slfnflctd 6y ago
Nostalgic? No, you're displaying a reasonable response to a screwy situation. Did everyone just forget about the Netflix Prize? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix_Prize https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix_Prize] There was a brief time when they had the absolute best recommendation algorithm on the planet. It was intentionally replaced by something utterly different which is geared to simply steer everyone to IP that they own. It is not remotely similar. I have absolutely hated every change they've made to their UI since they ditched the old ratings system, too (forces you to use the mouse and sets you up for fumbling what should be clear actions, so you spend more time browsing - which costs them almost nothing - and less time watching). My guess is, research indicated they'd make more money with these changes than by licensing content audiences actually prefer and building a sane interface. As it turns out, the Netflix golden age was a short-lived anomaly if not outright farce. If you want decent curation of content and also to be able to watch it, you will have to pay through the nose or pirate. Same as it ever was. It's consumer hostile, but the system is working as its overseers intend. Whether it's really the best long term strategy is still an open question in my book.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- laurex 6y ago
  The problem with a recommendation engine is that it breaks down when content options are limited. In Netflix's early days of streaming, they had a similar approach to content as they did with DVDs, i.e. capitalizing on the long tail and offering an enormous selection. That proved to be inefficient for streaming because there's a minimum bar at which rightsholders will sell licences, and it's far higher than just the price of a few DVDs. Thus, Netflix switched to a more limited acquisition model, and then began a more aggressive program of content creation to effectively gate its offer from competing services. The upside of this for consumers has been a shift by many talented creators into series-style content; the downside is that the market for independently-produced films has bottomed out considerably.

by j-kent 6y ago

robdachshund 6y ago

They got rid of the rating system because amy Schumer's special tanked

tourist_on_road 6y ago

I read somewhere they realized that just giving a thumbs up or down on a title is much reliable than having star recommendation system

Red_Leaves_Flyy 6y ago
I thought it was that people were using the stars 'wrongly' according to Netflix. How one can use a star rating system wrongly is beyond me.
- smabie 6y ago
  I'm guessing the distribution of reviews was bimodel. Ideally, people should use a 5-star system in a way that it provides a normal distribution. Most content should fall between 2 or 3 stars. But it doesn't actually work that way, 4 star uber drivers get kicked off the platform, 2 star Amazon products suck, 2-3 star movies suck. 4-star movies are okay. As such, I think we can conclude that people don't actually know how to use a star rating system and we should just get rid of it.
  - AuryGlenz 6y ago
    I wonder if letter grades would be the way to go in relevant countries. Most people have internalized what a “C” means pretty well, even taking grade inflation in to account. Hell, that’s the whole reason 10 star rating systems are bad, as people treat 7 like it should be average and 5 is a failure.
- rospaya 6y ago
  I regularly see people having trouble with doors or elevators, so it wouldn't surprise me.
- dbbk 6y ago
  I think it's quite obvious that the vast majority of selections would have been 1 or 5 stars.

lancesells 6y ago

I haven't been subscribed for about 6 or 7 months and the algorithm is mainly what drove me away. Outside of sports it's a service that seems to want to be every channel at once and that's mainly just not what I want. I'm not interested in game shows, reality shows, hgtv-type shows and it seems like there's no way to stop seeing this content no matter how many "thumbs down" I give each show. I'm not expecting to not see stuff I don't like but I want to at least give it a thumbs down and get it out of the interface. HBO Max I'm on the fence about. I really like HBO but not sure I need or want everything that comes with the Max flavor.

slfnflctd 6y ago

Nostalgic? No, you're displaying a reasonable response to a screwy situation. Did everyone just forget about the Netflix Prize? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix_Prize https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix_Prize] There was a brief time when they had the absolute best recommendation algorithm on the planet. It was intentionally replaced by something utterly different which is geared to simply steer everyone to IP that they own. It is not remotely similar. I have absolutely hated every change they've made to their UI since they ditched the old ratings system, too (forces you to use the mouse and sets you up for fumbling what should be clear actions, so you spend more time browsing - which costs them almost nothing - and less time watching). My guess is, research indicated they'd make more money with these changes than by licensing content audiences actually prefer and building a sane interface. As it turns out, the Netflix golden age was a short-lived anomaly if not outright farce. If you want decent curation of content and also to be able to watch it, you will have to pay through the nose or pirate. Same as it ever was. It's consumer hostile, but the system is working as its overseers intend. Whether it's really the best long term strategy is still an open question in my book.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
laurex 6y ago
The problem with a recommendation engine is that it breaks down when content options are limited. In Netflix's early days of streaming, they had a similar approach to content as they did with DVDs, i.e. capitalizing on the long tail and offering an enormous selection. That proved to be inefficient for streaming because there's a minimum bar at which rightsholders will sell licences, and it's far higher than just the price of a few DVDs. Thus, Netflix switched to a more limited acquisition model, and then began a more aggressive program of content creation to effectively gate its offer from competing services. The upside of this for consumers has been a shift by many talented creators into series-style content; the downside is that the market for independently-produced films has bottomed out considerably.