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This seems (to me at least) like it would be an unpopular move. However, I wonder if this is one of those situations where HN is an opinionated echo chamber, a

This seems (to me at least) like it would be an unpopular move. However, I wonder if this is one of those situations where HN is an opinionated echo chamber, and where the average person would be totally okay with this

jdm2212 3y ago
It's only unpopular with the people who aren't paying, and Netflix dgaf about them.
- grepfru_it 3y ago
  I made a raspberry pi vpn device that my family can use to watch Netflix in other markets. Idgaf about Netflix password rules
  - beezlewax 3y ago
    Did that not cost more in time and labour than just paying them?
    - shubhamkrm 3y ago
      Even if you pay them, you don’t get the same content in all markets.
  - completelylegit 3y ago
    It’s one thing to use an adblocker to bypass ads, it’s completely another to just outright “steal” using a VPN scam. Before netflix, you could watch dumb videos on youtube, that’s about it. They deserve to be paid for the market they built.
    - genocidicbunny 3y ago
      I'm iffy on calling it theft. Presumably, even with a VPN, they would still have to abide by the simultaneous view limitations. Provided they're accessing the content for the same market they pay for Netflix in. At that point, what is the difference between streaming the video to devices far apart, or sitting in the same room?
    - 2000UltraDeluxe 3y ago
      I think we already had this debate in the 80's. Only it was about cassettes and VHS-tapes.
- Timon3 3y ago
  Wrong. I had my own Netflix account which I was using alone, yet I cancelled my account due to this change.
  - ralfn 3y ago
    Why? This makes no sense. You had the subscription, so I assume you experienced value from it. But you are willing to make a stand and deny yourself that value so other people could share their Netflix. People you don't know. Thats extremely principled and selfless. I have a hard time believing this. There are way more meaningful ways to help others by denying yourself value. You didn't cancel Netflix to feed a homeless person but to help someone with too much time and too little money, but no so little they couldnt a roof, a couch, a TV and a internet connection, from wasting their life watching TV. What's the point?
    - Timon3 3y ago
      I will gladly tell you my reasons, but first I'd like to know something: why are you telling me that my decision makes no sense at the same time as asking for my reasons? How do you know it whether it makes sense without knowing why I do it? This approach to conversation doesn't make me hopeful you will honestly think about my reasons, since you already decided they don't make sense. > Thats extremely principled and selfless. Thank you, that's very nice to say! :)
      - ralfn 3y ago
        I am asking why because it makes no sense to me. The choice makes no sense to me. The reasoning might. You seem to be avoiding answering the question.
        Timon3 3y ago
        I avoided answering the question due to the reasons I previously stated. My reasons, in roughly decending order of importance: - They went back on their earlier promises. I don't like it when companies do this. As a consumer, my best way to affect this is to vote with my wallet. - Cost of living is already high enough that the additional expense will be too much for those who already can't pay for much. Entertainment is important, especially in times that are getting harder. - Netflix has been making terrible creative decisions time after time, and I don't feel like giving them more money as-is. Instead I've taken up reading a bit more :)
- Thin_icE 3y ago
  I'm paying and I will cancel if this is forced upon me.
- sebastialonso 3y ago
  Would like to see evidence about this. I agree, for me the cost of sharing the account with my family is negligible. I suspect the most noisy opinions tend to set the narrative, as usual.
alexfromapex 3y ago
Let’s see what happens long term. I created a new account to finish watching Walking Dead and then cancelled for good.
- autoexec 3y ago
  That's my guess. I think a lot of people signed up to finish whatever they were in the middle of watching when they were suddenly cut off. Maybe this will even work out for them in the long term, but in terms of customer growth it's also a trick that only works once. This quarter they can make every person in a family pay for their own accounts, but where do they go after this?
  - valval 3y ago
    Any direction they might have went before the implementation of this crackdown?
    - autoexec 3y ago
      I think they've reached a point where just about everyone who would use netflix has it already, or at least had it for a while and would sign up again if there was something there they wanted to watch. Netflix can improve their library to try to keep folks around a little longer, or entice them back sooner, but then what? Wait for the birth rate to go up? This stunt was either going to cost them subscribers because they pissed people off by changing their policy, or increase their subscribers because some of the people who "had netflix" were using someone else's account and would sign up for their own, and so far it looks like they're coming out ahead, but we'll see how long that holds. My concern is that netflix is going to get worse and worse once they stop finding ways to inflate their subscriber numbers, because the only people they'll be able to squeeze more money out of at that point will be the people already signed up. Maybe it'll mean more ads (and their ad-free plans already have an annoying number of ads now!) or maybe they'll sell off our data, or jack prices way up, who knows, but I doubt we'll like it. Netflix adding targeted ads and changing their policy on passwords makes me think that the "enshittification" of Netflix is well underway. They're already notorious for ignoring what their customers want. For example, it took them four years to give users an option to disable autoplay while browsing, and they've ignored people asking for a simple A-Z list of every available title since day one of their streaming service. Netflix was the outsider at a time when we were held hostage by Cable TV providers. Netflix got people to cut the cord. Nobody wants Netflix to suck or to fail, but there's also nothing we can do to keep it from getting worse as netflix grows greedier.
edgyquant 3y ago
Don’t think it was unpopular. People have complained a lot, sure, but I had 3 people I let use mine and went it stopped working all of them said “damn okay” and subscribed themselves.
kar5pt 3y ago
Idk, I was talking with my gf about this at the time (who's not on HN), and she was saying the same thing - this isn't going to work.

jdm2212 3y ago

It's only unpopular with the people who aren't paying, and Netflix dgaf about them.

grepfru_it 3y ago
I made a raspberry pi vpn device that my family can use to watch Netflix in other markets. Idgaf about Netflix password rules
- beezlewax 3y ago
  Did that not cost more in time and labour than just paying them?
  - shubhamkrm 3y ago
    Even if you pay them, you don’t get the same content in all markets.
- completelylegit 3y ago
  It’s one thing to use an adblocker to bypass ads, it’s completely another to just outright “steal” using a VPN scam. Before netflix, you could watch dumb videos on youtube, that’s about it. They deserve to be paid for the market they built.
  - genocidicbunny 3y ago
    I'm iffy on calling it theft. Presumably, even with a VPN, they would still have to abide by the simultaneous view limitations. Provided they're accessing the content for the same market they pay for Netflix in. At that point, what is the difference between streaming the video to devices far apart, or sitting in the same room?
  - 2000UltraDeluxe 3y ago
    I think we already had this debate in the 80's. Only it was about cassettes and VHS-tapes.
Timon3 3y ago
Wrong. I had my own Netflix account which I was using alone, yet I cancelled my account due to this change.
- ralfn 3y ago
  Why? This makes no sense. You had the subscription, so I assume you experienced value from it. But you are willing to make a stand and deny yourself that value so other people could share their Netflix. People you don't know. Thats extremely principled and selfless. I have a hard time believing this. There are way more meaningful ways to help others by denying yourself value. You didn't cancel Netflix to feed a homeless person but to help someone with too much time and too little money, but no so little they couldnt a roof, a couch, a TV and a internet connection, from wasting their life watching TV. What's the point?
  - Timon3 3y ago
    I will gladly tell you my reasons, but first I'd like to know something: why are you telling me that my decision makes no sense at the same time as asking for my reasons? How do you know it whether it makes sense without knowing why I do it? This approach to conversation doesn't make me hopeful you will honestly think about my reasons, since you already decided they don't make sense. > Thats extremely principled and selfless. Thank you, that's very nice to say! :)
    - ralfn 3y ago
      I am asking why because it makes no sense to me. The choice makes no sense to me. The reasoning might. You seem to be avoiding answering the question.
      - Timon3 3y ago
        I avoided answering the question due to the reasons I previously stated. My reasons, in roughly decending order of importance: - They went back on their earlier promises. I don't like it when companies do this. As a consumer, my best way to affect this is to vote with my wallet. - Cost of living is already high enough that the additional expense will be too much for those who already can't pay for much. Entertainment is important, especially in times that are getting harder. - Netflix has been making terrible creative decisions time after time, and I don't feel like giving them more money as-is. Instead I've taken up reading a bit more :)
Thin_icE 3y ago
I'm paying and I will cancel if this is forced upon me.
sebastialonso 3y ago
Would like to see evidence about this. I agree, for me the cost of sharing the account with my family is negligible. I suspect the most noisy opinions tend to set the narrative, as usual.

alexfromapex 3y ago

Let’s see what happens long term. I created a new account to finish watching Walking Dead and then cancelled for good.

autoexec 3y ago
That's my guess. I think a lot of people signed up to finish whatever they were in the middle of watching when they were suddenly cut off. Maybe this will even work out for them in the long term, but in terms of customer growth it's also a trick that only works once. This quarter they can make every person in a family pay for their own accounts, but where do they go after this?
- valval 3y ago
  Any direction they might have went before the implementation of this crackdown?
  - autoexec 3y ago
    I think they've reached a point where just about everyone who would use netflix has it already, or at least had it for a while and would sign up again if there was something there they wanted to watch. Netflix can improve their library to try to keep folks around a little longer, or entice them back sooner, but then what? Wait for the birth rate to go up? This stunt was either going to cost them subscribers because they pissed people off by changing their policy, or increase their subscribers because some of the people who "had netflix" were using someone else's account and would sign up for their own, and so far it looks like they're coming out ahead, but we'll see how long that holds. My concern is that netflix is going to get worse and worse once they stop finding ways to inflate their subscriber numbers, because the only people they'll be able to squeeze more money out of at that point will be the people already signed up. Maybe it'll mean more ads (and their ad-free plans already have an annoying number of ads now!) or maybe they'll sell off our data, or jack prices way up, who knows, but I doubt we'll like it. Netflix adding targeted ads and changing their policy on passwords makes me think that the "enshittification" of Netflix is well underway. They're already notorious for ignoring what their customers want. For example, it took them four years to give users an option to disable autoplay while browsing, and they've ignored people asking for a simple A-Z list of every available title since day one of their streaming service. Netflix was the outsider at a time when we were held hostage by Cable TV providers. Netflix got people to cut the cord. Nobody wants Netflix to suck or to fail, but there's also nothing we can do to keep it from getting worse as netflix grows greedier.

edgyquant 3y ago

Don’t think it was unpopular. People have complained a lot, sure, but I had 3 people I let use mine and went it stopped working all of them said “damn okay” and subscribed themselves.

kar5pt 3y ago

Idk, I was talking with my gf about this at the time (who's not on HN), and she was saying the same thing - this isn't going to work.