Comments on The Official Netflix Blog: My Bad.

I wonder if anyone out there is having the same is...

2007-10-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

I wonder if anyone out there is having the same issue as I am. When I write reviews, a couple of days later they show on the movie page, but my profile isn't updated. I've written dozens of reviews (all within the guidelines) and my proflie still reflects the same 17.

The profile page is a good start and I’m really lo...

2007-10-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

The profile page is a good start and I’m really looking forward to seeing that extra information from now on.
I hope more reviewers notice and fill it out as more and more seem to be personalizing their username and avatar now as well and that makes it all much more fun.

I love that people have the chance to put on a more personal face if they want to… but 200 characters doesn’t allow for much flexibility in the way of communication though. How do you tell someone something useful in just a couple of sentences? It’s extremely limiting. Most of what I’ve seen up so far amounts to signatures, whereas I was really hoping to see bios.

I too am put-off by TV stars and directors taking over the “most watched” list. With very few exceptions I’m not much interested in keeping track of TV actors and directors. I base my decision about what tv show to try next based on the concept of the show, not the cast and crew, and none of that information has any bearing on what movies I might watch, which is what matters most to me here. Because they are usually less well known they also don’t give the same clue about my tastes as the movie stars/directors might.

I was disappointed to see few movie stars and directors in my own most watched list. I think that would have been a lot of fun. Some way of de-emphasizing television shows might work but I’m not really sure if I want that information there at all really. I’m also not sure if TV programming warrants a second list, but then again knowing what shows Baff is watching for example (what he added to his profile text) does give a clue to his tastes that adds nicely to the other clues already available about his tastes. So, maybe a separate list for TV would be helpful, if it’s possible.

Like Baff, I too would love to see more data, especially concerning writers, added to the movie info on Netflix. I’ve been noticing writers quite a lot since I started paying closer attention to the movies I like and it would be really great if Netflix could help me track that data too. Usually it’s the writing that really draws me into a story. And mediocre or bad writing kills even the best acted and directed films.

Love the way things keep moving forward and getting more fun and useful.

Becky Glass

I can understand what you are saying, I have given...

2007-10-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

I can understand what you are saying, I have given 353 movies 5 stars for a wide variety of reasons. I dealt with that by creating a list called "Baff's 6-Star Movies" and put all my actual favorites into it.

If you don't love the movie rate it as such.You're...

2007-10-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

If you don't love the movie rate it as such.

You're still missing the point. There are plenty of amazing movies which in my opinion deserve a full 5 stars but which I would never say are my "favorite". Citizen Kane comes to mind. It's an amazing movie, there's no way I could ever give it less than 5 stars, but at the same time I don't "love it" and I don't consider it a favorite of mine. It's a 5 star film for sure, but if I were to make my own list of favorites, it would not be on it. Similarly, I gave Schindlers List 5 stars because it's a 5 star movie. But it's not a movie I'd want to watch again and again like I do my favorites.

So, having an automatic list made which is supposed to represent all my favorites, based on movies I've rated 5 stars is inaccurate.

Not every movie that I've loved in my life which deserves a 5 star rating is an all time favorite. My list of favorites is few, my list of 5 stars is much larger.

So if you rate a movie a 2.5 or a 3.5 it would sho...

2007-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

So if you rate a movie a 2.5 or a 3.5 it would show up as a 3 unless someone wanted to delve further into your rating and see the 1/2. Is that what you mean?

No, they would show as 2.5 or 3.5 to the few people that can actually see anything other than my 5-star ratings.

Or you want to have the option to rate on either scale and, if so, wouldn't that take away from the value of rating if people are using different scales?

You have a friend that rates everything 1 or 5 stars. You give out lots of 1 stars. I rarely give 1 star. Everyone is already rating on their own scale. I don't really see this changing that.

I'm not understanding what you mean by Netflix ignores the 3 rating.

Michael has said that Netflix treats 3 star ratings as "no opinion". So you may as well have not even rated them as far as Netflix is concerned.

If they ignore the 3 rating would they not ignore a 3.5?

No, they would consider that to be slightly positive. 2.5 would be slightly negative.

I'd really be interest in knowing how many movies I rate in each star catagory.

I recently figured out how to do that. Go to Movies You'll Heart, then click Movies You've Rated, then select Jump To 4 Stars. The number at the end of the URL is the number of 5-stars you have given. Then select Jump To 3 Stars and subtract the number in the previous URL from the number in the new URL to get your 4-star ratings. Rinse and repeat.

You want the 10 star system as an option and the 5...

2007-10-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

You want the 10 star system as an option and the 5 star as a default. So if you rate a movie a 2.5 or a 3.5 it would show up as a 3 unless someone wanted to delve further into your rating and see the 1/2. Is that what you mean? Or you want to have the option to rate on either scale and, if so, wouldn't that take away from the value of rating if people are using different scales?

I'm not understanding what you mean by Netflix ignores the 3 rating. If they ignore the 3 rating would they not ignore a 3.5? I think I read that the program looks at our 4 and 5 star ratings to make suggestions.

I'd really be interest in knowing how many movies I rate in each star catagory. It seems normal to rate the most a 3 since that is - "I liked it" but I feel like I hit 4 stars and 1 star the most.

If we had a "0" option I'd use that a great deal too.

I understand a 10 star rating system like IMDB but...

2007-10-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

I understand a 10 star rating system like IMDB but I wonder if the majority of Netflix members need or want that many options.

Thats why it should be a pref, and kept the same as default.

I really like the changes that have happened in the Community area.

I like the changes, they add to the quality of the site.

How do 1/2 stars add to the Netflix experience?

Having more control over my own opinion is important to me. I have rated a tons of movies, but I have only looked at relatively few profiles. I rent movies and rate them, those are the 2 things I do at Netflix far more than any other.

Probably 50% of the movies I have rated I gave 3 stars. They aren't good enough for 4 stars and not bad enough for 2. The problem is that Netflix completely ignores all those ratings. I might as well have not bothered to rate them. With 1/2 stars, I would go through and re-rate them all and make them useful ratings.

Baff said about 1/2 stars "This would be of more v...

2007-10-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Baff said about 1/2 stars "This would be of more value to me than most the changes in the last 6 months combined (excluding the new search feature, that rocks, though it could use just a bit more work)."

Wow. I'm surprised. 1/2 stars are not important to me at all but I really like the changes that have happened in the Community area. It's making the whole Netflix experience more fun.

How do 1/2 stars add to the Netflix experience?

I understand a 10 star rating system like IMDB but I wonder if the majority of Netflix members need or want that many options. It looks like a lot of the members don't rate many movies now so giving more options wouldn't increase the number of movies rated I don't think. One of my friends refuses to rate movies unless it's a 5 or 1 star so the majority of movies she sees go unrated. She could have the thumbs up or down system and be happy and I think a lot of others would use that too. So, while some people want 1/2 stars or 10 stars some want thumbs or 3 stars or tomatoes.

Just personal choice but 5 stars seems perfect for me.

@angel - I'm guessing more positive than negative ...

2007-10-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

@angel - I'm guessing more positive than negative ratings is all it takes. Most movies fall into multiple genres (upto 10? no limit?)

"When my son went to rate a movie he asked me wher...

2007-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

"When my son went to rate a movie he asked me where the 1/2 is and I said there isn't one."

If fractions bother you, you can always think of it as a 10-star system like imdb has. I rate a lot of 2.5 & 3.5 star movies as 3 stars, but I see a big difference between the two. In my mind there are distinct differences for the 1/2 stars.

For me:

5-star = Favorite
4.5-star = Great movie, but not a fave
4-star = Liked it a lot
3.5-star = Liked it a little
3-star = meh, no opinion either way
2.5-star = Didn't like it a little
2-star = Didn't like it a lot
1.5-star = Hated it
1-star = Netflix should burn every copy

I am perfectly fine with them making it optional though. They have already done all the work on it and tested it in some regions. Default whole star ratings and a preference of "Allow me to rate movies with 1/2 stars". Then everyone is happy. This would be of more value to me than most the changes in the last 6 months combined (excluding the new search feature, that rocks, though it could use just a bit more work).

I'm curious... what qualifies a genre to appear on...

2007-10-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm curious... what qualifies a genre to appear on your "favorites" list? I'm wondering because I've got 52 genres listed, several of which I can hardly even remember renting/rating movies from at all.

Separate lists for TV actors/directors would be co...

2007-10-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Separate lists for TV actors/directors would be cool.

A list of common/favorite writers would be awesome, but are they even in the Netflix database? They are so incredibly important, and yet get virtually no credit. (I wish them luck on their upcoming strike, if it happens).

I do like that the favorite genres is broken down into the sub-genres. We can now really see the reasons for our Sim%'s. The person with the highest Sim% to me has only rated 224 movies, yet still managed to have 63 favorite genres!

"Maybe you could put the TV shows as a separate li...

2007-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Maybe you could put the TV shows as a separate list."

As long as it's technically feasible, this makes a lot of sense. Because if we erase all our TV ratings we'll lose all relevant recommendations as well.

RE what Mort said... This is a really good point....

2007-10-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

RE what Mort said...

This is a really good point.
NF system isn't 5 stars = "the best movie of all time"

5 stars = "I loved this movie".

If you don't love the movie rate it as such. That's why I can rate a B grade horror movie a solid 5 (I loved it) and a blockbuster award winning all star mega zillion $ one a 1 star even though I recognize the quality with which it was made because (I hated it).

In the Netflix world it isn't about how well the movie was made - it's if we:

1 star - hated it
2 stars - didn't like it
3 stars - liked it
4 starts - really like it
5 stars - loved it

I think it's a great system and I just don't understand why someone can't choose between whether they liked a movie or really liked a movie. How can you like it and 1/2?

I think the 1/2 star issue comes up because Netflix rates with 1/2 stars so members look for the 1/2. When my son went to rate a movie he asked me where the 1/2 is and I said there isn't one. He said - there must be since NF has it rated 4 1/2.

For Pete's sake, for the person who said 5-star fi...

2007-10-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

For Pete's sake, for the person who said 5-star films aren't their favorites, you're misunderstanding the Netflix rating system. You aren't rating how great a movie is. You're rating how much you like it. 5-star films should be only films that are among or close to your favorites. I've rated films that I knew were great 2-3 stars because they didn't sing to me. If you want the Netflix rating system to work for you, that's how you need to treat it. That's why Netflix is accurate 95% or so of the time it predicts my rating.

Let's get over the 1/2 star rating thing. As stated before, it's an unnecessary complication. Frankly, I don't see much of a difference in accurately expressing oneself between 5, 10 or 100 stars.

Michael & Co, the improvements are tremendous. Thanks.

Michael said "for TV heavy watchers, it skews the ...

2007-10-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Michael said "for TV heavy watchers, it skews the results in an odd way"

BTW, I'm actually not a heavy TV watcher. The only show I'm watching this season is Heroes and I usually had only 2 per season. It just happened that a couple of shows I did watch were on for a lot of seasons or like in the case of Twilight Zone rerun constantely. Mostly, if I'm watching TV it's a movie. But I think I'm going to unrate Twilight Zone and see what happens.

Mama Was Right - Too Much TV I agree with AngelMo...

2007-10-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mama Was Right - Too Much TV

I agree with AngelMonkey the TV shows I rated are messing with this new feature. Rod Serling as my favorite actor because I loved Twilight Zone makes no sense. He was the host not an actor. 8 other "actors" I've never heard of and they seem to be associated with Futurarama and the Simpsons. And directors - 3 out of 7 are from Twilight Zone and Cheers.

These are not my favorite actors or directors. It's sort of interesting to see that some of my favorite TV shows had the same people do the character voices but I sort of knew that already and don't think of voices as actors anyway.

I agree that counting the TV show as 1 rather than counting every DVD would prevent this over emphasis on TV. I've seen far more movies that TV shows but when a show was on for years and has a lot of DVDs and I loved every show - that still doesn't mean I want to track down the voices or the directors and hear them again. I might want to track down the writers.

Maybe you could put the TV shows as a separate list. That way they wouldn't interfere with the movies. Movie actors and directors are what I really would like to discover. I didn't rent any of the TV DVDs and the few TV shows that actually are my favorites I own the DVDs.

Should we just delete all the TV ratings in order to get a more accurate sense of our real favorites?

I too am having the issue of shows that I watch(ed...

2007-10-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

I too am having the issue of shows that I watch(ed) a lot of dominating my profile. Yeah, I liked the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and rated all the seasons 5 stars. Now though, my top actors list is taken over by the ENTIRE cast of Buffy! I enjoyed the show but these people are certainly not a good representation of actors I actually watch or enjoy the most.

"So all you're really asking is that the wording o...

2007-10-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

"So all you're really asking is that the wording on our profile pages be changed from "Noname's favorites" to "Noname's 5 star movies"?"

Well, that would be one option which would offer a better distinction. I would prefer though the option of being able to just delete that automatically generated favorites list so that it doesn't show up at all. It's cool that's it's there for people who aren't interested in creating lists, but for those of us that are, it would be nice if we could control which lists are there. I've made my own personalized favorites list that shows movies that I actually consider to be faves. I'd like to be able to get rid of that default Netflix list all together.

Bug: I just checked my outward facing page and a ...

2007-10-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Bug: I just checked my outward facing page and a movie I had marked as private showed up on my recent activity listing.

Should add that I can't comment on my actor/direct...

2007-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Should add that I can't comment on my actor/director list because I'm in 'private mode' and so can't 'find myself' Ang (!), but seeing the overlap, or lack thereof', between my and 'faves' most watched genres is fascinating.

I agree about TV directors. Unless it's a Gary Mar...

2007-10-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

I agree about TV directors. Unless it's a Gary Marshall or a James Burrows, the writers and the producer are usually the key figures on a TV production. And AngelMonkey's suggestion that the whole series be scored as a single entity makes very good sense -- just as Berlin Alexanderplatz, at 16 hrs or so, would be counted as a single entity.

One of my friends has no genre preferences listed. Has she maybe not rented enough movies yet to make the algorithm statistically meaningful?

Michael:I'm liking the outward profile page. Two ...

2007-10-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Michael:

I'm liking the outward profile page. Two interesting things I noticed from the "most watched" lists:

1. Before even going to the profile page I updated my personal statement, and included a list of 5 of my "favorite" directors. Then I went to the profile page and found almost all of them listed - to me, that makes a lot of sense and makes the system feel "right". I realize "favorite" isn't the same as "most watched", but it is still a good sign.

2. I noticed the exact same thing as AngelMonkey because I am a heavy TV watcher/rater. I noticed several actors on my list from longer-running shows like ER and 24, but that didn't really bother me (like you suggested, that "tells you something about me" and my watching habits). However, I thought it was silly that Jon Cassar (a lead director on 24) showed up on my most watched directors list. I think there is a distinction between TV shows and movies - I might seek out movies by a director, but with TV shows the director is less important - in fact, within the confines of a single season usually multiple directors will cover different episodes. So maybe less "weight" should be given to TV directors in the most watched list. Or, maybe just leave it alone - honestly, it's not a huge deal either way, just something I noticed and thought was a bit odd.

Good work though, for the most part I looked through both lists and thought "yep, I watch a lot of _____'s stuff".

Also, to look at some figures (because I think it'...

2007-10-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Also, to look at some figures (because I think it's interesting)...

17 out of the 21 actors listed are from TV ratings.

3 out of the 7 directors listed are from TV ratings.

Several prolific TV directors show up in my list t...

2007-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Several prolific TV directors show up in my list too.

My actors list looks pretty reasonable to me though, nobody I hadn't known that I liked. Only one person is kinda odd, Julian Firth, who was a sorta minor character in the 16 movie Cadfael series.