That wacky Netflix

[fbhjr]

This morning I've been trying to adjust my Netflix preferences as it keeps suggesting garbage for me to watch.
And, whatever program they use to categorize movies is very strange.
Did you like "Judge Dread?" "Yes, I did." "Do you always watch Drug Movies?"
What? You put that down as a drug movie?
The old Stalone version they put down as an "American Psycho" movie.
History of the World Part I they put down as a move about ancient Rome.
Batman Beyond they listed as a father son buddy movie.
Ladyhawk was listed as a movie about horses.

It's no wonder I don't get movies I like suggested to me. I just don't understand the categories...

Comments

[meathiel]

Uh? Wot???

[resonant.livejournal.com]

Computer algorithms doing pattern recognition, no human in the loop. There was a similar case when someone looking for a documentary on MLK at Walmart.com was offered "Planet of the Apes". There was much confusion, but it appears that both were classified as "struggle for social justice".

http://boingboing.net/2006/01/05/walmart-apes-dvd-lis.html

[tjoel2]

I find the same thing on Netflix! And on the dashboard it will recommend a list of movies "because you recently watched....." and some are so totally out there. Plus in my house we have one account with myself, my 12 year old daughter and my 15 year old son all watching movies on it. So the recommendations get really odd! I should really make separate accounts, but just never have.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

My wife and I have separate user profiles on the same account. That seems to help some. But, they still make some whacky combinations...

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

At some point a human gave it categories.
I understand that some computer is just sorting those categories and has no idea what is actually in the files.
But, when a new movie is loaded, the computer doesn't pick which categories apply to that movie. Some human said "horse movie" about Ladyhawk...

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Ladyhawk was listed as a movie about horses.

I have no problem seeing that. Navarre's horse is a central character in the story, complete with his very own name, Goliath, and from a quick Googling he's given credit for making the Friesian horse breed a craze in the U.S. 8-)

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Some human said "horse movie" about Ladyhawk...

Speaking as a woman who went through the classic "girl obsessed with horses" phase, I would include Ladyhawke under "horse movie." I was 10 when the movie first came out, and I thought Goliath was at least as beautiful as Rutger Hauer and Matthew Broderick if not more so at the time. Now, I prefer Rutger to Matt or the horse, but.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying it is totally inappropriate. But, it isn't what I'd list first on the list.
Maybe you would. That's fine. I'm not in any way saying you can't.

But, I'd have thought: action, adventure, fantasy or something along those lines.

I'd tend to make the categories more about the kind of story being told.

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

I don't know for sure how Netflix specifically sets up it's categories, but as someone who spent some time working on an Information and Library Services degree, I know a lot of databases are geared for "keyword" searches rather than "subject" searches. If the categories were "about the kind of story being told," that would be more of a subject search format. It sounds like, from the "horse," "drug," and "American Psycho" examples, Netflix uses a "keyword" format. I only meant "horse" makes sense in a keyword pattern because there are bound to be people who think of Goliath when they think of Ladyhawke. I wasn't saying I think he's the subject of the film. I'd call it an adventure fantasy romance if I were using subjects. Navarre/Isabeau is an epic love story. ;-)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

And, from a search perspective it makes sense.
"What was that movie with the big horse?" would make sense to suggest Ladyhawk.

If we were talking about IMDB, I would be totally OK with that method. I often go to IMDB with keywords like that.

But, if I'm looking for something good to watch, not so much.
I'm more likely to day "I liked that epic love story, what's another one like it?"

From a database point of view what they are doing is very clear.
I'm just not sure it is the best way to do it for their particular business.

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

I'm just not sure it is the best way to do it for their particular business.

I understand. I wonder if there's a traceable demographic shift in how people think of what they're looking for. I mean the shift from "subject" to "keyword" searching has grown right along with computer use. My cataloging professor loved how well I showed, in my article review paper, that I understood the stupidity of electronic card catalog designers building card catalogs without input from actual librarians. It might be that the younger you are the more likely you do all of your thinking in keyword terms. If it's true, I think it's sad. Subject (and in the case of books, author) is a valuable approach that shouldn't get lost to technological change. People who work with databases should learn about them.

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

Yeah I get so frustrated because I have to actually search for movies I want to see, because things I like never pop up based on recommendations anymore.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

And, when you do search for it, lots of times it comes back "not available for download"...

[daturabelle.livejournal.com]

someone who doesn't watch movies clearly categorises them...
we don't get netflix. apparently they don't see australia as worth their effort.

[endlessblush.livejournal.com]

I wish we had Netflix in Australia ....