Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Everybody likes to predict, but nobody likes being predictable, nor told what to do

The Netflix algorithm is in the news again.
The Science Behind the Netflix Algorithms That Decide What You’ll Watch Next

Netflix finds rating predictions are no longer as important, trumped by current viewing behaviour, i.e. what you are watching now. However, browsing through the comments, and again, you will see a generally negative reaction. Some people really hate being told what to watch, even if it's just a recommendation. Others say Netflix sucks, because it recommends things they've watched elsewhere. That sounds like a lack of understanding: if you don't tell Netflix you've watched something already, then how could it know?

As "big data" gets more media attention, it is reaching a wider audience who don't yet understand how algorithms work, but only know there are algorithms everywhere in their life, and it's scary to them. The lack of understanding seems to create fear and resentment.

LinkedIn and Facebook's recommendation systems for helping people find colleagues or friends they may know are generally well received, yet these film recommendation systems aren't. The difference between them might underline the success criteria of rolling out such recommendation systems.

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