Instead of giving Iron Fist the one-star rating it deserves, you’ll soon be able to give it a very satisfying thumbs down. Netflix has announced that the service is moving away from a five-star ratings system to a much more straightforward thumbs up/thumbs down choice. “Five stars feels very yesterday now,” Todd Yellin, Netflix president of product, told the Verge. Yellin said the thumbs system communicates personal taste better. “What’s more powerful: you telling me you would give five stars to the documentary about unrest in the Ukraine; that you’d give three stars to the latest Adam Sandler movie; or that you’d watch the Adam Sandler movie ten times more frequently?” Yellin said. (Not for nothing, but could we meet this huge Adam Sandler fan?)
Another Netflix update: It will start using algorithms not unlike dating sites to recommend movies based not just on related titles, but on how likely it is you’ll enjoy it based on your earlier activity and demonstrated interests. In addition to tracking and making titles available based on geographic location, the site will now track the success of titles across members with similar taste profiles. “We’re finding these clusters of people and then we’re figuring out who is like you, who enjoys these kinds of things, and then we’re mixing and matching those,” Yellin said. Congratulations to everyone who’s shown a propensity for foreign dramas featuring a strong female lead, but also enjoys Luke Cage and Gossip Girl — should our cluster start a newsletter?
