Bob Caswell - Latest Comments in Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Lee Wright — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:16:34 -0000

Why do so many companies, but especially Netflix (or any other born on the Web), choose to communicate with customers in a way that translates into, “We’re canceling something that we know many of love (and that doesn’t cost us much of anything to maintain), and we’re not going to tell you why. In fact, we have such contempt for you that that we’re going to claim we’re giving you a reason ("this change will help us continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers") but the reason makes so little sense that even a child would understand that they’re being lied to and called “stupid” to their face.”

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Bscottup — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:12:55 -0000

The red envelopes are doomed... read this. http://www.dmnews.com/Netflix-releases-its-firs...

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Paul Ellis — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:54:15 -0000

While I don't think multiple profiles (or any other similar feature) is coming back, I doubt it is as dire as that. Netflix is preparing for (or creating) a future without physical media, but they Netflix doesn't want "to only sell online movies." That is like saying Microsoft online wants to have web properties because they have MSN and Live.

Netflix and the Post Office will (if they haven't already) worked out the mailing situation. You can guarantee that the USPS wants Netflix's business (~$300 Million per year).

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Bscottup — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:26:04 -0000

I am afraid that there will not be any good news on this matter. Netflix saw a way to increase the number of accounts so they went for it. Postage is way up and the USPS has been having problems handling the red mailers. DVD mailing is going extinct. Netflix wants to only sell online movies. If you can do that over your broadband fine but more and more broadband services are charging for heavy use.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

bobcaswell — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:45:16 -0000

Eric,

Amen.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Eric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:37:01 -0000

I'm in the camp that thinks that Netflix has something good up its sleeve, but their lead PR strategist should be fired - yesterday. What a terrible way to go about it. All this web 2.0ish stuff is about doing things more transparently, and I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect Netflix to deal transparently with their customers - the people who made them a household name. While I await a better system, their initial opaque announcement was a horrible approach.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

KeepNetflixProfiles — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:28:25 -0000

Let Netflix know that they are making a huge mistake! Take action both online and offline at http://www.keepnetflixprofiles.org!

Spread the Word!

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

KeepNetflixProfiles — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:47:40 -0000

Show netflix and the world how you really feel! Spread the word!

http://www.cafepress.com/keepflixprofile

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

bobcaswell — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:47:02 -0000

Elizabeth, Netflix wanting households to have multiple accounts is not that far fetched. Half of the point of Netflix is the recommendations feature based off your ratings. That totally doesn't work when you mix two or more different personalities of movies being queued and rated.

I can hope like the next person that Netflix has something amazing up their sleeves which will be announced shortly... But that doesn't change the fact that they screwed up in the here and now.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Elizabeth — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:33:45 -0000

dvdvoice, I agree with you. I will not be even slightly surprised if they announce in a month or two that the entire reason behind getting rid of profiles was that they were clunky and badly implemented, and they've determined a much better system that will be rolling out soon.

Even if they don't, I'll still stick with them. But honestly, the system wasn't even remotely what it could have been, and was one of the worst ways that it could have achieved the goal.

As for people assuming that Netflix wants you to get separate accounts for the same household...why in the world would they want that? That's the most ridiculous reason they could possibly have. They offer 8 at a time rentals, they realize that people's accounts are for the house, not the individual. I'm sure there are some individuals who want 8 at a time, but they're few and far between.

Netflix is probably going to come back in a month or two with something better, and everybody will still be grousing about this.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

dvdvoice — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:10:57 -0000

Perhaps Netflix has a better solution that profiles?

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Bscottup — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:17:43 -0000

Profiles allowed each person in the family to get picks, recomendatins. They could chat with other friends to compare movies. I will not be forced to create seperate Netflix accounts for my wife and children. Since Netflix wants to go out of the DVD rental business then I will help you along. Blockbuster costs more but with your choice at ending profiles, I am out of here. I think a lot of folks will join me. http://getsatisfaction.com/netflix/topics/netfl...

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

bobcaswell — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:03:20 -0000

Elizabeth,

I can only speak for myself on this one, but that data does matter to me. I don't engage in web2.0ish-like content online just so that someone else can pull the plug on it whenever they please, especially when I'm paying for it.

It's just the principle of the idea. I don't use sites like these so that someone can decide when my data will be deleted without giving me a viable option for transferring it.

If Myspace or Facebook decided to pull the plug on profiles (where everyone has them for free), I'm sure it would be a big deal. This case, to me, is even worse because I'm paying for it.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Elizabeth — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:11:06 -0000

While I am cranky that there's not going to be a way to do multiple queues anymore, the multiple profiles were really a silly way to accomplish the system in the first place.

This is a lot of noise and complaint over very little of actual substance. In the months to come, how hard is it to re-do reviews? Ratings? Most of it would be pretty simple to manually change over if you care all that much, but really, is that data so precious?

I manually transferred my profile's queue of over 240 in about twenty minutes this morning. I wish there had been a one button solution for that, but it also let me go through my movies to see if I wanted to leave them all on there.

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

bobcaswell — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:37:55 -0000

I could see how the multiple queues feature might make the process more difficult logistically for Netflix, but even if they got rid of that, aren't the other features pretty automated?

Meaning, what will Netflix save operationally if one account doesn't have two profiles? Does having two sets of movie ratings and friends under one account really cost them that much?

Re: Netflix Eliminating Profiles: Tells Us We Don’t Own Our Data

Paul Ellis — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:42:10 -0000

It really seems silly that they won't make it possible to migrate the data over to the main account. It really couldn't be that hard. The only issue would be how you deal with duplicate reviews, but that is workable.

I can't understand why they are getting rid of the extra profile accounts. It has been such a long standing feature of Netflix. Was is the benefit to Netflix in getting rid of them? A little less programming time? I bet that there will be a lot of families that will end up downgrading their account due to this change.