On Netflix's New Rating System
I get it, Netflix. The five-star rating system gives you nothing to work with. Your investors need customer information, reactions, statistics, etc. that five-star ratings don't provide. But don't you think narrowing everything down to thumbs up and thumbs down is less information than you had before? Here's your problem: you need context. Information is nothing without context. You have "yes" and "no" answers to "do you like this movie", but you don't see any difference between "this movie is amazing" and "I guess it's all right". When I rate a movie, I want to send a message, and without context, you assume I love "Ghostbusters" as much as I kind of liked watching "Battleship". But you NEVER group those movies together. EVER. So here's an alternative: a new, honest five-point rating system that tells you everything you need. The five most basic opinions anyone should have about any mo...