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A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

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Re: A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

#81
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reliability varies with branch. I've been generally quite content with the USPS, but my current home has: * mail regularly misdelivered (1-2 piece of mail/month, including small packages that fit in the mailbox). Who knows what mail I've missed that went to someone else's house. * They won't deliver larger packages to my house (busy street), BUT the office remains ignorant of this despite regular visits and I usually…

There's one main mail carrier who delivers your stuff and he's slacking. He'll continue to get away with this if you don't complain. UPS and FedEx are no better. I guarantee if you had a problem with one of those services, you'd complain. I've had a FedEx guy park across the street from my house three times, only to not deliver my laptop (I think he was just letting his truck get a GPS fix on him being there) and I o…

In my particular case, the postmaster is part of the problem, and doesn't really care too much about anything but the policy, even when it means mail is being refused delivery. The oversight office complains that this branch doesn't pick up the phones - and places where they are asked to contact you about a problem, they do not. So yeah, depends totally on the branch, but they seem to know they have immunity.

I have very good luck with UPS. And again, I think that depends on the driver/route/branch/etc.

I used to use DVD service a lot at my old address and it was great, I wouldn't attempt it right now.

Re: A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

#82

It would be nice if Netflix made it easier to browse content rather than choosing what categories to display and show to you. It can get stuck thinking your really like a genre, and the recommendation engine can penalize you too much for too many likes or dislikes. Now that the website is a bit more focused towards streaming-on-computer it's somewhat harder to browse and prepare a queue. It feels that some content is…

The US Post Office is utterly, profoundly reliable.

You are saying your branch is reliable, and I'd agree, most are. There are some bad ones out there where they prefer to hide behind the system and dodge complaints, no matter how nicely brought. Basically Newman from Seinfeld is an accurate descriptor.

Re: A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

#83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It would be nice if Netflix made it easier to browse content ... It would be even better if they fixed recommendations. If you do not use a web browser - ie use Roku, Chromecast, Android etc - then you cannot mark something as "not interested". So it keeps showing you the same thing over and over again, that you do not want to watch. Makes the service seem dumb and hostile. Don't get me started on them showing you…

I'm almost convinced that all their developers only use desktops and browsers, so they don't even realise what they do to those on other platforms. Here I was thinking the opposite, because their web interface seems pretty lackluster too.

It's designed to make you watch something now and does make it harder to explore something, read reviews, and so on, or just add it to your queue than it used to.

Kind of a trend I detect with "let's overhaul what's not broken and try to streamline it and make it shiny" when it makes the overall experience somewhat worse.

Someone really wanted to push the "watch what we already have on the front page from your browser" thing, it seems.

Re: A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It would be nice if Netflix made it easier to browse content ... It would be even better if they fixed recommendations. If you do not use a web browser - ie use Roku, Chromecast, Android etc - then you cannot mark something as "not interested". So it keeps showing you the same thing over and over again, that you do not want to watch. Makes the service seem dumb and hostile. Don't get me started on them showing you…

> Even more bizarre is how they predict how many stars you'll give something, which seems fairly good. And then go ahead and recommend items with few predicted stars To play the devils' advocate * It's good for the user because their algorithm is not perfect and you might actually enjoy the 'few predicted stars' movie * It's good for the algorithm because it allows fine-tuning in the cases of false-negatives and adds…

There is no need for a devil's advocate argument - having some diversity in recommendations is good for many reasons. But they they need to start by getting the base recommendations done well, and then mixing in the diversity. Sadly they fail dismally at the former.

Re: A directory of Netflix's “secret” categories

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the... 2010, it was, Olympic games, NBC, the official broadcaster in the U.S., had so "sliced and diced" its presentation that I found its main coverage unwatchable. However, on one of its lesser affiliates, it was carrying... "second or third tier", per its judgement, sports coverage largely intact. One particular item on it, that I ran across just by chance channel-surfing, was coverage of the women's curling. C…

I started watching curling during the 2014 games and learned to love it. Haven't watched it since, but I'm definitely looking forward to 2018! PS: Completely disagree with your assessment of the CBC and their operation under Harper's premiership, but such is life. Just wanted it noted.

Well, I'm not too familiar with the CBC. And I hear more of the radio side than I see the TV side. Where, I seem to recall similar budget restrictions, personnel jiggering, et al. lately as has been attempted with PBS, NPR, etc. in the U.S.

But, maybe my off-the-cuff impression is wrong.

Regardless, cheers!

P.S. Perhaps I should further qualify that "not too familiar." Maybe I'm nonetheless more familiar with it than many in the U.S.

Anyway, I have really enjoyed some of what they put out. Older, but perhaps one of the best examples I can think of, right now: The 1980's adaptations of Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlea".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Green_Gables_%281985_f...

Every summer, I'm close enough to the border to get one of their channels for a week. And I enjoy having a look in on the news and Canadian culture, from their perspective.

I support that notion, that countries have a national broadcasting service. Particularly with the dominance of U.S. and "generic" commercial media, a place on the airwaves or wire that provides for a more prominent presentation of domestic culture, among other things.

Oh, and I'll add, some of the First Nations programming I've happened to catch has been pretty interesting, too.

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