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New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

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Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#191

Post by Rooster61 »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #75

I'm the dev that built Netflix's autoplay of the next episode. We built it first on the web player because it is easy to A/B test new features there. We called it "post-play" at the time. When I worked there the product team at Netflix had two KPIs all new features were tested against: hours watched and retention. We would come up with all sorts of ideas to try out, and release them to small user populations of about…

You wouldn't happen to know the guy/gal that implemented the automatic preview when hovering over a selection, would you? Curious as to how they felt about it, and how much that really affected retention (it bugs the everloving shit out of me, I try to use my old smart tv with an outdated version as it lacks this "feature").

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#192

Post by ghostbrainalpha »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #132
orev wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question: how do you feel about having been involved in that feature, knowing that you were creating an addictive product and trying to get people more hooked on it? You might try to say that people have free will and can do what they want, but you know that the reason it’s done is exactly because it’s addictive.

I left Netflix mostly because of this. I've always believed that too much TV was bad for you and I didn't like thinking about how to get people to spend more time on the couch. It doesn't feel great.

Did being responsible for a feature so important to the growth of Netflix result in a reward or promotion outside of your expected compensation?

And as a father with 3 young children, you don't know how much I appreciate what you built. Not having to click next between episodes of "word party" for my toddlers is sanity saving.

Also to the people without kids who will be judging this comment, you may not realize that many children's programs are not always 30 minutes long. Episodes of Peppa Pig can be ~ 8 minutes. And on iTunes you cannot make a playlist or autoplay episodes, making Peppa Pig during car rides on the iPad an experience akin to visiting Hell.

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#193

Post by DannyB2 »

From TFA...

> Deceptive design played an enormous part in last week’s FTC settlement with Facebook, and Hawley’s bill would make it unlawful for tech companies to use dark patterns to manipulate users into opting into services. For example, “accept” and “decline” checkboxes would need to be the same font, format, and size to help users make better, more informed choices.

So don't use color. Make the two choices equally clear.

Example:

Would you like to enroll in our craptacular offer which is free for 90 days and then costs $9.95 per month thereafter?

Please check one of the following options:

[_] No. Please DO NOT add me to the list of people to be excluded from being automatically enrolled in our special craptacular offer.

[_] Yes. Please DO add me to the list of people ineligible to not be excluded from not being enrolled in our special craptacular offer.

If you do not select one of the options, then default will automatically be selected for you.

Thank you for enrolling in our craptacular special offer!

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#194

Post by RandomInteger4 »

moate wrote: post #134
RandomInteger4 wrote: post #4

God this is so fucking stupid. Can we get the Government to focus on actual problems rather than this bullshit?

Porque no los dos?

That's like saying "Why not both?" to eating healthy and putting your balls in a vice grip. Eating healthy in this analogy is the government making laws regarding actual problems that require government intervention, while the balls in vice grip in this analogy is a pointless law concerning something that doesn't require government intervention just because people have a moral panic over technology allegedly ruining society.

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#196

Post by jancsika »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #75

I'm the dev that built Netflix's autoplay of the next episode. We built it first on the web player because it is easy to A/B test new features there. We called it "post-play" at the time. When I worked there the product team at Netflix had two KPIs all new features were tested against: hours watched and retention. We would come up with all sorts of ideas to try out, and release them to small user populations of about…

> But...the product team at Doritos does the same thing.

I get awfully suspicious any time someone so clearly on today's side of the digital divide feels the need to hop the fence back to yesterday to elucidate an ethical argument. (And esp. on HN where you'd be hopping away from the place we're all standing.)

What's the threshold of addiction beyond which a digital streaming service becomes unethical in your opinion? How about dangerous?

I ask because you unequivocally refer to the product you worked on as "addictive." I can't imagine working on such a product without a clear sense of what the boundaries are.

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#197

Post by asark »

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #192
rsweeney21 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I left Netflix mostly because of this. I've always believed that too much TV was bad for you and I didn't like thinking about how to get people to spend more time on the couch. It doesn't feel great.

Did being responsible for a feature so important to the growth of Netflix result in a reward or promotion outside of your expected compensation? And as a father with 3 young children, you don't know how much I appreciate what you built. Not having to click next between episodes of "word party" for my toddlers is sanity saving. Also to the people without kids who will be judging this comment, you may not realize that…

Now that my kids are old enough to control Netflix, it's awful all around. Needs much better parental controls. I suppose they don't do that because any useful ones would make their preferred metrics drop. Gonna feel good to cancel soon, for that and other reasons.

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#198

Post by BFatts »

Uh, TV is unending, constantly "scrolling" to new content meant to addict you as well, correct? How does this differ from having the TV on and just consuming what's on it versus Netflix autoplay feature? Is it possible to distinguish autoplay (auto-continuation) from just regular TV streaming over the airwaves or cable?

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#199

Post by cableshaft »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #75

I'm the dev that built Netflix's autoplay of the next episode. We built it first on the web player because it is easy to A/B test new features there. We called it "post-play" at the time. When I worked there the product team at Netflix had two KPIs all new features were tested against: hours watched and retention. We would come up with all sorts of ideas to try out, and release them to small user populations of about…

If I'm watching Netflix, I am fine with autoplay. Youtube too, while we're at it. I.e. if I'm there specifically to watch videos, and you want to autoplay the next video after I'm done, that's fine.

What I'm not fine with is places that autoplay that have no business doing it, especially if they do that specifically to brag about how many autoplays it has (i.e. CNN). CNN in particular is my main annoyance, as when I go there I just want to read their news article, NOT watch video, and yet I have to scramble to hit the pause button on their video the moment I launch one of their pages (even by accident, because I'm just clicking a google link or a Hacker News link).

So long story short; Netflix and Youtube or sites that are just about serving video (and nothing else), autoplay to the next video is fine and expected. EVERYTHING ELSE, DON'T AUTOPLAY.

Re: New bill would ban autoplay videos and endless scrolling

#200

Post by jcranberry »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #75

I'm the dev that built Netflix's autoplay of the next episode. We built it first on the web player because it is easy to A/B test new features there. We called it "post-play" at the time. When I worked there the product team at Netflix had two KPIs all new features were tested against: hours watched and retention. We would come up with all sorts of ideas to try out, and release them to small user populations of about…

Funny, for my account the timer is 20 seconds. I wonder if it differs per user.
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