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TECHNOLOGY A23
Saturday 8 April 2017
Netflix is looking for a thumbs-up as star ratings fade away
MICHAEL LIEDTKE This photo provided by Netflix shows a demonstration of the service’s new thumbs-up and thumbs- according to Cameron
AP Technology Writer down rating system. Johnson, Netflix’s director
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — of product innovation.
Netflix’s video-streaming Associated Press “It’s easy to see why,” John-
service is officially scrap- son said. “They perceive it
ping its familiar star-rating personalized predictions to compatibility predictions its subscribers will give the as a way to get better sug-
system, hoping to make it based on Netflix analysis of on online dating services, streaming service a thumbs- gestions on Netflix, which is
easier for its 94 million sub- a user’s viewing history and will also be drawn from down for abandoning the something they care about
scribers to signal whether past ratings. viewing patterns and past star system. That’s because because it helps them find
they liked a movie or TV Instead, Netflix will now ratings, including those pre- the all-thumbs format gen- something great to watch
show. display a percentage de- viously entered into the star erated three times more really quickly.”
The service is compress- signed to predict how system. viewer ratings than the star Recommending videos
ing its familiar one-to-five much each subscriber Although change invari- system during tests con- is important to Netflix be-
star system into a sim- will enjoy a given show or ably irks some people, Net- ducted with millions of sub- cause it wants to limit the
pler choice of thumbs- movie. The number, similar flix thinks relatively few of scribers over the past year, odds that subscribers be-
up or thumbs-down. The come bored and cancel.
change, first discussed by The Los Gatos, California,
a Netflix official last month company needs to keep its
and officially unveiled subscriber numbers grow-
on Wednesday, is aimed ing to keep investors happy
at soliciting more viewer and support its stock price,
feedback and helping the which has been hovering
service make better pro- near its record highs.
gram recommendations. Netflix also need rising sub-
Netflix believes its star sys- scriber revenue to help pay
tem has been confusing to its bills. It plans to spend
many people. The five stars about $6 billion on original
allowed subscribers to tell programming this year.
Netflix whether they “hat- The stars are fading away
ed,” ‘’didn’t like,” ‘’liked,” after a decade on Netf-
‘’really liked” or “loved” a lix’s streaming service, al-
particular video. though they’ll remain on
That was straightforward the company’s DVD-by-
enough. But the company mail program, where they
found that too many sub- have been around for 17
scribers thought the star years. But Netflix’s DVD
ratings Netflix posted for business has dwindled to
videos they hadn’t rated 4 million subscribers , and
reflected the average of the company no longer
all user responses. In ac- spends money promoting
tuality, those ratings were that side of its business.q
Google expands ‘fact check’ conclusions in news searches
ANICK JESDANUN Google said only a few of even if the report conflicts
AP Technology Writer those organizations, includ-
NEW YORK (AP) — Google ing PolitiFact and Snopes. with their political lean-
will expand the use of “fact com, have already met
check” tags in its search those requirements; The ings.”
results — the tech indus- Washington Post also says
try’s latest effort to combat it complies. Google said it Google started offering
false and misleading news expects the ranks of com-
stories. pliant organizations to fact check tags in the
People who search for a grow following Friday’s an-
topic in Google’s main nouncement. U.S. and the U.K. in Octo-
search engine or the Not all news stories will be
Google News section will fact checked. Multiple or- ber and expanded the
see a conclusion such as ganizations may reach dif-
“mostly true” or “false” next ferent conclusions; Google program to a handful of
to stories that have been will show those separately.
fact checked. Still unanswered is whether other countries in the sub-
Google has been working these fact-check analyses
with more than 100 news will sway people who are sequent months. Now the
organizations and fact- already prone to believe
checking groups , includ- false reports because they program is open to the rest
ing The Associated Press, confirm preconceived no-
the BBC and NPR. Their tions. Glenn Kessler, who of the world and to all lan-
conclusions will appear in writes “The Fact Checker”
search results as long as column at The Washington guages.
they meet certain format- Post, said in an email that
ting criteria for automation. Google’s efforts should at False news and misinforma-
tion, often masquerading
as trustworthy news that
spreads on social media,
This Oct. 20, 2015, file photo, shows a sign outside Google head- has gained attention since
quarters in Mountain View, Calif.
the 2016 U.S. presidential
Associated Press
election.
least “make it easier for veyors of ‘fake news.’” Google’s announce-
people around the world He added that “over time,
to obtain information that I expect that people in- ment comes a day after
counters the spin by politi- creasingly will want to read
cians and political advo- a fact-check on a contro- Facebook launched a re-
cacy groups, as well as pur- versial issue or statement,
source to help users spot
false news and misleading
information that spreads
on its service. q
