Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
How purpose changes ratings
Clarifying the purpose for a rating can dramatically change the quality of the decisions you base on that rating.
For Fancast, we use ratings to recommend similar shows you may not be familiar with.
When I first started, I rated movies and shows based on their quality. Favorite movies like Bladerunner would be rated higher than other shows, but what about just a good movie?
As Good As It Gets is a great movie. If I rate As Good As It Gets according to quality, then maybe it gets four stars.
If I were evaluating a movie’s quality, that would be an accurate rating. However, I’m really rating whether or not I would like to see more movies like As Good As It Gets.
For Bladerunner, yes: more like that. For As Good As It Gets? No. Fewer romantic comedies, please.
When I rated shows and movies according to quality, my recommendations became muddled and useless. When I changed my ratings to answer “would I watch this again”, all of a sudden my recommendations became really good again.
As Good As It Gets? Great movie. Would I watch it again? Maybe.
Bladerunner? Great movie. Watch it again? Yes, please, every chance I get. And the improvement to my recommendations has been fantastic.
Because I would watch Bladerunner and Akira again, I was recommended both Appleseed and Renaissance, both of which I never knew existed, and both of which are highlights of the last few months of movie watching.
When adding ratings, it’s worth exploring the purpose behind the rating. “Would I watch this again” might the question to answer for personalizing your recommendations. Professional movie critics are answering “would I recommend you watch this?”
What question are you answering when you rate something on Amazon? YouTube?
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