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]]> By: The MicroISV Digest http://orionseven.com/blog/2009/10/06/forced-long-tails/comment-page-1/#comment-18 The MicroISV Digest Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:03:16 +0000 http://orionseven.com/blog/?p=29#comment-18 [...] Seven Systems, has put up an excellent post on the perils of forcing customers down the Long Tail: Forced Long Tails. Definitely something you should [...] [...] Seven Systems, has put up an excellent post on the perils of forcing customers down the Long Tail: Forced Long Tails. Definitely something you should [...]

]]> By: Bryan Smith http://orionseven.com/blog/2009/10/06/forced-long-tails/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Bryan Smith Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:08:20 +0000 http://orionseven.com/blog/?p=29#comment-8 Interesting point Larry about reversing the throttling; I would be curious to know if Netflix has done any testing in this area. Related to this, is what percent of customers do they throttle? Is it a large majority? I know people who've been throttled because they were catching up on a TV series, the series wasn't especially popular and but the quick turnaround with the TV shows appeared to mark them as a heavy user throttling them for anything else. So it's not just Tallageda Nights. :) Interesting point Larry about reversing the throttling; I would be curious to know if Netflix has done any testing in this area.

Related to this, is what percent of customers do they throttle? Is it a large majority? I know people who’ve been throttled because they were catching up on a TV series, the series wasn’t especially popular and but the quick turnaround with the TV shows appeared to mark them as a heavy user throttling them for anything else.

So it’s not just Tallageda Nights. :)

]]> By: Larry Cebula http://orionseven.com/blog/2009/10/06/forced-long-tails/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Larry Cebula Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:52:06 +0000 http://orionseven.com/blog/?p=29#comment-4 Who you callin' snooty, you boorish Américain. The questions are: Does Netflix make money? (I'm too lazy to look it up, but I think yes.) Does Netflix make money off the snooty French films? (Yes, probably.) Do customers who get throttled happily watch My Dinner with Andre when they had planned on Talladega Nights, or do they quit Netflix and get a Blockbuster Special Rewards card and a tub of popcorn? The last is the important question, and I am sure Netflix is researching it and would never tell. But I wonder if they don't have their throttling technique all backwards? It seems to me that a heavy user who orders Talladega Nights 1) really really wants that movie 2) is probably ordering equally popular movies for his other choices (so if throttling is to work you have to go way down his list and piss him off more) and 3) has the option of going to Blockbuster. Who should get throttled is the user who usually picks less popular fare but occasionally orders a blockbuster. Who is he to even notice another Swedish film from the 1970s showing up in his mailbox? Who you callin’ snooty, you boorish Américain.

The questions are: Does Netflix make money? (I’m too lazy to look it up, but I think yes.) Does Netflix make money off the snooty French films? (Yes, probably.) Do customers who get throttled happily watch My Dinner with Andre when they had planned on Talladega Nights, or do they quit Netflix and get a Blockbuster Special Rewards card and a tub of popcorn?

The last is the important question, and I am sure Netflix is researching it and would never tell. But I wonder if they don’t have their throttling technique all backwards? It seems to me that a heavy user who orders Talladega Nights 1) really really wants that movie 2) is probably ordering equally popular movies for his other choices (so if throttling is to work you have to go way down his list and piss him off more) and 3) has the option of going to Blockbuster. Who should get throttled is the user who usually picks less popular fare but occasionally orders a blockbuster. Who is he to even notice another Swedish film from the 1970s showing up in his mailbox?

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