In April 2017, Netflix changed their rating system. Instead of rating shows from 1-5, you now have only 2 ratings: up or down. And, the ratings Netflix shows you are NOT what other users have given the show. Instead, the rating Netflix shows you is how much Netflix thinks you’ll like the show.

This sucks. To be more precise, show ratings are now meaningless and useless. This is for 2 reasons:

1. The rating you see is not how others have rated the show. The show might be rated “5” by 90% of viewers, but it shows as “1” for you if Netflix thinks you won’t like it. The reverse is also true. The show could be rated “1” by 90% of viewers but shows as “5” for you if Netflix thinks you’ll like it.

For me personally, Netflix’s algorithm is quite poor. Shows I like often rate as 1, and vice versa. And it makes it impossible to see how others have actually rated a show. This is the underlying arrogance of this rating system: Netflix prevents you from seeing how others actually rated it, instead forces their own algorithm’s ratings on you. It’s like Netflix is saying, “Who are you going to believe: us, or your own lying eyes?”

Suggestion to Netflix: Never hide from customers the actual data they want to make decisions, and replace it with your own algorithmic interpretation. Especially if your algorithm sucks.

For example: most action movies have poor acting, cheesy dialog and plots with gaping holes. But there are a few good ones. You watch one good one, and Netflix floods you with abominable cheesy action movies all rated “4” or “5”. Not because they’re good – they’re not. Because Netflix’s stupid algorithm doesn’t know the difference. Humans do know the difference. If you could only see the actual ratings people have made. But Netflix won’t show you that.

2. Binary ratings have no way to differentiate between a show that was tolerable, one that was great, and the best show you’ve ever seen. All you get is up or down. This alone might be bad enough, but there’s more. This forces people to game the system, rating down shows they liked if they don’t want to see more shows like that. In the long term these fake ratings make the entire system worse. The system encourages–almost forces–people to game it with false ratings, which then spirals into a nose dive as those ratings make the recommendations even worse.

I completely understand a fast moving innovative company like Netflix must “move fast and break things”. But a rating system this arrogant and broken should never have rolled to production. However, I won’t cancel my subscription. At least not yet.

The astute reader will claim that Netflix never did show the actual ratings in the 1-5 system. The rating you saw was how Netflix thought you would rate the show. That’s true, but only partially true. The rating you saw was based on both–how others rated it, weighted mix with how they thought you would rate it. The bottom line is, however the old system worked, its ratings were more accurate and useful than the current system, which is completely broken and useless.

Call-out to Netflix: fix this broken ratings system!