The Netflix Prize
Netflix can visualize more preferences, trends and movie ratings as it seeks to provide its customers with additional movie intelligence by collecting, researching and analyzing data in the areas of gender, age and geographical location especially with the new markets outside its major US market. The company is already setting up business in African, Middle East, Asian and Latin American countries and it needs to conduct deeper research of customer preferences so that it maintains popularity and beats the competition. The use of star-rating system, dashboard, votes, and a color-gradient bar-chart are all good ways to improve subscribers’ experience with “movie intelligence”. Netflix also needs to continue using the already implemented 5-point rating scale that is usable by its subscribers.
The pros of having the winner of Netflix Prize share the improved Cinematch method could be advancing the sharing of the knowledge gathered in the process and then having it enrich the way subscribers use Netflix as they gather new movies (Jessup & Valacich, 2008). Customers obtain more value from their ordinary subscriptions. There is better customer experience and maintains the memorable past experiences of the customers leading the company to obtain more profits. However, the disadvantage of the issue could be the leakage of the algorithms to the public thereby becoming vulnerable to theft of intellectual property (Jessup & Valacich, 2008). Also, when too much of customer information is left open to the public there could be adverse lawsuits and ethical concerns.
Environmental problems such as poor waste disposal could be open to such a competition as people offer the best solutions. The design of smartphones may also follow a similar path leading to a research and development team coming up with a design appealing to many people.
Are we there yet? - Online Map Services
I use internet mapping services. Whenever I use them, it is because I want to clarify some issues such as the exact location of places I want to visit but I am unsure of the exact location and the neighborhood. I also use the mapping sites because I want to clarify on the shortest and easiest routes to get to some places. I also the mapping sites to check on some restaurants, parks, schools and any other facilities that I need to visit.
I want to benefit from a service where it is possible to tell the network coverage, and strength of different mobile telecommunication companies say Vodacom. Areas with strong and reliable network coverage may be shown by different colors which progressively fade into other areas with poor network coverage. People traveling to different areas may prepare adequately when they are armed with information on the kind of network to expect at their destinations.
I think mapping software can be an invasion of privacy because it may reveal more details that are necessary. For instance, it may show the exact locations and directions to some state security organs. It may also reveal great details to people who may use the information to invade the privacy of others. In this case, it may show the houses, set up of houses and streets where neighborhoods may have opted for quiet and secret lives. It gives people the knowledge and assurance that they can get their way round to any place regardless of the wishes of the people living there.
References
Jessup, L. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). “Chapter 6: Enhancing Business Intelligence Using Information Systems: Case Studies: “The Netflix Prize” and “Are we there yet?” Information systems today: Managing the digital world. Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall.
