I Rate Everything I Watch on Netflix, and It's Time Well Spent

Every clip the credits rotation connected a Netflix title, I springiness it a speedy rating. It takes conscionable a mates of seconds, but this wont has made it mode easier to find much shows and movies I like, portion cutting down connected the clip I discarded scrolling endlessly past slop I'll ne'er watch.

It's All About Training the Algorithm

Every streaming level uses algorithms to urge caller contented to you these days. They person to; their libraries are monolithic and astir radical wouldn't basal a accidental uncovering caller gems if they had to sift done everything manually.

But algorithms don't enactment by magic, they request to beryllium trained. They tin conjecture what you mightiness similar based connected your ticker history, but they get truthful overmuch much effectual if you usage ratings to springiness them a nudge successful the close direction.

For example, let's accidental you conscionable spent 3 hours watching an epic movie connected Netflix, and you hated each 2nd of it. The Netflix algorithm has nary thought however you felt. In fact, it astir apt assumes you loved it due to the fact that you sat done the full thing, truthful it'll suggest much movies conscionable similar it.

The other tin happen, too. Let's accidental you stuck a caller Netflix TV show connected and instantly got sucked in, but past thing successful the existent satellite came up and you had to halt watching. Netflix mightiness presume you weren't enjoying it—especially if you get excessively sidetracked to spell backmost and decorativeness watching—so it volition debar suggesting akin shows, adjacent though you mightiness similar them too.

This is each terrible, and a bully mode to upwind up feeling similar Netflix has thing worthy watching. But it's truthful casual to hole by rapidly giving a thumbs up oregon thumbs down aft you ticker thing (or going done your ticker past giving Netflix a clang people connected your likes and dislikes).

How to Rate Everything connected Netflix

Netflix keeps its ratings strategy precise elemental by giving you conscionable 3 options: thumbs down, thumbs up, oregon 2 thumbs up (Siskel and Ebert style). When you decorativeness a movie oregon the latest occurrence of a TV show, Netflix volition punctual you to take 1 of these options to complaint what you conscionable watched.

In a browser, you whitethorn request to hover your rodent implicit the thumbs up enactment to spot each 3 options. On a astute TV, mobile, oregon tablet, you should spot each 3 options erstwhile the credits roll.

Since Netflix prompts you to adhd a standing erstwhile you decorativeness something, choosing 1 of the 3 options takes astir nary clip astatine all. However, if your relationship settings let Netflix to autoplay a trailer oregon caller episode, you whitethorn request to leap retired of that earlier you tin adhd a rating.

If you truly privation to supercharge your Netflix algorithm, I'd besides suggest standing contented you've watched successful the past arsenic you're casually browsing the platform. In a browser, you tin bash this close from the location surface by hovering implicit the thumb icon. For different platforms, you tin bash it from the details leafage of immoderate contented you're looking at.

With conscionable 3 options to take from, it's mostly casual to determine what to complaint contented with. Save the treble thumbs up for thing you perfectly love, and everything other that you didn't dislike tin get a azygous thumbs up. If thing didn't permission overmuch of an content and you can't determine however to complaint it, conscionable skip that one.

Want to Track Your Ratings? Use Letterboxd

If you've been standing shows connected Netflix for a while, you mightiness privation to look backmost connected each your ratings to find the champion shows. It's imaginable to export your ticker past and ratings information from Netflix, but sifting done the information isn't precise easy. Instead, I'd usage Netflix's ratings purely for grooming the algorithm and usage a antithetic app if you privation to way ratings for yourself.

My favourite app for this is Letterboxd. This is chiefly for movies, though determination are immoderate large TV shows connected determination arsenic well. And you aren't constricted to Netflix's content, you tin complaint immoderate you watched. It lets you take a standing retired of 5 stars (including fractional stars if you prefer) and you tin springiness hearts to your implicit favorites. You tin besides permission your ain reviews and work different reviews from the progressive film-loving assemblage utilizing Letterboxd, and overmuch much arsenic well.