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Build a Better Netflix, Win a Million Dollars?

An anonymous reader writes "In a quest to better movie recommendations, Netflix is opening their database (nytimes, registration and first child required) to users to try to craft a better recommendation technology. The problem is not easy. Says one researcher: 'You're competing with 15 years of really smart people banging away at the problem.'" Recommender systems are really an interesting problem, and that is likely very interesting data to play with.

10 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. So, we can then conclude by jimstapleton · · Score: 3, Funny
    Says one researcher: "You're competing with 15 years of really smart people banging away at the problem."


    So, the professionals have been working at it for a long time. Is it safe to assume some teenage to early college hacker will find a success within two weeks.
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  2. Simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    if(user.getGender()==Person.MALE)
    recomendation=MovieGenre.PORN;
    else
    recomendation=MovieGenre.CHICKFLICK;

    And of course, slashdot must have sensed my post as my image word is "pervert"

    1. Re:Simple by kelzer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Old Version:

      if(user.getGender()==Person.MALE)
      recomendation=MovieGenre.PORN;
      else
      recomendation=MovieGenre.CHICKFLICK;

      New Version, sure to win the million bucks:

      if(user.getGender()==Person.MALE && user.getOrientation()==Person.STRAIGHT)
      recomendation=MovieGenre.PORN;
      else
      recomendation=MovieGenre.CHICKFLICK;

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      SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    2. Re:Simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Hey, I am a straight man, it's just that my boyfriend is gay?

  3. Re:Suggestion by 955301 · · Score: 1, Funny

    I didn't like Star Wars:Episode I very much. Episode 4 was great though.

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  4. Just add racing stripes! by capitalj · · Score: 2, Funny

    And some macaroni pieces.

  5. Re:Fix the problems with what they send me first by nine-times · · Score: 2, Funny
    They've got the tech to keep one season of a tv show in order, it can't possibly be that difficult to extend that to keeping multiple seasons of a show in order.

    I thought Netflix users just ripped the movies to their hard drive for later viewing anyway?

  6. Re:Suggestion by truthsearch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Point conceded.

    For the record, this is a turning point in slashdot history. I'll forever remember where I was when I first saw those words in a slashdot comment. (Which of course is at work, sitting through a boring meeting.)

  7. Re:whew!! by 0xABADC0DA · · Score: 2, Funny

    It depends on what the definition of the phhrase "is is" is.

  8. Re:whew!! by BMonger · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like I I read read what I write... sheesh!