Comments on: Time for Netflix to axe ‘unlimited’ from vocabulary http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/ Technology, music, video, art, news, reviews and muse on the web Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:53:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Davis Freeberg’s Digital Connection » Blog Archive » DVDExpress Revolutionizes The DVD Rental Industry Overnight http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-317285 Davis Freeberg’s Digital Connection » Blog Archive » DVDExpress Revolutionizes The DVD Rental Industry Overnight Thu, 05 Oct 2006 04:01:54 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-317285 [...] In the past, I’ve hypothesized that the DVD rental market would fragment into two pieces. The first would be people like myself who really want to watch unlimited longtail archived content and who were willing to give up access to new releases and spur of the moment rentals, in exchange for the luxury of not having to return a DVD to the video store. The second piece of this market will go to the video stores and more importantly the DVD kiosks which can provide consumers with instant gratification, if they don’t mind the limited selection and having to make a second trip back to return the DVD. Because of the vast differences between the rental styles, I didn’t feel like Netflix really had much to worry about from the DVD kiosks, but overnight everything has changed. [...] […] In the past, I’ve hypothesized that the DVD rental market would fragment into two pieces. The first would be people like myself who really want to watch unlimited longtail archived content and who were willing to give up access to new releases and spur of the moment rentals, in exchange for the luxury of not having to return a DVD to the video store. The second piece of this market will go to the video stores and more importantly the DVD kiosks which can provide consumers with instant gratification, if they don’t mind the limited selection and having to make a second trip back to return the DVD. Because of the vast differences between the rental styles, I didn’t feel like Netflix really had much to worry about from the DVD kiosks, but overnight everything has changed. […]

]]> By: mark http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-54203 mark Thu, 02 Mar 2006 02:06:52 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-54203 It is good to see folks actively talking about NF. I appreciated seeing the article, but firmly believe that all the suit and publicity does nothing to change NF at all. I have used netflix on and off for several years now, and to be perfectly clear and utterly honest - though I am still a user - I utterly despise netflix. Then why do I keep using/paying them ? Sadly, there is no better alternative that I can find. I tried blockbuster - and compared to them NF is speedy and dependable - BB video rental service is bad beyond belief !! I also tried CafeDVD - and they are nice folks - but sadly they have only one shipping location on the opposite coast, and their selection is very limited - so using their service isn't really that economical or desirable for me. I considered Intelliflix - but their selection is even smaller - so who cares if they are cheap ?? Peerflix is a good enough idea, but I want to rent, not own ! My theory: In keeping with the theme of corporate callousness and control, my belief is that nf has a hush-hush department that has a name like the 'hate and spite department'. It probably works like this...keep in mind the point idea is like negative numbers ! If you report late shipments, the system starts a H&S entry for your username....then: If you email them about things being wrong or too slow, the system assigns you a number of points based upon how many emails you have sent - the more emails, the higher the points. (maybe when they get really good at this they will also count the number of letters in ALL CAPS and !!!!'s too) If you call them for any reason, after they keep you on hold a while, the poor disinterested, underpaid staffer you speak with has instructions that the worse your complaint is, or the angrier you are - the more you are penalized. At the least, you get a batch of points - at the most your account is immediately flagged and everything stops ! No matter which thing is in process, eventually your point count will get to the 'flagged' level and it all stops. Paying customers are flagged as often as needed to get them to either stop complaining - or to quit and bring their nasty selves over to blockbuster so nf can stay just as foul as ever !! At any event - NOTHING a paying customer can do is allowed to improve their service because nf operates exclusively on an operating plan of negative feedback - the more we bitch, the worse our service gets - and it is only good for the 1st month to get you hooked, no matter what you do !! Enjoy your DVDs ! It is good to see folks actively talking about NF.
I appreciated seeing the article, but firmly believe that
all the suit and publicity does nothing to change NF at all.

I have used netflix on and off for several years now, and to
be perfectly clear and utterly honest - though I am still a
user - I utterly despise netflix.

Then why do I keep using/paying them ?

Sadly, there is no better alternative that I can find.
I tried blockbuster - and compared to them NF is speedy and
dependable - BB video rental service is bad beyond belief !!

I also tried CafeDVD - and they are nice folks - but sadly
they have only one shipping location on the opposite coast,
and their selection is very limited - so using their service
isn’t really that economical or desirable for me.

I considered Intelliflix - but their selection is even
smaller - so who cares if they are cheap ??

Peerflix is a good enough idea, but I want to rent, not own !

My theory:
In keeping with the theme of corporate callousness and control,
my belief is that nf has a hush-hush department that has a
name like the ‘hate and spite department’.

It probably works like this…keep in mind the point idea is
like negative numbers !

If you report late shipments, the system starts a H&S entry
for your username….then:

If you email them about things being wrong or too slow, the
system assigns you a number of points based upon how many
emails you have sent - the more emails, the higher the points.
(maybe when they get really good at this they will also count
the number of letters in ALL CAPS and !!!!’s too)

If you call them for any reason, after they keep you on hold
a while, the poor disinterested, underpaid staffer you speak
with has instructions that the worse your complaint is, or
the angrier you are - the more you are penalized.
At the least, you get a batch of points - at the most your
account is immediately flagged and everything stops !

No matter which thing is in process, eventually your point
count will get to the ‘flagged’ level and it all stops.

Paying customers are flagged as often as needed to get them
to either stop complaining - or to quit and bring their
nasty selves over to blockbuster so nf can stay just as foul
as ever !!

At any event - NOTHING a paying customer can do is allowed to
improve their service because nf operates exclusively on an
operating plan of negative feedback - the more we bitch, the
worse our service gets - and it is only good for the 1st month
to get you hooked, no matter what you do !!

Enjoy your DVDs !

]]> By: John Flournoy http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-53670 John Flournoy Tue, 14 Feb 2006 07:10:39 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060213/2945/#comment-53670 I appreciate this article and it's deliberative tone. It's astounding that Netflix has done so little to dispell the fury. Clearly they misled their subscriber base, their potential subscribers, and their competitors (though their competitors must have been aware that a throttle was required for profitablity). That's enough to irk anyone. But what irks me a great deal more is that a whole lot of people cry foul when a business they give money to fouls its legalese and yet, these same people largely clam up and make excuses in the face of their government's much broader misrepresentations. The government is a sort of organization that we all as citizens subscriber to. Why do we not hold our executives and representatives to this same standard of truth and accuracy? I appreciate this article and it’s deliberative tone. It’s astounding that Netflix has done so little to dispell the fury. Clearly they misled their subscriber base, their potential subscribers, and their competitors (though their competitors must have been aware that a throttle was required for profitablity).

That’s enough to irk anyone. But what irks me a great deal more is that a whole lot of people cry foul when a business they give money to fouls its legalese and yet, these same people largely clam up and make excuses in the face of their government’s much broader misrepresentations. The government is a sort of organization that we all as citizens subscriber to. Why do we not hold our executives and representatives to this same standard of truth and accuracy?

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