There was a time when you could rate and review Netflix's content beyond using the binary thumbs up or thumbs down option. The perception is Netflix changed this to let its algorithm do all the curation for you. And for us, that sometimes feels like the company continually pushing its content, instead of offering us shows or films that are in line with what we want to see. But it looks like the company wants to give its users more input again over what we get to see. The streaming service is beta-testing human-curated collections on its iOS app.
According to a statement from a Netflix rep, "We're always looking for new ways to connect our fans with titles we think they'll love, so we're testing out a new way to curate Netflix titles into collections on the Netflix iOS app." So far, the Netflix collections include "Watch in One Night," 'Oddballs & Outcasts," "Just for Laughs," "Netflix Is a Joke," "Dark & Devious TV Shows," "Watch, Gasp, Repeat," "Artful Adventures," and "Critics Love These Shows." As IndieWire points out, this could be in response to a recent HBO promotional website that touts titles as "Recommended by Humans."
The company is also amid controversies that accuse it of cancelling shows because of its algorithms. By putting curation back into the hands of its subscribers, Netflix might be trying to win people back. We think it's a smart move. And while we'd want to explore this feature, it's currently limited to the iOS app with a small subset of its user base who can access the functionality,