NVinNYC

Netflix announced yesterday that it is eliminating profiles, a feature that allows subscribers to maintain multiple queues and ratings under one account. This was a great feature for multi-user households to manage a group subscription but ensure that each user was able to have their own preferences, ratings, and queue. To make matters worse, Netflix has been especially hostile towards current profile users stating that:

• All Profiles rental history will be added into the main account rental history
• Your additional Profile Queues will be eliminated. If you would like to keep a copy of each Profile Queue we recommend that you print them out.
• Profiles movie ratings and Profiles Friends connections will no longer be available
• You will not be able to transfer your Profiles data to a separate new account

This seems like a particularly consumer-hostile move from a company that, in the past has had a fairly positive reputation for customer service. As a subscriber and heavy-user of this feature myself, I feel particularly betrayed. The unceremonious termination of my 100+ item queue and 1000+ ratings make it seem like Netflix really doesn’t give a damn about anything but it’s bottom line. As Ars Technica points out, replicating a 4 disc at-a-time account, which costs roughly $24/month, with two 2 disc at-a-time accounts will cost $28/month, or $4/month for Netflix’s bottom line.  Adding insult to injury, Netflix reasons for the change in policy are simply “…to continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers,” with no other details provided.  This kind of bullshit PR-speak only serves to aggravate customers like myself who are left wondering how eliminating already-in-place features helps improve the site.

There are, unsurprisingly, many upset Netflix customers pouring onto the web to complain about this.  Some resources and petitions they have thrown together include:

• Get Satisfaction: Netflix to break homes by eliminating profiles
• Digg: Netflix Eliminating Profiles
• Hacking Netflix: Netflix Eliminating Account Profiles
• Protest Netflix’s Cancellation of Profiles Petition
• SaveNetflixProfiles.com
• Netflix Community Blog: Profiles feature going away

Even if you’re not a current Netflix subscriber, you should take note of how Netflix responds to this issue. If you are a current subscriber, I encourage you to visit the websites above, sign petitions, and complain to the company about this blatant disregard for the value of their customers.

Update: they came to their senses and decided to keep them after all.

NIN just posted their new single, titled ‘Discipline’ online for free. Download it here.  Good stuff, more traditional NIN (meaning not ambient stuff like ‘Ghosts I-IV‘).

BTW, I’m loving the level of interaction Trent and the band are having with their fans now that they shed their label.

Update: The whole album has now been released for free. Details.

Battlestar Galactica: Razor:

From October 5 through November 16, SCI FI whets Battlestar fans’ appetites every Friday night with Razor Flashbacks during all-new episodes of Flash Gordon. All the flashback clips will be available on SCIFI.COM immediately after broadcast.

These [...] roughly two-minute segments tell the story of young William “Husker” Adama’s rookie Viper mission during the first Cylon war. In addition to fighting for his very survival against relentless Cylon centurions, Adama makes a terrifying discovery that will come back 40 years later to threaten him, the crew of the Pegasus and the survival of the human race.

This footage won’t be shown in the actual primere of the two-hour Razer ‘movie’ that premiers on Saturday, November 24th. Check out the official site for more details. Also: mark your calendars for ‘Awesome’ on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

True Genius: Brent becomes a Mac Genius in the webcomic PVP.

This is totally what I always wanted to do when I was working as a Genius.

TAL Link Mania here:

The first episode of the TAL Showtime TV Program broadcast this past Thursday (3/22) night. If like me and most people I know, you don’t have cable, you can check out for free from Showtime (or maybe hit up a torrent).

The first episode, Reality Check was quite good… just the same TAL as ever really. Same moving stories, same great music direction, same Ira Glass… just now with pictures. This all makes sense since the stories for this pilot also appeared on the radio show (to save production costs before the show was picked up). I particularly liked the shots of Ira sitting in the middle of nowhere with a desk and an old mic, it looks like this will be a reoccurring theme.

The official TAL website just got a (much needed) makeover as well with lots of nice new features like RSS feeds and better organization. Be sure to check out this ‘much fuller decription‘ of what they’re trying to do with the TVs show and these previews for the first season.

If you’re still starved for TAL linkage check out this Chris Ware animated clip about using fake video cameras in grade school from Episode 4. Also be sure to listen to the weekly radio show on your local NPR station or via this iTunes podcast.

The first six episode season of TAL broadcasts on Showtime on Thursdays at 10:30 PM ET/PT (see the schedule here).

(Some links via Kottke.)