As a bit of a data nerd, I can fully appreciate providing as much information about myself as possible to retailers (e.g., interests, buying patterns, preferences) if it is used to make my overall customer experience better. I actually enjoy, to a minor extent anyway, swiping my Shopper's Club Card. That way the super-powers-that-be at Wegman's know that I am a profile unto myself as I purchase Avalon Organics shampoos and meatless Quorn alongside my Pixie Stix and Ho Hos. Maybe I'm conflicted but I highly doubt that anyone else fits neatly into any prescribed category.
Needless to say, I'm a huge fan of collaborative filtering -- the science of taking my self-reported preferences, matching them with the tastes of a gazillion others, and making predictions about what I would like.
According to MovieLens, the minute I have a moment to watch a non-Pixar movie (heaven forbid) I should be renting a bunch of movies that I have actually never heard of including Monsoon Wedding, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, and Gone Baby Gone. Yes, there is life beyond repeatedly watching The Sandlot or Star Wars (all episodes) with my kids.
Why is this important to me? Because I think I am one of the only people on the planet not to love oft-favored gems such as Forrest Gump, As Good as It Gets, or (dare I say) Bridges of Madison County. Puhlease. I obviously cannot trust popular opinion to dictate my tastes so I must turn to the only friend who truly knows me: a robust database in Minnesota.
By far my favorite application over the past couple of years is Pandora. I can select bands I like, Pandora plays similar bands, and I get to rate whether or not I like their selections for me.
Right now I requested bands like Rilo Kiley, Wilco, Sonic Youth, Beck, Ramones, The Psychedelic Furs, Dwight Yokum, Bowie and the Pixies. Given these selections, Pandora has just played the Clash, the Cure, INXS, the Stone Roses, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Brian Eno and the Smiths. It's like having my own custom DJ. Mind you, given these selections today, I'm not really hearing anything new but that's okay; I can switch them at any time.
Now, if only I could swipe a card carrying my preferences as I enter a bar/restaurant and have songs that I would enjoy automatically entered into the mix, that would be cool. A futuristic Pandora on steroids. It could happen.
2 comments:
hmmmm, that would be really cool, Especially if they had a live band but it was, what do they call it when teh people arent really there, its like a 3d video but in space, anyway, the band changed to play your songs :)
Umm, ok I was wondering if you would be interested in joining this site called cr8buzz. It's kind of like myspace but for bloggers. I have a link on my blog on the right, just above my flicker thingy. Anyway if you want to join I have some invites so just send me an email at newnorth1@yahoo.com and I will tell them to invite you. If not that's cool to.
I have no idea! I'll check it out and send you an email.
Regardless, thanks for the invite!
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