Netflix' Hand-Crafted Recommendation Algorithm

After Greg Harty rolls out of bed in his Sherman Oaks apartment, he grabs a cup of coffee and starts his work day at a desk in the corner of his living room. His assignment: Watch three episodes of “Modern Family.”

As the hit sitcom plays, the aspiring screenwriter opens another window on his laptop and pulls up a spreadsheet. He begins picking labels — his employer, Netflix, calls them tags — to describe what he sees.

Harty’s choices will become part of an algorithm that produces the personal recommendations made to about 30 million viewers worldwide when they sign into Netflix. Some of the descriptions are seen by subscribers, while others are used internally. Read the rest at LA Times.