Web 2.0 Minus 1: The Once Innovative Netflix Gets Rid of Multiple Queues

Many of you who subscribe to Netflix and don’t live by your lonesome are familier with the Netflix Profile system. This allows your account to have an additional “Profile” on it, which basically means that you have a second Queue for your wife, kids or roommate to use. Obviously, this is important for many people: the Netflix Queue is more than just an ordered list of movies to rent, it becomes the centerpiece of the “film” aspect of each user’s personality. I love my Netflix Queue… filled as it is with There Will Be Blood, Tron, Goodfellas, Oldboy, Primer, and everything else that is good. What I don’t want in my Queue is High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Pretty in Pink, and everything else that is bad.

To everyone else who was shocked tonight to get Netflix’s email blast announcing, in so many words, that they would be taking your wife, husband, roommate or children’s turds and dumping them into your panties, I would recommend you click “Contact Us” on the bottom of netflix.com and remind them why their sophisticated Queue and recommendation system makes you a subscriber.

Don’t forget, once he’s on your Queue, every time your husband clicks 5 stars on The Best of WCW, it’s going to think YOU like WCW too.

Below is my message to Netflix, which I will officially proclaim an “open” letter:

Removing profiles, are you guys serious?

In an age of customizable internet.. Blogs, RSS, site specific preferences, Facebook, Myspace and everything else.. You are taking a MAJOR step backwards by disabling one of your best features.

Netflix is built on the foundation of having, maintaining, and cultivating a great Queue. Watching it change, grow, diversify, while getting razor sharp recommendations on new films.

On September 1st, I will have to choose between filling my well manicured Queue with my wife’s 90s high school flicks, romantic “comedies,” Scrubs seasons and other trite, or cancelling my account. I think I’ll choose the latter.

If, as a third option, you decide to continue to evolve as an internet service: seeking to innovate and create new opportunities for user customization, instead of stripping out your best features and regressing, then I will stay.

Thanks.

Update 6/19/2008: An online petition against this move has already been created here, please sign it.
Update 6/30/2008: Acknowledging this and other complaints by its customers, Netflix has reversed its decision and decided to keep Profiles/Multiple Queues. High-five for Netflix!