NETFLIX CLOSING FACEBOOK RATINGS PAGE

Admitting to a rare misstep, Netflix said on its website that it has shut down a Facebook program that prompted subscribers to rate the movies and television shows that they rent. The reason: too few subscribers have shown any interest in using it. “Very few of you have signed on for this so we’re pulling it back today to regroup, which includes testing new concepts, and ultimately finding a more appealing program for all of our members,” Tom Willerer, director of product management at Netflix, said in the post. Willerer was not, however, giving up on Facebook integration and said Netflix would begin testing other concepts with the social network site. “The testing will start with getting our members connected to Facebook and in the coming months we’ll add new ways for our members to find interesting TV shows and movies to watch based on friends’ recommendations,” he said. However, several subscribers posted messages on the Netflix site asking why it needed Facebook at all and why it discontinued its own “friends” feature. “Couldn’t the ability to share your movie/TV recommendations from Netflix be a part of Netflix?” one writer asked.