'Known for' manipulation?

Is it possible that IMDB have made the 'known for' selections ridiculous to try to stimulate IMDB Pro signings and increase revenue? My 'known for's' were sensible for years but have now become ridiculous and don't demonstrate any intelligent algorithm, but the only way I can change them is to pay a lot of money for that single simple possibility to change them to something sensible.

Mick D

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Posted 2 years ago

2 years ago

Col Needham, Official Rep

6834 Posts
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Known For credits are calculated as described on https://help.imdb.com/article/imdb/discover-watch/known-for-title-selection/GNL2E4LJVKM9QLMD

The original "known for" system was designed in 2001 before IMDb included episodic credits and before certain other changes were made to the IMDb data model. In December 2017 we switched to a new system which takes all credits into account and better handles episodic TV. While no system can be perfect, we are pleased with the overall improved quality of the selections. We are sorry to hear your default selection has worsened -- if you provide details of your page and what you would prefer to see selected, we can feed this into future updates to the algorithm.

If you search Get Satisfaction, you will see hardly any comments on the change (and customers are vocal with complaints) so we believe our assessment of the success matches prevailing customer opinion.

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2019-05-19T23:52:13+00:00

Geobear Nine

1 Post
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Yes, well, here's a customer comment for you. Anytime Denver Pyle is not "Known For" being Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard, you can be quite sure whatever algorithm you're using is definitely flawed.

2019-08-01T14:42:24+00:00

Στάμος Δημητρόπουλος

5 Posts
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I just want to join all the annoyed people of the "known for" section and just to add my example, I have edited a FEATURE FILM that was theatrically released in Greece in 2016, I have also edited a short film that won the GOLDEN PALM in Cannes in 2019 yet the IMDB algorithm suggests that I am known for a short student film I made in 2009 and a home movie that none has ever seen from 2004. It's just a ridiculous algorithm and it's a shame to ask people for money to let them change their result. But the most annoying part is that even if you do pay for a month, when you stop paying it goes back to the way it was. Find a way to fix this please, it's insulting to a lot of industry professionals.

2 years ago

Jason Sereno

2 Posts
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Yeah, my 'known for' titles were also screwed up in December. The titles IMDB picked were so obscure and ancient that I felt compelled to start an account to change them back to the old/proper titles. Now that I'm canceling my membership, an email tells me those 'known for' titles are going to revert back to the obscure titles that are measurably less popular than my other work. It seems like a grift.

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2 years ago

mick duffield

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Well of course I can only submit my own personal experience and as far as I am concerned the selections for 'known for' have been fine for years, and are now ridiculous, and have nothing to do with the popularity of a film, whereas they clearly did before, they just seemed to be selected at random. (I've temporarily corrected them by joining IMDB Pro, but was disappointed to see Jason say they revert back to obscure titles if you cancel.)
I would be happy to pay something for the abilty to select 'known for' myself, but full IMDB Pro membership is too expensive for this one facility, and unfair.
Could IMDB make a less expensive form of membership, for this one ability available?

(Edited)

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10 months ago

Sarah Beth Shapiro

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I agree it's to get us to pay

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6 months ago

John

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Col Needham: "Known For credits are calculated as described on https://help.imdb.com/article/imdb/discover-watch/known-for-title-selection/GNL2E4LJVKM9QLMD";

The truth is that in many cases this "algorithm" seems to either be broken or purposefully adjusted to not work, and force people into buying an expensive membership.

For example, a bafta nominated feature film which I supervised is not in the top 4, even having the widest reach and distribution. So, either there's a bug which I'd like to report to your engineers, or imdb is not being transparent on how the algorythm works (I've looked at the link above)

I'd seriously like to report this as a potential bug in your systems, but all customer services just point to the link and not wish to look at the underlying issue.

I look forward to your reply

(Edited)

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4 weeks ago

Keith Silva

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Just make it free to change it to what we want, its that simple. We know what we're known for, and we're certainly not known for our student films. And Film having more weight than TV? Directors more than Actors? That is simply stupid. It's called "Known For", not "Emphasized based on arbitrary attributes". Fix please!!

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2019-11-08T19:33:10+00:00

Ed Jones (XLIX)

17739 Posts
20188 Reply Likes

The DMV charges for "Personal" vanity plates for your car.
The IMDb charges for personal adjustability to your page.
No different.

2019-11-09T04:13:07+00:00

Jeorj Euler

7286 Posts
9520 Reply Likes

Yeah, but a person does not have to have a car, whereas an IMDb name page as long as it is not empty will be had even if unwanted.

2019-11-09T04:23:31+00:00

Ed Jones (XLIX)

17739 Posts
20188 Reply Likes

And a person does not have to have a personalized name page. They have a page assigned to the database, not "Them". They want to claim it by way of PRO, then they have a say in its looks.