This seems (to me at least) like it would be an unpopular move. However, I wonder if this is one of those situations where HN is an opinionated echo chamber, and where the average person would be totally okay with this
Before netflix, you could watch dumb videos on youtube, that’s about it. They deserve to be paid for the market they built.
You had the subscription, so I assume you experienced value from it.
But you are willing to make a stand and deny yourself that value so other people could share their Netflix. People you don't know.
Thats extremely principled and selfless. I have a hard time believing this. There are way more meaningful ways to help others by denying yourself value.
You didn't cancel Netflix to feed a homeless person but to help someone with too much time and too little money, but no so little they couldnt a roof, a couch, a TV and a internet connection, from wasting their life watching TV.
What's the point?
This approach to conversation doesn't make me hopeful you will honestly think about my reasons, since you already decided they don't make sense.
> Thats extremely principled and selfless.
Thank you, that's very nice to say! :)
You seem to be avoiding answering the question.
My reasons, in roughly decending order of importance:
- They went back on their earlier promises. I don't like it when companies do this. As a consumer, my best way to affect this is to vote with my wallet.
- Cost of living is already high enough that the additional expense will be too much for those who already can't pay for much. Entertainment is important, especially in times that are getting harder.
- Netflix has been making terrible creative decisions time after time, and I don't feel like giving them more money as-is.
Instead I've taken up reading a bit more :)
I have the feeling that you want me to confirm your preconceptions, but you're trying to apply logical leaps that just don't make sense.
It doesn't have to be a "selfless" decision. I made it for myself. Tell me, what part of streaming video involves them needing to track my location and decide when I am at an acceptable one to do so. The fact that they are gathering and using that information at all is not acceptable to me. I canceled immediately because I won't pay them to do such a thing.
I suspect the most noisy opinions tend to set the narrative, as usual.
My concern is that netflix is going to get worse and worse once they stop finding ways to inflate their subscriber numbers, because the only people they'll be able to squeeze more money out of at that point will be the people already signed up. Maybe it'll mean more ads (and their ad-free plans already have an annoying number of ads now!) or maybe they'll sell off our data, or jack prices way up, who knows, but I doubt we'll like it.
Netflix adding targeted ads and changing their policy on passwords makes me think that the "enshittification" of Netflix is well underway. They're already notorious for ignoring what their customers want. For example, it took them four years to give users an option to disable autoplay while browsing, and they've ignored people asking for a simple A-Z list of every available title since day one of their streaming service. Netflix was the outsider at a time when we were held hostage by Cable TV providers. Netflix got people to cut the cord. Nobody wants Netflix to suck or to fail, but there's also nothing we can do to keep it from getting worse as netflix grows greedier.