Don't tell me what I like

I've long been a fan of Pandora, Last.fm and the other major media recommendation tools - indeed, a couple of months ago I called multimedia recommendation tool MatchMine the best idea I'd seen this year (a tribute I should probably stand by since they've now published it on their homepage). Tools that reduce the search and transaction costs for finding the songs, news stories and TV programmes I like are both useful to me as a consumer and my favourite sort of innovation as a media strategist.

The problem I start to find with these tools is that they're so good they shatter my meticulously-constructed illusions about my own tastes and preferences. Today so far, just by way of example, Pandora has recommended Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and the Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me"; my Google News personalised feed has pointed me to a story about Kate Middleton.

Is this the sort of thing I like? Obviously it is. It turns out I was delighted to start my day to "Rebel Yell". I'm just not sure I wanted to know that about myself. So this weekend I'll be giving Pandora and Google News a miss; lining up my own playlist of Smetana and Mozart; and perhaps reading an improving book.

(Postsript: While I've been writing this post Pandora has chosen to play me Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" - another guilty pleasure of course, and which reminds me to share with you "Torn for the Deaf", which may be the funniest thing in the world. So much indeed for my highbrow illusions.)

Comments

[PaulSweeney]

maybe this is a case of the "facets" of your personality being co-coalesced, into a median profile, with no significant standard deviations. Or, maybe you really are this shallow ;)

[Thoughtplay]

Have you actually used MatchMine?

Obviously I'm all for recommendation engines but, as we've discussed elsewhere, the fact that MM obliges you to download something is a bit offputting.

[max]

How come you can access pandora if you are in UK? My NZ IP address won't be serviced by them. I thought they are USA only.

[Seamus McCauley]

Paul - alas, I fear you're right.

Thoughtplay - yes. And, agreed, its results aren't as exciting yet as the underlying concept implies. I don't think that's a big deal at this stage.

Max - I cheated. I fear that telling you how in a public forum would only encourage them to block that particular loophole, but it's not a difficult trick to pull.

Thanks for commenting guys.