Illustrate Netflix profiles with a Go program
Programming Snapshot – Go Charting
© Lead Image © Tatiana Venkova, 123RF.com
Netflix keeps track of who watches which program and when. In this month's column, Mike Schilli whips up a Go program to analyze and draw fancy graphs of his viewing habits.
How does Netflix know exactly which movie I want to watch next? As a streaming service, the movie juggernaut has access to my viewing habits, and, thanks to different profiles, it knows just what the people in my household have been watching.
Rather than withholding information, Netflix lets its users peek into their own history. If you select the Profiles menu and then the respective user profile in Viewing Activity, you will find a list (Figure 1) of all the films you have ever watched, including the viewing date and time. The list can even be conveniently downloaded as a CSV file (Figure 2). Each line in the file contains the movie or series title and the screening date in your home cinema (Figure 3).
Tight Lipped for Privacy
I remember there used to be more detailed data available, including which videos users had clicked on but paused and aborted shortly afterwards. According to Netflix, the details fell victim to data protection policies. Be that as it may, a complete list of all the films you have ever watched (with timestamps) at least provides a useful starting point for all kinds of statistical analysis.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.