What makes television different from a live performance? No audience feedback!

Most of the other descriptions on this site (tomato button, nielsen gun) don't allow the user to express approval, only disapproval.

This television-integrated device will transmit a) timestamp, b) channel, and c) "Yay" or "Boo" d) MAC address*, all encrypted, via cable lines back to the cable provider. The provider then sends the collected, encrypted info to Boo Button Central.

(* - For authenticity authentication. Boo Button Central won't know or care which MAC corresponds with which TV set, which corresponds with which household. This is only to prevent fakery.)

Boo Button Central decrypts the information, compiles it, and prepares reports for the cable companies and stations. The cable company then finds out which channels the users enjoy most/least. The stations then find out which shows the users enjoy most/least, and which moments of the programs earned the most audience response.

Result? Better programming.
-- Cosmic Flurk, Mar 30 2004

Some biased users may just constantly "boo" mainstream shows for the sake of rebellion --> inaccurate results
-- ShellCandy, May 30 2007


// which moments of the programs earned the most audience response.

Result? Better programming.//

I am not completely convinced of the seamlessness of this argument. You may just wind up with more popular programming which is, of course, quite ghastly.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 31 2007


To expand on what [MaxwellBuchanan] said, I think there's an assumption in this idea that the purpose of TV is that *it* should push *your* buttons, rather in the manner of a cunningly designed gambling or pornography experience.

Specifically, the proposed mechanism relies on an instantaneous response and excludes a considered response, and furthermore, that instantaneous response is strictly one-dimensional.

I grant you that this is still an improvement on a tomato-like feedback mechanism, which is both one-dimensional and one-directional.

Still, call me an elitist, but I think TV can do better than that.
-- pertinax, Jun 01 2007



random, halfbakery