Inside the guts of Netflix

Netflix is one of those "why didn't I" ideas.

The N.Y. Times on Saturday had a neat interactive feature looking into the Netflix program that decides who will like which flick. You can examine the top rentals in various zip codes for a dozen cities. And although there are no Alabama cities included, (Atlanta is the closest...area Code 30310 rented The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the most in 2009), it's kinda fun to play with.
     If nothing else, the Times feature is a model for newspapers (and broadcasters too) using their web sites for more than just repeats of what they have in their MSM versions.
     Instead of just doing stories about crimes, have a map that allows your viewers or readers to see what crimes occured where during the year. Which schools expel the most students? In states where there are mandatory car inspections, which shops fail the largest percentage of cars? etc etc etc It can be labor intensive, but certainly an improvement over static lists.