What is the difference between explicit and implicit feedback in recommender systems?

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What is the difference between explicit and implicit feedback in recommender systems?

Explicit feedback refers to direct and intentional feedback provided by users, such as ratings, reviews, or explicit preferences expressed explicitly. This type of feedback is clear and easily interpretable by recommender systems.

On the other hand, implicit feedback is derived from user behavior or actions, such as purchase history, browsing patterns, or click-through rates. It is not explicitly provided by users but inferred from their interactions with the system. Implicit feedback is often more abundant but less precise and may require additional techniques to interpret and extract meaningful information.

In summary, the main difference between explicit and implicit feedback in recommender systems lies in the nature of the feedback: explicit feedback is directly provided by users, while implicit feedback is derived from user behavior and actions.