NationStates Jolt Archive

Firstly, this isn't some endless spam survey that takes hours to finish. It's nine questions, very simple. There's no payment or anything, other than knowing you've helped me out.
My original posting of this topic can be seen on the XKCD forums at http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=35274&start=0

Anyway, my history teacher decdied that it would be a great idea to assign us a project. We are supposed to compse, distribute, and analyze a "media survey" by 8:15 this Thursday. It was assigned today. Knowing this teacher, coming back with a sample size of a few hundred (instead of the required 30) by posting it here and on another few forums will be an easy way to get an A, and close out the trimester on a good note. I'd also like to hear your input.
Here are the links to the survey. Please click on the appropriate link for your age group, and fill out the survey once. Thanks!

15 and under:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h6UL4EwqmMhMglkpwoBmjw_3d_3d

16 through 22:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TGqhyunRjEtf8zlPv7ycNg_3d_3d

23 through 35:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F20S4hO03K8ietkMP0TfKA_3d_3d

36 and older:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vIpi9E1S1FDVHpwaMEyWKA_3d_3d

This could broadly be construed as homework help, which is verboten. However I'll play ball. What does this have to do with history?

dunnit

It's the sort of 9-question multiple choice survey that the mods should leave open -- it's not like the OP's asking for essays or anything.

Yes, I took it -- thank you for asking.

Done, and interesting poll. Any chance there will be any results?

Would you really want to see results from a survey about the internet conducted ON the internet? We already know the sample for the survey is the worst possible.

Done.

Took it. Will you post the results when you get them? I'm interested.

It appears to be homework yes, however, it's not "homework" in the traditional sense. This is the gathering of data, something that could be done with a poll. I'll leave it open.

9. I have downloaded music or movies without paying.

O Stongly Agree
O Agree
O Disagree
O Strongly Disagree
O No Answer

Yeah right. The first four are not answers to the question, the last one is a contradiction. Way to go! :D

Done. Another interested in seeing results.

Then interpret it this way:

9. I have downloaded music or movies without paying.

O Most of my music and movies!
O A good deal of them.
O Only a couple.
O Never.
O I plead the fifth!

See? Easy as that.

There we go.

I took it. Like the others, I would be interested in the results.

This could broadly be construed as homework help, which is verboten. However I'll play ball. What does this have to do with history?

Well? Not really. Homework help would be along the lines of what is the answer to this?

This is more about data gathering and probably at most would be a Grey area.


To the OP: Took your survey. Probably could be improved with an option of don't buy these(for example iTunes).

petitioned mods to have locked cause we don't want to do your homework. JK took the survey.

Should be left because in theory could do this with boards polling options.

Done and done.

I don't take surveys often. but in this case...
done.

Done

Then interpret it this way:

9. I have downloaded music or movies without paying.

O Most of my music and movies!
O A good deal of them.
O Only a couple.
O Never.
O I plead the fifth!

See? Easy as that.
That's one way of interpreting it.

In retrospect, a lot of the questions could have been worded better. The last one, for example, could have been "Very Often, Often, Once in a while, rarely, and never/no answer"

It's interesting to see the way that the different forums are responding to the survey. Here, and at SimCity4Devotion, the comment on that last question is that I should have aimed away from asking about illegal downloads. Over at XKCD, the comment is that free downloads aren't necessarily illegal. There are some artists and studios that willingly allow free music and movie downloads.

I tried to word that question so that it wouldn't overtly say "illegal," both to reduce paranoia bias, and also to allow for the legal free downloaders to respond. In retrospect, I should have found a way to separate the two concepts into different questions.

I wouldn't call it forbidden homework help, since it has also started a little bit of debate. As some people have said, it's not really that different from a regular forum poll, except that I'm taking those results to history class.

And what does it have to do with history? I really can't tell you. I think it was intended as a way of showing us the affects of media on people. Or a way to keep us busy for the last week of the class. (It's a one-trimester elective, so it ends on Friday)

I'll be tallying the results probably sometime after 7:30 PM Eastern tomorrow. I'll post the results here as soon as I have them. So until then, if you haven't taken it, please do! (And thank you to those who have!)

done.

did my best even though i had to fudge some responses with the closest to what i thought kinda answer.

I done it.

Where's my reward?

Question 1: I connect through wireless ISP?

done, now do I get a cookie?

Done it. (Though it's "purchases", and not "purchaces". You might want to correct that before showing that to the teacher)

Done...

...am also interested in seeing results whenever you can get around to it.

Done and done.

It's interesting to see the way that the different forums are responding to the survey. Here, and at SimCity4Devotion, the comment on that last question is that I should have aimed away from asking about illegal downloads. Over at XKCD, the comment is that free downloads aren't necessarily illegal. There are some artists and studios that willingly allow free music and movie downloads.


Some TV catch-up services (such as BBC Iplayer) also have a limited-time downloadable version so you don't have to stream it.

I have one slight issue with question 4:
4. I feel that the Internet is a reliable source of information.
I feel that the Internet is a reliable source of information. Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Answer

The internet is vaste, and some reliable sources can be accessed via the internet (online academic journals for example, ebooks etc...). Would these count as 'the internet' - I'd say probably not, but it could be interpreted that way.

Done.

On question 1, I have a wireless broadband connection at home, but the router's attached to the phone cable, so I decided I counted as a cable.

Like Eofaerwic, I had a problem with question 4, and for similar reasons. I answered 'agree' because it is a reliable source of information (and as someone who edits a professional society newsletter that comes available on our webpage at about the same time that the print version comes out, I would think that on-line professional journals count as 'the internet).

However, it's also an vast source of rubbish unreliable information. The question isn't whether the internet is a good source of reliable information, but rather how you filter the reliable from the rubbish.

So the results are finally in. Attached is a link to the XKCD forum thread, where you can find graphs and semi-raw data (boiled down to percentages of each age group).

My findings: Survey makers should be given more than 24 hours to create their surveys, so that they can better word the questions.

As far as what I can say about the answers (Stats teachers may want to stop reading. I know that this is nowhere near a good enough survey to make any real assumptions, but I will anyway.)

DSL and cable are by far the most popular 'net connections. If you look at the graph, it's a pretty big spike.

People seemed to spend 5 or more hours online, especially in the 23 to 35 group. Not surprisingly, since the survey was sent out mainly to people on online forums, who are naturally big 'net users.

For I feel the Internet is a vital part of daily life, very nearly 90% of all four age groups answered Agree or Strongly Agree. Again, no surprise.

I feel the Internet is a reliable source, very bad question, vast majority agree or strongly agree. Strong centering on Agree.

I often get news from Internet. Again, very strongly agrees and strongly agrees.

I consider social networking sites a waste of time. The oldest and youngest age groups went for yes, the middle said no.

I frequently purchase electronics, etc. online. Most people agree or strongly agree, especially those from 23 to 35. 15 and younger broke more toward disagree, but then, younger people don't buy much stuff, or have credit cards, so this is not a big surprise.

Download taxes were very strongly opposed by the 15 and younger group, a little less by the 16 to 22. Few strongly agreed, and most of the agrees were 36 and older. I didn't ask whether they actually bought downloads or not, so I don't really know how to read this. Lot of people didn't answer (at least 13% from each age) which makes me think most people haven't given it much thought. But then, I don't think many places have considered it. (Leave it to New York to break the mold on taxation)

Most people have downloaded music without paying. This was a terrible question, since it didn't go into legality, so some read it as illegal downloads, others read it as legal downloads.

In short, people who use the Internet, use the Internet. Wow. This survey told me nothing that better surveys haven't already. It was rushed to production, rushed to be analyzed, and was not given nearly enough thought by me or the teacher who assigned it.

Feel free to make your own analyses of the results.
http://www.forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=35274&p=1407570#p1407570

done. hope it helps.

Well, I wasnt able to take it, because apparently 16-22 is Closed...

But, Your not allowed to ask for help on your homework here? How would you know, unless they blatantly asked for help, and even if they did why is it not allowed?

You are not allowed to ask for homework help. Yes, people blatantly ask. Such threads are closed/baleeted.
It's not allowed because 1) it's plagiarism (that is, stealing other people's ideas without crediting them -- academic no-no 2) at least two mods are teachers (gerrof line and do your sums!) 3) there are sites to help you with your homework: this is a site to discuss politics.

You are not allowed to ask for homework help. Yes, people blatantly ask. Such threads are closed/baleeted.
It's not allowed because 1) it's plagiarism (that is, stealing other people's ideas without crediting them -- academic no-no 2) at least two mods are teachers (gerrof line and do your sums!) 3) there are sites to help you with your homework: this is a site to discuss politics.

Fetishes, sexuality, food and recipes, Japanese culture, religion - I suppose that could all qualify as politics - especially fetishes.

In short, people who use the Internet, use the Internet. Wow. This survey told me nothing that better surveys haven't already. It was rushed to production, rushed to be analyzed, and was not given nearly enough thought by me or the teacher who assigned it.


And this over-36 year old academic with a PhD thinks that your analysis shows commendable honesty, and I'd give you a better mark than most university undegraduates get in similar circumstances just for being able to so coherently deconstruct the flaws in your survey.

your last question doesn't really account for the many models of downloadind things free online. i have downloaded music without paying, when it is available for free to begin with. i've never downloaded something that i would have otherwise had to purchase, though.

edit: ah just read your post on the subject. sorry...