On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 7:52 AM, Geoff Wicks <gtwi...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Dilwyn Jones" <dil...@evans1511.fsnet.co.uk> > Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 8:16 PM > > To: <ql-us...@q-v-d.com> > Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] The Spring 2011 QL Survery > > If Dave can keep his survey deadline going, I'd be happy to write >> something for the next Quanta mag (too late for this one) to invite members >> who ain't on this list to complete the survey. >> >> > I don't think we should worry about this survey closing on 28th February. > Dave has indicated there will be more surveys and that he has learnt a lot > from this one. > > We need to co-ordinate the next survey better. Rich has already indicated > we can use his customer list to contact people outside this list. The only > problem is that we don't repeat the mistake Quanta made when they had their > first survey. About 40% of respondents were non-Quanta members, but Quanta > made no effort to publish the results to them. (The other mistake Quanta > made was not doing anything with the survey. No one on the committee saw > this as being important other than John Mason and myself. John gave me a lot > of encouragement in my efforts to do something about it.) > > I am doubtful of the role the magazines can have in a survey because of the > lengthy periods between publication. (On another issue, for example, QL > Today missed out on news of the QL Forum which came in just as we were about > to go to press. Jochen managed to squeeze in just one sentence.) I suspect > we will only be able to conduct any survey online, > I knew when I started designing the survey that it would answer *my* questions and be important to me. I thought the answers would be interesting to the community as a whole, but I never expected there to be strong feelings or any controversy. There was a little of that - people on both sides of issues that I didn't even realise were issues ;) I knew when I wrote it that I would do a follow-up survey to dig deeper into the answers I got in some areas, and also to listen to feedback about missed opportunities. I've got a lot of feedback, and in a week, I'll start working with many people to make the next survey far more detailed yet concise. I will create the template for the survey at that point and send it to Quanta and Rich, so the link and survey date range can be set up to coincide with the most people being able to see it. I'll probably create a shortened "bit.ly" address or similar to make it easier to type from the printed page, and even include a QR code. I think the next survey will be completed by twice as many people so I may repeat a couple of the basic questions for demographic purposes (so I can relate general groups of users from that survey with groups from this survey, eg: by OS and h/w or s/w platform. I just wanted to add that I have been blown away by the detail and honesty of peoples' responses. I expected 25 results, and right now I have 72, which is a meaningful result for me :) Thanks everyone! I am heading to Houston for a few days, and will be back on Saturday or Sunday. I might be a bit quieter on list if it's busy. Have a great weekend, everyone! Dave _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
