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site wide census for what?

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2

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    #32
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,230 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Poor form. Why is this passed off as "the boards.ie census" (for which, incidentally, we have a lovely census forum :pac:) and why does it merit a side-wide announcement?


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    #33
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    pickarooney wrote: »
    Poor form. Why is this passed off as "the boards.ie census" (for which, incidentally, we have a lovely census forum :pac:) and why does it merit a side-wide announcement?
    Well, for a start because it is a census. It's collecting demographic information about the boards.ie population.

    If someone thought that boards.ie wasn't going to use this information to compile statistics on the population that can be used to woo advertisers, then more fool them tbh.
    The original census was also used for this purpose, though you didn't get the same detailed disclaimer to agree to.
    There's nothing disingenuous going on here. You're aware that the official national census results are also used for marketing purposes when the IDA makes a pitch to a company or when an area is trying to attract investment? OH noes, someone call the dictionary police.

    It's a site-wide announcement because otherwise no-one would see it... :/

    I love the faux outrage though purely because an external company has been hired to do this. If the guys in the office had coded the exact same script, asking the exact same questions, there wouldn't be any bitching and squealing about the meaning of the word "census".

    If you don't want to answer it, don't answer it. Some people really need to get a sense of perspective.


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    #34
    LoLth
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,339 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    seamus wrote: »

    If you don't want to answer it, don't answer it. Some people really need to get a sense of perspective.

    this.

    honestly, the T&Cs were posted clearly in the notice which was sort of big and unmissable and can be gotten rid of by clicking the red X so it wont bother you again.

    anyone that uses the site should know that there are advertising banners used to generate revenue and many companies outsource to marketing companies to help direct the ads towards their users so they are more useful and less "you won! click here!".

    no-one is forcing you to take the survey. No personal data is being collected (apart from the email) and no-one is or was trying to con anyone by using the word census instead of survey.

    seriously, unclench, click the red X and then enjoy the site.


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    #35
    justsomebloke
    Registered Users Posts: 10,407 ✭✭✭✭justsomebloke


    seamus wrote: »
    I love the faux outrage though purely because an external company has been hired to do this. If the guys in the office had coded the exact same script, asking the exact same questions, there wouldn't be any bitching and squealing about the meaning of the word "census".

    disagree with this as I think would of felt the same even if it was done purely in boards HQ


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    #36
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    justsomebloke wrote: »
    disagree with this as I think would of felt the same even if it was done purely in boards HQ
    Well then is it just a case that it came in a format that you didn't expect?

    Would you feel different if it was done in the above poll format, with the exact same questions?


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    #37
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,230 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    seamus wrote: »
    I love the faux outrage though purely because an external company has been hired to do this. If the guys in the office had coded the exact same script, asking the exact same questions, there wouldn't be any bitching and squealing about the meaning of the word "census".

    If you don't want to answer it, don't answer it. Some people really need to get a sense of perspective.

    I'm outraged that I got half way through and there was no option for my county or mobile phone company so I had to give up :(


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    #38
    LoLth
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,339 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    pickarooney wrote: »
    I'm outraged that I got half way through and there was no option for my county or mobile phone company so I had to give up :(

    from the T&Cs:
    If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures you may contact Sponge It at denise.johnston-at-spongeit.ie

    spare your fellow countymen and phone users the pain that you experienced and drop denise johnston a line to inform her of this oversight. It'll help in the healing process.


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    #39
    hardCopy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    5starpool wrote: »
    You've been posting here since 2006 and don't know there is a big red x on the top right of every announcement, and once you click it, you won't see that announcement again.

    For shame.

    A-ha!

    :o


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    #40
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,106 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    seamus wrote: »
    If you don't want to answer it, don't answer it. Some people really need to get a sense of perspective.
    This +1000. If it was something one had to do to continue to use the site, I'd see an issue, but it's not. So a) if you're not interested, hit the red X and be on your way, or b) fill it in and maybe get a freebie from it(and the site may get some needed finance from it) or c) get up to high doe over the wording of something you can choose to ignore. I'll take a or b please Carol.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #41
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users Posts: 14,714 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    Des wrote: »
    Why Boards.ie are insterested in my phone is beyond me though.

    A lot of people have smartphones now, capable of browsing online. Guess they might be trying to get a handle on that kind of thing.

    I agree that calling it a survey would be more accurate but it's not a big deal really.


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    #42
    OldGoat
    Registered Users Posts: 12,633 ✭✭✭✭OldGoat


    Can I have a copy of the collected data so I can make graphs and charts and stuff?
    Ummmm graphs!
    Not pushed if its called a census or a survy but I am excited at the thoughts of seeing the published results. We ARE going to see results eventually, right?

    I'm older than Minecraft goats.



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    #43
    Dav
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,840 ✭✭✭Dav


    OK, so the last time we did a census on this site was February/March in 2007. In that census, we asked about where you browsed from and what times of the day/night you did. We also asked what you were using the internet for. Some of these questions are a little more specific this time around. For reference, I've attached the aggregated (and of course, anonymous) results of that last census - both DeVore and I were talking earlier and we both thought that Vexorg had published these results before, but if not, they're here now anyway.

    Mobile Phone questions: This is a big focus for the entire group at the moment. touch.boards.ie went live this year and the Boards.ie iPhone App is in development and the Android one will soon follow. We need to make sure we're covering all the bases with that and should we give any serious consideration to something like a Windows Phone 7 or even Meego app. We want to make sure you're looked after not "the people we think are using the site" if you get my meaning. There are statistics on what sort of usage there is, but that's general and we're looking for something more specific to our members and visitors.

    Ultimately *every* census that this site has done is designed to give us a sense of who's using this site so that 1) we can make sure that we're keeping that group of people in mind whenever we make any changes and 2) so that we can get more accurate information for sales so that we can keep our bills paid. I find it more than a little disappointing that some people seem to think we're trying to con anyone here or be dishonest - what on earth did you think the previous census' were for?

    It is completely voluntary. You don't even have to be a Boards member to fill it out - the notice appears for visitors too (and lets not forget, the ratio of visitors to members on the site at any given moment is around 3.5:1). If you want to be rid of the notice, then click the red X button on the top right of the notice as others have said - notices aren't new, we've been using them for about 3 years.

    I'll be looking at getting the results when this is all over and publishing them. We've handed the management of all this over to Sponge It because it's a big project and we're doing it for all of the sites in the group and so it's easier and more time efficient to have them take care of it.


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    #44
    slavetothegrind
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭slavetothegrind


    Sorry about that i now understand census = survey and also where you are coming from.

    In my naievety i thought it might be a user experience questionaire as you get from sky sometimes after interacting with their customer service.

    so i live and learn.:)


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    #45
    minidazzler
    Registered Users Posts: 14,739 ✭✭✭✭minidazzler


    I use this site about 500 hours a year probably, from just casual browsing, to actually getting into serious discussions, it's always open when I'm using a computer. Am I gonna fill out a survey/census when they ask me to given I pay for nothing while using this site...yes, yes I am, because I know I don't HAVE to and because they give me a helluvalot of enjoyment for nothing....that said, this bastard of a site also makes me procrastinate, but still, enjoyment and meet new people, for the optional donation of some impersonal details....good deal.


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    #46
    Dude111
    Registered Users Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭Dude111


    Is there ANY WAY to see the results of this census?


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    #47
    Dav
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,840 ✭✭✭Dav


    Well it hasn't been completed yet, so no, but I am hoping to publish the results when I get them - I'd say it'll be 2 weeks, we're closing it off this Friday.


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    #48
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    If we were after nefarious ways of making money, we'd have sold your email addresses at SOME stage during the last 12 years. Which we have never done.

    Perhaps you would prefer the Facebook approach where we simply gather this information from you secretly and then sell it unanonimised to anyone who will give us money or build an app for us. :):)




    This will help us. Either monetarily when we can say "hey, 25% of our users are X" to advertisers or by clarifying who are userbase are so we can improve the site to fit better. Nothing bad will happen to you for answering it. We've been as clear as possible about everything. If you dont wish to complete it, then thank you for your time and sorry to have intruded.

    DeV.


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    #49
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,963 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    DeVore wrote: »
    If we were after nefarious ways of making money, we'd have sold your email addresses at SOME stage during the last 12 years. Which we have never done.
    You had the perfect opportunity to, after the hack. Should have :pac:


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    #50
    Steve
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 22,584 CMod ✭✭✭✭Steve


    Dav wrote: »
    Well it hasn't been completed yet, so no, but I am hoping to publish the results when I get them - I'd say it'll be 2 weeks, we're closing it off this Friday.
    There's only one thing we really want an answer to.. are there real wimminz on the internet yet?????

    :D


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    #51
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    Steve wrote: »
    There's only one thing we really want an answer to.. are there real wimminz on the internet yet?????

    :D

    According to the last census the internet is 83% Men, 17% Men pretending to be wimmens and 3% Beruthiel. All values plus or minus 3%


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    #52
    5starpool
    Subscribers Posts: 32,850 ✭✭✭✭5starpool


    On the visitors vs registered thing, will there be a way to say how many visitors filled it out vs the registered people? Do you even care? As you said it is also been done for other group sites, will you know which ones were routed from boards as opposed to adverts? I assume so, but still curious anyhow.


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    #53
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    AFAIK we can divide the answers by originating site (I'll be quite annoyed and surprised otherwise!). As for the registered vs unregged.... I dont know about that one. Possibly not since I dont believe we tie this back to your boards account... could be wrong but I dont think so. Not particularly concerned about that one though... many regged users browse unregged and unregged users become regged users at a rate of about 400 a day :)

    DeV.


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    #54
    Dav
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,840 ✭✭✭Dav


    One of the questions is "Do you have a Boards.ie Account" so I'm hoping that will sort it out. I'd guess a higher number of members will fill the census out than visitors mostly because I imagine that Boardsies might feel more inclined to help us out.


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    #55
    dahamsta
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    I stopped 2/3s of the way through simply because it was a ridiculous length and terribly constructed. I sent some feedback to the person mentioned at the start, and the response I received was essentially obnoxious "I know better than you" marketroid bullsh*t. I then fed back to Boards direct and got a much nicer answer, but I still believe my feedback is valid:
    [...] my point was that a survey of that length /won't/ give you an really good insight into who your users are and how they're accessing the site. You don't know who I am or how I access either Boards.ie or Adverts.ie now, because of the crap way [they were] presented. I'm sure whoever put it together meant well, but meaning well and achieving it aren't the same thing.

    A census that excludes a large proportion of the "population" because of the above isn't a census. It's what people here have been calling it all along, albeit for other (occasionally ridiculous) reasons: a survey. A much better approach would have been to come at it in sections, over time. It's not as if there's a major rush with it.


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    #56
    Steve
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 22,584 CMod ✭✭✭✭Steve


    To me, a 'census of boards.ie' gathers demographic info about the inhabitants of the site (i.e. us. Us registered users who post here and cause the onlookers to read) and gives us a better picture of who we are and where we should go. We are the site after all.

    Extending this survey to onlookers is not cool and will invalidate any result that would mean something to the inhabitants of this unique community.

    That said, I may or may not have given deliberate false answers to this advertising market research survey that, if posted by any normal user, would have them sitebanned in a nanosecond.


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    #57
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Dav wrote: »
    OK, so the last time we did a census on this site was February/March in 2007. In that census, we asked about where you browsed from and what times of the day/night you did. We also asked what you were using the internet for. Some of these questions are a little more specific this time around. For reference, I've attached the aggregated (and of course, anonymous) results of that last census - both DeVore and I were talking earlier and we both thought that Vexorg had published these results before, but if not, they're here now anyway.

    Mobile Phone questions: This is a big focus for the entire group at the moment. touch.boards.ie went live this year and the Boards.ie iPhone App is in development and the Android one will soon follow. We need to make sure we're covering all the bases with that and should we give any serious consideration to something like a Windows Phone 7 or even Meego app. We want to make sure you're looked after not "the people we think are using the site" if you get my meaning. There are statistics on what sort of usage there is, but that's general and we're looking for something more specific to our members and visitors.

    Ultimately *every* census that this site has done is designed to give us a sense of who's using this site so that 1) we can make sure that we're keeping that group of people in mind whenever we make any changes and 2) so that we can get more accurate information for sales so that we can keep our bills paid. I find it more than a little disappointing that some people seem to think we're trying to con anyone here or be dishonest - what on earth did you think the previous census' were for?

    It is completely voluntary. You don't even have to be a Boards member to fill it out - the notice appears for visitors too (and lets not forget, the ratio of visitors to members on the site at any given moment is around 3.5:1). If you want to be rid of the notice, then click the red X button on the top right of the notice as others have said - notices aren't new, we've been using them for about 3 years.

    I'll be looking at getting the results when this is all over and publishing them. We've handed the management of all this over to Sponge It because it's a big project and we're doing it for all of the sites in the group and so it's easier and more time efficient to have them take care of it.


    How times have changed! No option for unemployed in the 2007 census.


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    #58
    Dude111
    Registered Users Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭Dude111


    This is just insane!!!

    This is an ANONYMOUS CENSUS,nothing like what FACEOOK does (Which is not anon)

    WHY ARE PEOPLE SO UPSET ABOUT THIS?? Just dont do the census,dont sit here and complain about it :D


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    #59
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    Steve wrote: »
    That said, I may or may not have given deliberate false answers to this advertising market research survey that, if posted by any normal user, would have them sitebanned in a nanosecond.

    That's incredibly poor form. Fill it out properly or just don't fill it out, you have achieved absolutely nothing by bullshítting answers except potentially skewing the results with inaccuracies - go you.


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    #60
    Chris P. Bacon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭Chris P. Bacon


    TouchingVirus wrote: »
    That's incredibly poor form. Fill it out properly or just don't fill it out, you have achieved absolutely nothing by bullshítting answers except potentially skewing the results with inaccuracies - go you.

    What about the questions,i did take it seriously up until it asked what computer you had and one of the options was Atari Jaguar.


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    #61
    minidazzler
    Registered Users Posts: 14,739 ✭✭✭✭minidazzler


    Steve wrote: »

    That said, I may or may not have given deliberate false answers to this advertising market research survey that, if posted by any normal user, would have them sitebanned in a nanosecond.

    Yes, it would have a normal person sitebanned if they stood to gain financially from it. But this is boards as a whole that stands to gain, I don't understand how that's a bad thing. And a longtime user can post a survey if they have a valid reason and mod permission of the forums they want to ask. I completed at least 4 thesis student surveys this year on this site.


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