Request for Your Help

[BenjaminMSU]

Hi everyone!
I am writing to ask for your help in a study regarding internet usage and political attitudes being conducted at Michigan State University by participating in a brief online survey. This study is an exploration in seeing how patterns of internet usage are related to political activities and personal attitudes.

Your answers will be collected in a completely anonymous manner in which no individual responses will ever be identified. Also, this survey is voluntary, and participants are free to exit at anytime they choose.

To show my thanks and appreciation for your help with this study, I will hold a raffle in which all respondents will have the opportunity to win a $100 cash prize! Three prizes will be awarded once the data collection is completed, likely somewhere around the end of February.

The online survey is expected to take about 10-15 minutes, and can be accessed by clicking here: Powered by Zap Survey

If you have any questions or comments about this study, please feel free to write to me , or contact the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University.

Thank you very much for helping with this important study.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Gross
Michigan State University

 

[editec]

Love to hear the findings based on this survey.

Online cafe society is a weird bunch.

 

[BenjaminMSU]

Love to hear the findings based on this survey.

Online cafe society is a weird bunch.

I'm gonna try to post some of the more interesting and revealing statistics to share with everyone here when I get them....

 

[Diuretic]

Are responses from outside the US accepted?

Just checking, don't want to stuff up your work

 

[BenjaminMSU]

There's no way for me to prevent non-US people from taking the survey, so as long as its our little secret LOL

Also, there's never anything good on TV here either.....must be a worldwide phenomenon LOL

 

[Diuretic]

In that case I won't complete the survey. Okay?

Ahem.

I saaaaaaid, "I won't complete the survey"

Really.



Oh I bet our tv is crappier than your tv

 

[Diuretic]

That's a pretty good survey site, must keep it in mind.

Oh noze!

I only looked at it.....

 

[Skull Pilot]

what do I get for wasting 15 minutes of my time?

 

[strollingbones]

it took you 15 minutes?

 

[Skull Pilot]

it took you 15 minutes?

no, the kid posting the survey said it would take up to 15 minutes. Which is why I asked what I get for my 15 minutes. I don't do surveys if there's nothing in it for me.

 

[007]

it took you 15 minutes?

no, the kid posting the survey said it would take up to 15 minutes. Which is why I asked what I get for my 15 minutes. I don't do surveys if there's nothing in it for me.

Not only that, how does anyone know the info isn't going to be skewed? Michigan is a pretty liberal shit hole, they might not like the responses so they'll just change a few. Who's going to know?

 

[WilliamC]

Benjamin

You made no comment in your survey restricting it to US citizens, being from the UK my perspectives probably do not reflect the norm in the US.

I found some of your questions a little confusing was it intended to mix the terminology between debate and argument with an emphasis upon argument, was this intentional. I will debate with anyone but arguing is a waste of time and to my mind usually involves an element of anger.

One of the main strengths of the internet is its ability to allow people from around the globe to dip their toes in other peoples ponds. I hope my input did not muddy yours.

 

[BenjaminMSU]

it took you 15 minutes?

no, the kid posting the survey said it would take up to 15 minutes. Which is why I asked what I get for my 15 minutes. I don't do surveys if there's nothing in it for me.

Actually, I should have mentioned that there will be three people who receive $100 for taking the survey! I plan to conduct the random drawing at the end of March for all those who wish to participate....thanks, Ben

 

[BenjaminMSU]

it took you 15 minutes?

no, the kid posting the survey said it would take up to 15 minutes. Which is why I asked what I get for my 15 minutes. I don't do surveys if there's nothing in it for me.

Not only that, how does anyone know the info isn't going to be skewed? Michigan is a pretty liberal shit hole, they might not like the responses so they'll just change a few. Who's going to know?

Michigan is a pretty liberal state now, which is why I have done all of my sampling over the internet....to avoid as much geographical bias as possible.

As far as skewing the data, I really have no hypotheses that say "all republicans are this" or "all democrats are that", so there is really nothing for me to distort. This study is more about exploring "what" people are doing instead of explaining "why" people are doing it rather than trying to reinforce some kind of party stereotypes....I'm only trying to gather info on what people are really doing/feeling so that others can make more informed predictions about online politics in the future....

Hope this helps,
thanks,
Ben

 

[BenjaminMSU]

Hi everyone, I'm still collecting data but also have some early numbers coming in....so if you take the survey and wonder how others answered the question, write to me and I'll share the results with you!

Thanks again, everyone....things are coming along very well, and I'm really grateful for those of you helping out....best wishes, Benjamin

 

[BenjaminMSU]

Here's a fun stat that I have so far: 47 percent of my respondents spend at least 4 hours a day online....that's a huge chunk of time every day to be in front of a monitor....I know I spend at least 4 hours a day on the computer, probably more!

 

[midcan5]

I find some of these questions phrased in such a way I have a hard time picking an answer, must be the liberal in me, but there are possible qualifications that the words do not cover. lol

 

[BenjaminMSU]

My friend Chris stresses out over surveys because he always deconstructs the words and imagines scenarios where he might feel oppositely to the point where it's actually a little painful to watch him take it....the guy agonizes over his responses. Hoping that your experience was at least a little bit more pleasent than that Thanks again for taking my survey! I really, really appreciate it.....Ben

 

[BenjaminMSU]

My data (so far) shows that 83 percent of respondents say they dislike people who do not support their political views! Does this indicate we are a highly polarized country???