Re: SEUL: draft survey: v.0.001

["Karsten M. Self" <kmself@ix.netcom.com>]

Roger Dingledine wrote:
> 
> I've set up the seul-research website (http://www.seul.org/research/)
> and soon this draft will live there.
> 
> Ok. Somebody's gotta be the first one to put these issues into
> questions. The following is wrong, but it's a starting point. Correct
> me. :) And I also stopped partway through because I got sidetracked
> reading http://aachen.heimat.de/alug/fragebogen2/fragebogen_results2.html
> Hopefully I'll unsidetrack myself in a bit.
> 
> In message <358924BE.83AEB4D4@iname.com>, pete_st_onge@iname.com writes:
> >[User Demographics]
> >     Experience with OS, which OS used, how long, what uses
> >OS's. Plural. I'm curious about experience and uses of all sorts of
> >os's -- linux, dos, os/2, win31, win95, winnt, mac, other unix (should
> >we just lump them? probably not quite that much.) User info will also
> >include name, email address (contact info), age, profession, income (?),
> 
> section: experience
> 
> 1. I consider myself to be a [exclusive: dos, win31, win95, winnt, mac,
> os/2, linux, other unix, other] user.

Change: "My primary OS is" or "I consider myself to be primarily a ___
user".

> 2. I have used this operating system for how long? [exclusive: <1month,
> <6months, <1year, >1year]

Scale:  < 6 mos, 6 mos < 1 yr, 1 yr < 5 yr, 5 yr < 10 yr, 10 yr +

...some users, especially very long term, will have very strong biases. 
The range above will equate roughly to "beginner", "intermediate",
"advanced", "expert", "I wrote it" categories.  Do we add a "My name is
Linux, Bill, Steve, Dennis" category? <g>


 
> 3. I have experience with the following operating systems: [checkany:
> dos, win31, win95, winnt, mac, os/2, linux, other unix]

Would be good to ask location for both of main/secondary:

I use this OS at: home, office, school, other (pick multiple)
 
> I'd like to ask question 2 about all operating systems they have
> experience with. But I don't want to get too bulky.
> 
> section: user profile
> 
> 1. name (optional): string
> 2. email address (optional): string
> 3. age: exclusive: [under 10, 10-15, 15-18, 18-21, 21-25, 25-35, >35]
>   (these good?)

Life doesn't end at 35 ;-) (I've got a few years to go even if it does,
but I'm starting to get edgy about it....)  Why go so young?

How about: < 10, 10 - 19, 20 - 29, 30 - 39, 40 - 49, 50 - 59, 60 - 69,
70+.
...unless you've got specific interests in particular age ranges.  I
might grant you splitting < 10, 10-14, 15-19.

> 4. profession: exclusive: (options?)

Do you want to ask "profession" or "position" or "industry"?  There are
some standard classification schemes, you might want to check US Census
bureau.  When asked, "profession" is usually a fill-in-the-blank type
response.

General categories -- some of these are terms we *don't* want to use,
but as ideas:
 - Unemployed/not working
 - Retired
 - Student
 - Home Maker
 - Laborer
 - Skilled laborer (incl. factory) ?
 - Journeyman (carpenter, plumber, glazier)
 - General office
 - Business Professional
 - Computer professional (operator, analyst, programmer, sysop)
 - Business management
 - Computing management
 - Business executive
 - Computer executive (CFO)
 - "Content provider" (we don't want to use this term -- artist, writer,
other creative professional)
 - Professional (doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, etc.)


> 5. income (optional): exclusive: <$10k, 10k-20k, 20k-30k, 30k-50k, 50k-100k, >100k
>   (should we do 'household income'? what's standard here?)
>   (should we care that we're being US-centric?)

I'd do "household", in broad ranges.  < 20, 20 - 59, 60 - 119, 120+ 
Basically: poverty (or starving student), lower middle, middle, made
it.  Any measure has to be denominated in some currency.  Simply specify
US dollars or equivalent.


> 6. education level, and specialization (if applicable)

Some secondary, secondary, some college/2 year college, baccelaureate,
advanced degree, technical training, professional degree.

> 7. missing anything?

Yes.
 
> >[Operating System]
> >How important is:
> [snip]
> dialin to an isp
> dialin to an isp automatically
> (or more generally, auto-setup network connection, whatever it may be)
> 
> network:
>   how do you connect to the network?
>   (i don't, ethernet, ppp/slip, dialup (shell))
> 
> >[System Utilities]
> > Uses: Which of these are important / not important
> >   being able to scan for viruses?
> >   being able to scan (with up to date virus info) for viruses?
> 
> we need to put something here about not having viruses in the
> first place, due to real security (eg unix).
> 
> >   being able to defragment your hard drive?
> 
> same. ext2 defrags as it goes, so you never have to do it manually
> 
> >   being able to make a backup of your system?
> >   being able to make backup copies of large data files?
> 
> something luka suggested:
> another thing you might add into "etc" is file sharing protocol
> (windows, mac, nfs, afs, floppy disk...)
> [or you could actually ask that as a useful free standing q anyway.]
> [supported file sharing protocols, i guess]



How about, general areas, fill in later:

 - General use:
   I use my computer for: games, internet/email, schoolwork, small/home
office (SOHO), office applications, dedicated/business systems,
development.

 - Rank the following in terms of importance (low, moderately low,
moderately high, high):
   - local networking (connecting to other computers at my office, home,
or other location).
   - wide area networking (connecting two or more locations)
   - internet connection (direct or dial-up internet connection)
   - privacy (ability to keep other users from reading my files)
   - security (ability to prevent unauthorized people from using my
system(s).
   - stability (computer and applications run without crashing or
requiring restart)
   - multi-user (several people can use machine, possibly
simultaneously)
   - applications (I need to run specific applications on my computer)
   - uses (I need to use my computer for specific tasks.  Specific
applications don't matter as long as they fill the need).
   - backups, administration
   - adding/removing software
   - upgrades
   - compatibility with existing systems
   - compatibility with prior versions
   - ease of use (this *MUST* be split up into "what constitutes EOU"
elements).
   - GUI
   - CLI (command line)
   - documentation
   - support, vendor
   - support, internet
   - source code (probably not a big one, but it would be interesting to
ask)
   - cost
   - corporate reputation (vague -- good or bad reputation is
important.  may not want to ask)


Oh, hell.  I'm all out of ideas.  Feel free to add.

> 
> --roger

-- 
Karsten M. Self (kmself@ix.netcom.com)

    What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
    Welchen Teil von "gestalt" verstehen Sie nicht?

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