I finally got around to taking Cameron Marlow’s Weblog Survey, and I’m glad I did. I had seen his request on his blog, but initially resisted because I wasn’t sure about the anonymity issues. Still not sure about the sample (since it will reflect the networks of people who know him and know people who know him, etc., unless the number of responses are very large indeed), but then that is a failing of almost all the survey work done on weblogs so far, and though it weakens the results, I don’t think it does so significantly.
Seeing his survey is also a bit bittersweet for me. I’ve been planning to do something similar for a couple of years now, but never found the time. This isn’t the first time his work has heavily paralleled my interests, and I’m glad that he’s done such a good job of it, in part because it lets me off the hook for completing a similar survey. So, for what it’s worth, here are the questions I sent to a grad student in May of last year (after the jump). If you complete Cameron’s survey, you’ll find he’s gotten at a lot of these issues more quickly and directly.
Anyway, interesting survey and looking forward to seeing what he finds.
Very drafty Link survey
PAGE 1
Introduction, disclosure, consent.
PAGE 2
1. How are you related to the blog at http://thisblog.com/?
[solo author, main author, one of several authors, no relation]
2. In what year were you born?
[]
(If 1 is “no relation†or if 2 is >1985, thank participant and end)
PAGE 3
3. How many blogs besides http://thisblog.com, do you author, if any?
[]
4. About how many posts have you made to http://thisblog.com in the last month?
[]
About how often would you say you write in these other media?
5. Participating in a BBS or Forum
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
6. Personal correspondence via written (or typewritten) letters
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
7. Personal correspondence via e-Mail
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
8. Personal correspondence via IM
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
9. Business correspondence via written (or typewritten) letters
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
10. Business correspondence via e-Mail
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
11. Business correspondence via IM
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
12. Letters to the editor (newspaper)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
13. A private diary or journal
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
14. Fiction (short stories, novel)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
15. Non-fiction
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
16. Newspaper articles
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
17. Newsletter
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
18. Magazine articles
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
19. Academic writing (research papers, essays)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
20. Poetry
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
21. Advertising copy
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
22. Television or theater scripts
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
23. About how many blogs do you read on a weekly basis?
[]
24. If you use an “aggregator†or “newsreader†to read syndicated content, what is the
name of the software you use?
[]
25. What percentage of posts (if any) would you say you read primarily via the
aggregator?
[]
26. Do you use a “bookmarklet†that allows you to easily post comments about a page by
clicking a button on your browser?
[]
27. What is your occupation (or occupations)?
[]
28. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
[]
29. In what city do you live?
[]
PAGE 4
The remainder of the survey will ask you about three links, drawn at random, from your
blog. This page asks questions about the first of these links.
On the blog located at http://thisblog.com there is a link to:
http://something.com/link1.html
It is linked in the following text:
… then, I went to Sally’s house, where we ate a lot of cheesy poofs…
(If this doesn’t provide enough context, or if you need a reminder, click here to open your
blog in a new window.)
30. Thinking about that link, can you describe, in a few words what the page being linked
to is.
[]
31. In your own words, can you explain why you made that link? Please be as specific as
you can.
[]
32. Can you explain–again, in as much detail as possible–how you found (or knew of)
the page you linked to?
[]
33. Generally speaking, what type of page is linked.
[a blog, a permalink for a blog, a personal site, a mainstream news site, a community site,
a company site, a school/university site, a government site]
34. Do you know if this page is hosted in:
[the same city/region as yours, the same country as yours, another country, I don’t know]
35. Is the linked page in the same language as the one used primarily in this blog:
[yes, no]
For the following questions, please indicate how well they reflect the nature of this link,
from “very†to “not at all.â€
36. The author of the page I linked to is famous or a celebrity.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
37. I sometimes see this person in “real life†(face-to-face).
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
38. I have linked to other pages authored by this person.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
39. I know something about the person who authored this page.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
40. I consider the person who authored this page to be a friend.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
41. I consider the person who authored this page to be a relative.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
42. I consider the person who authored this page to be a colleague or co-worker.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
43. I made this link because I wanted to give credit to the source of the information I was
using.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
44. I expect the person to whom I have linked will see my blog at some point:
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
45. I made this link in order to make my argument stronger.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
46. I made this link in case the reader wanted more in-depth information.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
47. I made this link so that I could find the page if I wanted to look for it later.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
48. I made this link because I thought it was important for people to visit this site.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
49. I made this link in order to help the author of the page to receive more attention.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
50. This link was not made manually, but by the blogging system I use.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
51. This link was provided by someone who commented on my blog.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
52. This link is a “trackback†(an automatic link back to someone who has linked to your
blog).
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
53. This link exists mainly to aid in navigation.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
54. This link is used to indicate a group that I am associated with.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
55. This link provides access to a tool or a directory that will be of help to the reader.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
56. What percentage of the people who read this text do you expect will follow this link?
[]
57. Do you have any further comments about this link?
[]
PAGE 5, 6
Same as page 4, but for other links (if available)
Cameron Marlow’s survey
I finally got around to taking Cameron Marlow’s Weblog Survey, and I’m glad I did. I had seen his request on his blog, but initially resisted because I wasn’t sure about the anonymity issues. Still not sure about the sample (since it will reflect the networks of people who know him and know people who know him, etc., unless the number of responses are very large indeed), but then that is a failing of almost all the survey work done on weblogs so far, and though it weakens the results, I don’t think it does so significantly.
Seeing his survey is also a bit bittersweet for me. I’ve been planning to do something similar for a couple of years now, but never found the time. This isn’t the first time his work has heavily paralleled my interests, and I’m glad that he’s done such a good job of it, in part because it lets me off the hook for completing a similar survey. So, for what it’s worth, here are the questions I sent to a grad student in May of last year (after the jump). If you complete Cameron’s survey, you’ll find he’s gotten at a lot of these issues more quickly and directly.
Anyway, interesting survey and looking forward to seeing what he finds.
Very drafty Link survey
PAGE 1
Introduction, disclosure, consent.
PAGE 2
1. How are you related to the blog at http://thisblog.com/?
[solo author, main author, one of several authors, no relation]
2. In what year were you born?
[]
(If 1 is “no relation†or if 2 is >1985, thank participant and end)
PAGE 3
3. How many blogs besides http://thisblog.com, do you author, if any?
[]
4. About how many posts have you made to http://thisblog.com in the last month?
[]
About how often would you say you write in these other media?
5. Participating in a BBS or Forum
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
6. Personal correspondence via written (or typewritten) letters
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
7. Personal correspondence via e-Mail
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
8. Personal correspondence via IM
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
9. Business correspondence via written (or typewritten) letters
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
10. Business correspondence via e-Mail
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
11. Business correspondence via IM
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
12. Letters to the editor (newspaper)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
13. A private diary or journal
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
14. Fiction (short stories, novel)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
15. Non-fiction
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
16. Newspaper articles
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
17. Newsletter
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
18. Magazine articles
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
19. Academic writing (research papers, essays)
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
20. Poetry
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
21. Advertising copy
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
22. Television or theater scripts
[at least daily, once or twice a week, once or twice a month, once or twice a year, never]
23. About how many blogs do you read on a weekly basis?
[]
24. If you use an “aggregator†or “newsreader†to read syndicated content, what is the
name of the software you use?
[]
25. What percentage of posts (if any) would you say you read primarily via the
aggregator?
[]
26. Do you use a “bookmarklet†that allows you to easily post comments about a page by
clicking a button on your browser?
[]
27. What is your occupation (or occupations)?
[]
28. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
[]
29. In what city do you live?
[]
PAGE 4
The remainder of the survey will ask you about three links, drawn at random, from your
blog. This page asks questions about the first of these links.
On the blog located at http://thisblog.com there is a link to:
http://something.com/link1.html
It is linked in the following text:
… then, I went to Sally’s house, where we ate a lot of cheesy poofs…
(If this doesn’t provide enough context, or if you need a reminder, click here to open your
blog in a new window.)
30. Thinking about that link, can you describe, in a few words what the page being linked
to is.
[]
31. In your own words, can you explain why you made that link? Please be as specific as
you can.
[]
32. Can you explain–again, in as much detail as possible–how you found (or knew of)
the page you linked to?
[]
33. Generally speaking, what type of page is linked.
[a blog, a permalink for a blog, a personal site, a mainstream news site, a community site,
a company site, a school/university site, a government site]
34. Do you know if this page is hosted in:
[the same city/region as yours, the same country as yours, another country, I don’t know]
35. Is the linked page in the same language as the one used primarily in this blog:
[yes, no]
For the following questions, please indicate how well they reflect the nature of this link,
from “very†to “not at all.â€
36. The author of the page I linked to is famous or a celebrity.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
37. I sometimes see this person in “real life†(face-to-face).
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
38. I have linked to other pages authored by this person.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
39. I know something about the person who authored this page.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
40. I consider the person who authored this page to be a friend.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
41. I consider the person who authored this page to be a relative.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
42. I consider the person who authored this page to be a colleague or co-worker.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
43. I made this link because I wanted to give credit to the source of the information I was
using.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
44. I expect the person to whom I have linked will see my blog at some point:
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
45. I made this link in order to make my argument stronger.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
46. I made this link in case the reader wanted more in-depth information.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
47. I made this link so that I could find the page if I wanted to look for it later.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
48. I made this link because I thought it was important for people to visit this site.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
49. I made this link in order to help the author of the page to receive more attention.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
50. This link was not made manually, but by the blogging system I use.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
51. This link was provided by someone who commented on my blog.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
52. This link is a “trackback†(an automatic link back to someone who has linked to your
blog).
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
53. This link exists mainly to aid in navigation.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
54. This link is used to indicate a group that I am associated with.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
55. This link provides access to a tool or a directory that will be of help to the reader.
[very much, somewhat, perhaps, not particularly, not at all]
56. What percentage of the people who read this text do you expect will follow this link?
[]
57. Do you have any further comments about this link?
[]
PAGE 5, 6
Same as page 4, but for other links (if available)
PAGE 7
Thanks and information on results.
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