[Foundation-l] Dumb survey about Commons

[Naoko Komura]

Milos Rancic wrote:
> When you make a dumb survey, answers will be dumb, as well as conclusions.
>
> I am really frustrated with that survey... I wanted to help with my
> responses, but it seems that I am inside of unknown percentage of
> Wikimedia Commons users and contributors which doesn't fit into the
> survey.
>
> So, let's start...
>
> 1. Yes, I am using Commons regularly.
> 2. There are many goals when I look for free media files on Commons
> and I can't say which one is primary.
> 3. I am participating in Wikimedia Commons sometimes.
> 4.
> * 100-1000 edits
> * 100-1000 uploads (actually I don't have a clue how to find that fact
> efficiently)
> * I don't have a clue which percentage are my own works, let's say 10-50%
> * And the winner: What is my reason to participate? And there is no
> *my* reason, even Commons is the free content project? No reason to
> answer.
> * Then, no possibility to say that I am definitely not working on
> "quality review, improvement & promotion of featured works"; just
> "rarely"; as well as that I didn't upload any animation. BTW, all
> types of my participation on Commons are rare.
>
> And, instead of doing that in a couple of minutes, I've spent 30
> minutes in writing this email.
>
> I really don't know which answers such survey is able to give? How
> many Commons participants have less than 100 edits? SQL queries may be
> more helpful.
>
> If it is for making some decisions, it is better not to use the
> results because survey may give very wrong conclusions. If it is for
> some student work, it may be better.
>
> I don't want to say that it is possible to make a perfect survey.
> However, this one has ~50% of not so bright questions and/or options.
> Yes, there are options for "other" answers, but such answers will be
> not so informative (cf. my second answer) or they would be narrative
> and it won't be easy to categorize them. Those who don't want to
> bother themselves with "other" option will give wrong answers.
>
> Some brainstorming with other Wikimedians could help. It is better to
> have relevant than fast answers and conclusions.
>
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>   
I think the survey is a good _start_ to understand the basic user 
contribution level, challenges and where frustration lies, when one 
tries to contribute to Commons.  Thanks to active and supportive 
translators, the survey is offered in more than twenty languages.  This 
will also help the multi-media usability project team to understand what 
is the shortcomings of supporting non-English Commons, Wikipedia, other 
Wikimedia Project contributors, and potential future contributors.

Thanks,

- Naoko



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