July 22, 2006
Technorati Lies
Having done survey research, and having supervised dissertations that used survey research, I have a soft spot for surveys. Not push-polling, mind you, but surveys, because I know some poor schlub is having the response rate waved in his or her face, and given "encouragement" to up the numbers. Yeah, I know. A sucker.
So when I saw this:
and I was just cruising around wasting time anyway, I thought, what the heck. Plus, there was the clever bit about a cash reward. Of course, seeing the cash reward made me a tad suspicious, but then again, if they offered a discount coupon to something I'd never use, I'd stll have done the survey.
Anyway, it asks questions about your website ownership and management, traffic etc. When asked about how many websites I owned, I clicked two, because I technically own two (this one, and bloodlesscoup.net) but I also have one on the university server (which I don't technically own), a blog on blogspot (don't ask...it's a family thing, but I don't own that either) and I run the website for a local community organization because I serve on its board of directors (I know, so civic minded, but I don't own that one either). Yet, I make decisions about content and technical matters for five websites, but they asked about ownership. So, fine, I look less "important" than I might be. Then come the questions about what you have on your site, and what you might want in the future.
Methinks I sense a sales pitch coming on. But hey, if there's a chance at a coupon or something? It did say "cash reward" didn't it?
So, I go through the whole thing for my "highest traffic site." Fine, whatever. It asks if I would be interested in adding features, such as a calendar, search tools or other doo-dahs. No, not interested. I finish it for bloodless, and it starts asking about my other site that I own. Do you have doo dahs on it? Do you want doo dahs on it? No, I don't and won't (because it's just parked to redirect here).
And, I wish I would have screen capped the message, which has now timed out and I can't use the back arrow to get it (I get redirected to the regular Technorati page, and if I try to click the survey button it says "It seems you have already finished this survey."), but it just popped up a message that said, essentially "you're not what we want." Period. No "I'm sorry," no "thank you very much we'll give you your cash reward for completing the survey" no nothing.
Am I really pissed about not getting a cash reward? Of course not. I don't get really pissed about much, especially not some faux survey sales pitch. It's just kind of shitty.
Posted by binky at July 22, 2006 06:42 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Blogorama