AMSAT sent out a survey many years ago andthat is where our current path has lead. personally I don't think surveys can substitute for the lack of money, volunteers and elbow grease.
after all, I bet you could put a question out there... if a satellite were launched, would you use it? after receiving 100% reply in favor, you are still in the same boat.
subjective questions can lead the response in the direction you would prefer by giving less desirable possibilities for the other answers.
it is no longer a matter of build it and it will get launched. i think our efforts of going geostationary on a commercial satellite is going to be the best we can do right now.
73...bruce
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 21, 2008, at 6:01 PM, "Robert Bruninga" bruninga@usna.edu wrote:
So, to get the current thinking of the membership, I invite you take the simple, anonymous, no cost (probably unscientific) survey that I have prepared to determine your operating preferences at . . . . .
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/55247/amsat-operating-preferences
Although I applaud the effort an initiative to prepare such a survey, I'm not comfortable with the questions and answers, because I don't think they will do much to help the membership or officers make an informed decision, because the questions are not phrased to extracting a cost-benefit response.
We would all like the best possible satellite providing 24/7 worldwide communications to a small 18" antenna that provides both voice, data, video, and internet. The problem is, -at-what-cost-and-what-tradeoffs???
Unless each question that offers a benefit, also weighs that benefit against the cost and risk, and loss of other efforts, the data is of little meaningfull value.
I will be using this simple, easy e-survey format to get membership opinion on future topics.
Problem is, everyone has an opinion. It is not until you force the opinionated to select their favorite opinon at the expense of what they have to lose or give up, that such a survey has value...
Let me know if you run into any issues...
Again, I appreciate your approach and incentive, but to be meaningful, I think the questions and selected answers have to be better designed to give tradeoffs, not just opinions.
Good luck. Thanks Bob, WB4APR
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