[ILUG] Open Source Developers and Users Survey

[Patrick O'Connor]

On 01/07/07, Michael Watterson <watty at eircom.net> wrote:
> Kae Verens wrote:
> > Patrick O'Connor wrote:
> >>
> >> http://survey.patrickoconnor.ie/index.php?sid=1
> > unfortunately, I found this survey impossible to complete, as
> > validation for questions 6 and 7 crap out if you choose "Benevolent
> > Dictator".
> >
> > Also trying to save progress caused an error...
> >
> > Kae
> to be balanced the survey should be taken by those not on an open source
> related list, or with no use of open source to find out why they don't
> use open source.

True, but people like that are insignificant insects! LOL
Only kidding, but the aims of the survey are to get some empirical
data on the motivations open source developers and users. If people
aren't developing / using open source they are not motivated to do so
and hence not relevant to the survey.
>
> Not everyone agrees on what open source means either.
Very true, I tried to stay away from that debate. At the end of the
day if you believe that code should be free and open it doesn't really
matter to this survey what your definition of open source is.
>
> I suspect that a list like this gives skewed results.  I sent out 500
> fliers once as a survey in 1987 and offered a raffle of a dinner for
> two. Not one survey was returned, which taught me something about the
> design of surveys.
Hence the blatent bribery! Nah but seriously, good survey results are
difficult to get and I've tried to maximise the potential of getting
responses, easily accessible (despite previos design bug... :0 ), open
for 3 weeks, not too long etc.
>
> Designing a good survey and doing it properly is probably harder than
> interpreting the results. I got an Ulsterbank survey once on customer
> service and there was no-where on it for me to make my opinions  known
> and I found every question  to be irrelevant to my use of the Bank.

I hope people won't find this survey irrelevant and possibly it may be
of some use. I've designed my career around advocating and supporting
open source because I believe it is the best way to innovate /
maintain equality, transparency etc. in the software world, as well of
course as being great fun to play with :)
Not being a developer I try to contribute in other ways and the body
of work which this survey is part of is one of those things.

Anyway, enough waffling,
Patrick.
>
> --
> Mike
>
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