[Ham-Mac] ARRL Survey Results

[Brian Short]

With all due respect (and I'm just rambling here), previously
the ARRL ran a "power output" survey and it was announced
with great fanfare on the QRP-L mailing list (very wide reader
base >1500 subscribers etc).

Predictably, some were surprised by how many people operate
QRP at least some of the time.

An "RFI" person at the ARRL assured many that the ARRL
utilizes scientific surveys for decision making and the web-
based surveys are just for fun.

In my opinion, whether intentional or not, these results do
get interpreted by many and become part of the amateur
consciousness.  =46rom there, they DO sometimes indirectly
influence decisions.

While it is well known that these surveys are unscientific,
it is less well known what ad hoc impact they may have.

BTW, I'm Pro-Choice!

On Saturday, August 9, 2003, at 09:11 AM, KL=D8S wrote:
> Although I'm sure that every one of the votes indicating a user's=20
> system to
> be the Mac OS on this week's ARRL computer operating system are=20
> absolutely
> genuine, it "seems" (based on some previous notes here on this=20
> reflector)
> that it's possible that our numbers are being artificially inflated=20
> (35%/672
> votes as of this writing).  If that were the case then unfortunately a=20=

> great
> result could be interpreted as being the inaccurate result of a few=20
> folks
> who got around the "you may vote only once" rule of the survey.....in=20=

> the
> long run that could do more to damage our cause with the ARRL to =
better
> support our OS than a more realistic count.
>
> Machts nichts to me, but after spending 26 years of my life in the =
Army
> defending our right to live in this great land I'm kinda partial to=20
> honesty
> and integrity and hate to envision that we as a group may be violating=20=

> those
> principles.
>
> Having said all that if every vote is genuine then Hooah!!!!  Maybe it=20=

> will
> wake the ARRL up!!!!!!
>
> 73 -- Dino KL=D8S/4
> Apple user since 1979/Mac user since 1984
>
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