Posted by: Texas Voting Expert
Email: yes@maybe.com
Date Posted: April 17, 2008
Subject: Re: End of survey on 'buying a pre-owned French horn'
Why are you doing the survey actually? I looked to see whether there was a specific goal, a theory to prove or disprove. I did the survey but it didn't seem to be able to result in any meaningful results. There my be some statisticians on this site occasionally but probably not, I however take part on a regular basis in designing blind testing surveys for my work. The people who do these things professionally insist on certain criteria for a meaningful result. These include questions that qualify the people being surveyed as being able to give an answer and not just make one up, be biased etc.
If you start distributing what you call a "general analysis" for an unqualified survey you may be in danger, especially when you cite specific company names or individuals, of making yourself liable for some recourse from those parties. Emailing people individually after a public announcement is a doubtful protection against someone's lawyer seeking a badly worded written result from you without the right disclaimers?
I quite honestly am only looking for two things
1. that you don't inadvertently put your foot in it and
2. that if there is really a need for such a survey that it is done in a qualified and impartial manner.
Am I overly concerned?
Yours, Al Gore