What makes you answer questions here on MrExcel? [a survey on knowledge sharing]

[bertie]

Using Chrome.

I took the survey, ticked the partial submission box and entered my email.
Followed the link to complete the survey but it took me back to the part I just completed.

Bertie

 

[Domski]

Finished it I think.

Dom

 

[diddi]

save appears to do nothing... (ie9) so after i clicked about 7 times i decided to close the window. hope i havent skewed the results LOL.

 

[snowblizz]

That is worrying. I must admit I forgot to check how it looked in some other browsers. Rookie mistake, I know. I totally spaced on Chrome's existence. I have not had any access to Macs either so I don't know how it looks there either.
I'm going to look into this and get back. Going to go installing Chrome and see what IE version I have.

I went back and tested this at home on my computer in both Chrome and IE9.
I can not replicate either problem mentioned here. On my IE9[.08] (Vista) the saving screen shows up as expected and it registers the survey.

There *may* be some bug in the whole save/retrieve thing, I think I’ve seen it sometimes not properly changing the setting of processing to completed surveys. Technically it should bring you back to the whole survey so you should be seeing your previous answers. I do recall the system

bertie,
I’ve now tried it out in Chrome and it seems to be working as it should. When you restore the saved survey you will end up at the top of the survey page, exactly as when opening it up the first time, but it should have all your previous answers. It does not know where you left off. Scrolling down you should be able to find whatever place you stopped filling in at and continue from there.

diddi,
There are no copies of something 7 times, nor anything from yesterday so it seems it has not registered your answers at all. I am at loss to say what the problem could be. I’ve tried several permutations of saving for later, continuing, just saving it straight up the first time. And I can’t replicate any problems. Maybe it’s cookies that are doing something or some Java- complication?

Latest completed survey was started on Oct 12^th, by someone in the US. Allegedly at least.

I can find only one clear double entry from Oct 1st 14:22 (where age, location etc is exactly the same), one submission is listed as saved the other unfinished. Why that would be also stumps me.

Even though a submission is partial I do see it listed and any answers given so far, so e.g. there is one reply which lists as unfinished, but as far as I can see it seems to be completed. Based on the assumption that you finish the survey when you answered the last question in it (and not eg start at the bottom and work up, or leave a hole in the middle).

I don't have access to the back end or anything so unfortunately I can only hope the service provider has ensured compatibility. It's not the most sophisticated of software. You get what you pay for I guess. Sometimes the computer related departments/functions wish they were consulted when software is acquired for the university, but often it is done waaay over the heads of even the universities highest authorities, on government level even. Basically the ministry of finance buys what's cheapest for all universities. Don’t know if that’s changed with university reform 2 years back. That's how we all got our travel claims system which has to be the worst piece of program in existence.

Very much appreciating people taking the time to answer this. So far in total 29 replies of which most (there's that one double and a couple of incomplete) seem usable.

Cheers,
Henri

 

[diddi]

i did my survey around midnight local time 16/10. just wouldnt save.


29 replies... out of how many active users i wonder. i must admit that i missed it in the lounge cos i virtually never look at the stickies. it was just luck that i saw it.

 

[Domski]

I did mine using Chrome, saved part way through etc and it was fine.

Dom

 

[snowblizz]

i did my survey around midnight local time 16/10. just wouldnt save.


29 replies... out of how many active users i wonder. i must admit that i missed it in the lounge cos i virtually never look at the stickies. it was just luck that i saw it.

Yeah it has definitely not let your reply through then. For whatever reason I cannot figure out. All I can think of is to try again, and just do the first few questions, save it, and try and continue when you see it accepts you. Maybe the system just doesn't like some people. Another browser might help.
It's scary though, because then how many others have tried to answer and then not been able to? And since it's very extensive how many won't touch it with a long pole anymore. Theoretically I could provide a Excel version of the survey, one of the output options is an Excel workbook so it'd be relatively simple to just export that, strip existing answers keeping the questions and make sort of a manual entry version.

Well the number of respondents is of course a constant worry for me, I just don't have that many options to advertise it. Of course the mods have been diligent in forcing Domski to reply, from following some of the discussion in this thread. Also I don't know how actively they promote it in the MVP area I do not have access too. I don't want to be seen as whining though because this is very important for me and beggers can't be choosers as they say.

 

[Joe4]

Also I don't know how actively they promote it in the MVP area I do not have access too.

When we first posted it, we also advertised it among the MVPs. We obviously cannot force people to take it, but we requested that people consider taking it, as the results could prove to be useful to us too!

 

[Domski]

I work for a large employer and we often get students contacting us trying to promote surveys. Unless there's some kind of financial reward people often just can't be bothered to answer more than a couple of questions.

Dom

 

[diddi]

and as we discussed, the likelyhood of a skewed result due to the very nature of sampling only those willing to a: visit the lounge and b: give some time for free is quite high. it kind of like surveying a group of hunters about gun control.