[Widi-support] Re: About widi.berlios.de -> the authors respond

[Gregorio Robles]

	Hi, another time
		(I hope this is my last mail today :-)...)

MJ Ray wrote

> This survey might have given us useful data to use, but I think it
> will be so distorted as to be useless.  It looks like we will not even
> be able to tell whether it is or not, as only the study is able to use
> it and then the data will be destroyed, according to
> http://widi.berlios.de/privacy.php3

	Yes, you're right! I apologize for this error. We've been very busy
this last weeks (I have two exams this week, the press releases...)...

	at the beginning in our survey we asked for email address, name and
surname and were told that we had to delete the data after the survey to
do not treat German privacy laws.

	We then reconsidered it and changed our questions, so that no more
personal data would be asked. This was done so to:

	* avoid legal problems
	* be able to give out this database so that anyone who wants can study
the data (there are lots of correlations possible).

	The only problem is that we forgot to change our Privacy Policy. :-(

	But you've got my word: the database will be realeased and you'll get
it if you want to!

> I don't see what FSFE would gain from supporting this in any way.
> Given what is said of Berlios's views, I think it is right to be
> suspicious.  To be useful, such a survey should not be associated with
> a political agenda like that.  I was hoping that maybe that could be
> corrected before we got too far down the road, but 5000 responses on,
> the bias is probably already too ingrained.

	MJ Ray, you find everything suspicious. ;-)

	We can tell you where we've posted our press releases (from the 5000
entries, ca. 3000 come from Slashdot and 1000 come from Heise.de...
you'll see that in the log).
 
	And I can say Widi is open to new contributions as it is not a closed
survey. I know that independently from our press releases, that Widi has
been posted in many mailing lists (as it was done in this). I encourage
you to keep on posting and to support further participation.

	---> BUT, I also have to say __clear and loud__ that we didn't bias any
data!

	If you don't like the results, please do not kill the researchers!

	I know that now the stats are 57%:43% for OS in the "Open Source or
Free Software?" question. I can _personally_ only regret it. I can also
_personally_ be very proud of seeing that in Spain (my country) it is
65%:35% for FS.

	The survey is open, so this can change. But if this does not change it
is better to think _why_ this is so (people are uninformed, OS lobby...)
and to find _solutions_ than closing your eyes and saying "I don't see
it, the problem doesn't exist. It was biased!". (This is also personal
opinion)

		another time thanx for your time,

				Grex

	P.S. Thanx, Greg!

	P.S.2: Off-topic

> I'm sorry, no flame was intended from me.  I just wanted to point out
> that I think that the association with Berlios and the persistent use
> of the marketroid "Open Source" term will result in biased responses
> to the survey.  I would expect the same if it had been hosted on the
> GNU project servers, to be honest.

	I know one of the other three Widi-members is interested in doing his
diploma thesis in further researching developers.
	We were thinking about a developer counter (a sort of Widi 2)... I
think he will find it a great idea to be an official GNU project!