[amsat-bb] Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - Operating Survey

[Robert Bruninga]

> So, to get the current thinking of the membership, 
> I invite you take the simple, anonymous, no cost 
> (probably unscientific) survey that I have 
> prepared to determine your operating preferences at . . . . .
> 
> http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/55247/amsat-operating-preferences

Although I applaud the effort an initiative to prepare such a
survey, I'm not comfortable with the questions and answers,
because I don't think they will do much to help the membership
or officers make an informed decision, because the questions are
not phrased to extracting a cost-benefit response.

We would all like the best possible satellite providing 24/7
worldwide communications to a small 18" antenna that provides
both voice, data, video, and internet.  The problem is,
-at-what-cost-and-what-tradeoffs???

Unless each question that offers a benefit, also weighs that
benefit against the cost and risk, and loss of other efforts,
the data is of little meaningfull value.

> I will be using this simple, easy e-survey format 
> to get membership opinion on future topics. 

Problem is, everyone has an opinion.  It is not until you force
the opinionated to select their favorite opinon at the expense
of what they have to lose or give up, that such a survey has
value...

> Let me know if you run into any issues...

Again, I appreciate your approach and incentive, but to be
meaningful, I think the questions and selected answers have to
be better designed to give tradeoffs, not just opinions. 

Good luck.
Thanks
Bob, WB4APR