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

[Bruce]

AMSAT sent out a survey many years ago andthat is where our current  
path has lead. personally I don't think surveys can substitute for the  
lack of money, volunteers and elbow grease.

after all, I bet you could put a question out there... if a satellite  
were launched, would you use it? after receiving 100% reply in favor,  
you are still in the same boat.

subjective questions can lead the response in the direction you would  
prefer by giving less desirable possibilities for the other answers.

it is no longer a matter of build it and it will get launched. i think  
our efforts of going geostationary on a commercial satellite is going  
to be the best we can do right now.

73...bruce

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 21, 2008, at 6:01 PM, "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>  
wrote:

>> 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
>
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