A Whedonverse fandom survey - Fandom&Fun

Thanks for the link Simon! For anyone who's curious the survey is part of my PhD thesis on online communities and is intended to gather a demographic picture of who we are and what brings us to the sites we go to. All responses will be anonymous and I'll be sharing the results once the survey closes.

yourlibrarian | November 09, 13:26 CET

My brain hurts answering so many questions at once like that. :P

For a minute there I thought it was going to be the survey that never ends. ... How many questions where there .... over 60 I think?

RavenU | November 09, 13:33 CET

I took the survey. Was it deliberate that some of the questions seemed to be about participation in fandom (online or otherwise) in general, and others were specifically about Buffy/Angel fandom? I hope so, because I answered accordingly. (Also, did you deliberately not include Firefly fandom?)

Septimus | November 09, 13:34 CET

What? How can you not include Firefly fandom? That's how I got here!

Dietcoke | November 09, 13:37 CET

How many questions where there .... over 60 I think?

It can be a long survey depending on your responses to certain questions :> Not everyone will end up with the full set of questions depending on their responses. I didn't want to waste anyone's time with questions that didn't apply to them. The complete survey is 65 questions.

Was it deliberate that some of the questions seemed to be about participation in fandom (online or otherwise) in general, and others were specifically about Buffy/Angel fandom

Yes. For some people Buffy/Angel is their first (or only) fandom whereas others have been involved and are currently involved in various fandoms. My assumption was though that everyone answering is or has been in the Buffy/Angel fandom. However if Firefly is what you brought you into the fold that's fine too.

[ edited by yourlibrarian on 2006-11-09 20:57 ]

yourlibrarian | November 09, 13:50 CET

I think you did a good job with the possible answers. There was only one question where none of the answers fit properly.
Congrats. But you know? You really aren't MY Librarian!

Lioness | November 09, 14:29 CET

Very well-designed survey! Though I had difficulty choosing among "dynamics among characters," "layers of meaning," and "philosophy of shows."

My final submission crashed out my browser though--is there any way to tell if you received it? I could take it again but I don't want to skew your results.

marmoset | November 09, 14:41 CET

Love survey taking (What? I'm weird, ok) so was happy to do this.

Nice questions :)

Angelite | November 09, 14:51 CET

There was only one question where none of the answers fit properly.

That's quite a compliment, thank you!

Yes, it's always tough anticipating possible answers. In some cases I had an "Other" but in others I really needed people to choose one (even if it wasn't a perfect fit). However overall I think the questions are easier to answer than favorite/least favorite episodes. Now that's a tough short list :>

You really aren't MY Librarian!

You never know, I may have been at one time ;>

yourlibrarian | November 09, 14:51 CET

My final submission crashed out my browser though--is there any way to tell if you received it? I could take it again but I don't want to skew your results.

I wouldn't worry about result skewing as I am shooting for 1000 responses (or more) so one person taking the survey twice shouldn't be a problem. The software is set to accept only one response per address. I don't know if a partial response would still be counted as a repeat or not. Hmmm, but it's a good question. I didn't see an address in your profile so drop me an email, we might be able to test it. And thanks for asking!

Angelite I enjoy taking them too, especially when it's about something I like.

[ edited by yourlibrarian on 2007-10-16 23:29 ]

yourlibrarian | November 09, 15:04 CET

Very well done, all around.

I've linked the survey in all of my Livejournal graphics contest communities and in my own icon journal on LJ. Hopefully some of the non-Whedonesque B/A fans,(who *should* be Whedonesquers, honestly! :)) will take part. In other words, in case they don't see it here, they might see it there. ;)

Good luck!

ctofine | November 09, 15:07 CET

Hmmm. We gave answers to your questions, yet we haven't received any answers from you. May I ask?

Madhatter | November 09, 15:15 CET

I already re-submitted via a different browser. You'll be able to tell from my written answer that it's the same. Again, really enjoyed it.

marmoset | November 09, 15:15 CET

I've linked the survey in all of my Livejournal graphics contest communities

Thanks so much ctofine. I appreciate you spreading the word. And for the resubmission marmoset.

Madhatter which questions do you mean? Did you send me an email?

yourlibrarian | November 09, 15:26 CET

Despite making me think and not telling me which member of the Jackson 5 I am most like, that was an excellent survey :) Best of luck with your thesis!

MindEclipse | November 09, 15:29 CET

I enjoy surveys as well. To the point of getting a warm fuzzy feeling in my brain. I'm sure it must be some kind of disorder!

Xane | November 09, 15:39 CET

That was very interesting, and one of the few surveys I enjoyed answering. I don't read enough, that much is for sure, I put it down to all the fandom art tinkering I spend time with.

And a little surprised how few vidders have actually completed the survey. Only 18 - perhaps posting over at LJ may get a few more responses.

The Do That Girl | November 09, 15:54 CET

Yep, nicely designed set of questions. The only one I wondered about was 'How many different cities have you lived in ?'. I've only actually lived in one city in the UK sense (Royal Charter, cathedral etc.) but I realise the city/town distinction is a bit hazy across the Atlantic so I answered as if it meant different towns (which is quite a few).

(I also assumed 'commercial fiction' meant any fiction i've paid for rather than having some specific academic meaning)

Hope you get something useful from the results yourlibrarian.

Saje | November 09, 16:05 CET

perhaps posting over at LJ may get a few more responses

I plan to post requests in different forums around LJ over the next few weeks. Announcements tend to come and go so quickly both here and there that in another week no one may remember it! It will take some time for me to get the number of responses I'm shooting for. However if you are in any vidding communities on LJ please do pimp it there. I'd really welcome vidder responses.

I realise the city/town distinction
Ah, that's not something I caught on the survey testing Saje! Good point. You interpreted it correctly, it has to do with people's mobility not types of places.

commercial fiction' meant any fiction i've paid for
Or which someone has paid for, possibly the library! This meant paid vs. unpaid from the author side. I wanted to stay away from the term "professional" because professionals may also do unpaid writing but that doesn't make them amateurs.

yourlibrarian | November 09, 16:23 CET

Sorted.

Ocular | November 09, 16:51 CET

You never know, I may have been at one time ;>

Oh! Now I'm worried that I owe you 25 cents!
But, excellent survey! I hope that you get all the answers that you need!

mifeng | November 09, 16:54 CET

Great survey, hon! Although I read "commercial fiction" as "mainstream" fiction, so my answer to that was all off. My mistake, not yours!

cronopio | November 09, 18:10 CET

Ah, not ever having used or heard this term myself, I googled "commercial fiction" and got such definitions as "Fiction written to appeal to as broad-based a readership as possible," or "mainstream" -- (none of these definitions worked for me, but there it was) -- so I, in fact, answered it completely wrongly, as well, cronopio -- it would have been "daily" instead of only several times a year, or somesuch option.

Thought this was a pretty good survey, but had some problems with answer limitations, especially on "What do you find MOST interests you about the Buffy/Angel series?" and I also thought in several questions, there should be an option between "somewhat" (which to me indicates "a bit" or "slight,") and "very" -- it's an abrupt jump that didn't allow for my preferred answers.

Hope this'all helps you with your research -- you might want to post this on Myspace in the Whedon-related groups. It'd skew young, but some of them seem to have lots of time on their hands.

QuoterGal | November 09, 18:44 CET

The only question I had to think twice about was the one about watching TV as opposed to reading a book.

I have always read more than I have watched TV, but at this time my reading of choice has become fan fiction, since that wasn't an option I chose TV, but I spend a lot less time on that than I do reading. Just not books.

Oh and choosing just one kind of fic for my favorite. Impossible. I did it but its really not accurate. I love almost all kinds equally. One of my favorite authors of all time is a close to canon writer, the other is about as far away from canon as you could imagine and still be about Spike and Angel. I love them both.

[ edited by Xane on 2006-11-10 02:02 ]

Xane | November 09, 18:50 CET

Yes the "commercial fiction" seems to be tripping people up. I've added an explanation now so hopefully future takers won't be confused. Thanks for the feedback.

had some problems with answer limitations, especially on "What do you find MOST interests you about the Buffy/Angel series?"

Yes, I imagine that's one of the toughest ones for many people!

you might want to post this on Myspace in the Whedon-related groups

Thanks for that suggestion. I'm afraid I'm so unfamiliar with MySpace I'm not sure which ones those would be. The young age skew may also be a problem because for IRB review purposes the survey is not supposed to be administered to those under 18.

I spend a lot less time on that than I do reading. Just not books

Yes, I know I spend far more time online reading than I do watching TV, so in those terms there's no question which one I end up choosing. However reading a book is also a different sort of experience than reading an assortment of material. Since only some fic is novel length, it would change the nature of that question. Unfortunately sorting through 1000 essays on reading habits would likely make me the oldest PhD candidate ever so some compromises were in order! (Though it would be fun)

yourlibrarian | November 09, 19:35 CET

Having read your response to Saje on "cities" I think I underestimated - I haven't actually lived in many cities, but a heck of a lot of towns!

Good survey - I see you're over half-way to target (petzi's pimping helps, I suspect!). Good luck with it all - I enjoyed doing it.

Gill | November 09, 20:22 CET

Lol! I enjoyed the survey, even though I'm a Firefly fan. What made me laugh was that I'm working on my MIS as well. Good luck with your project, yourlibrarian (sounds like you're creating a fun database)!

nina | November 09, 20:31 CET

Thanks to everyone for the good wishes! I just got a report that someone was having trouble finishing the survey. She'd filled it out but after clicking to submit the survey came up blank. Has anyone else had this problem?

What made me laugh was that I'm working on my MIS as well
Cool! Which school (if you don't mind my asking)?

yourlibrarian | November 09, 21:08 CET

We discussed once, I think, how many of us librarians there were on Whedonesque. (we librarians?)
And I'm glad you have cleared up commercial fiction. I had images of fiction written about McDonalds or Gladwrap.

I did not however see any results. Do I gather that some are showing up?

Lioness | November 09, 21:36 CET

I'm in the Dallas, Texas area. That narrows it down, some. ;)

nina | November 09, 21:42 CET

Just answered the questionaire.
Do you believe I had trouble with this question:

Would you (usually) rather read a book than watch TV?

Had leave it blank. Why choose when I can do both.

Numfar PTB | November 10, 03:19 CET

I did it!
That was actually quite enjoyable, I got all misty talking about how much I love the Ozzie Browncoats!

Tho, truth be told...I'm a bit of a sap.

nixygirl | November 10, 06:37 CET

A very nice survey. I am always happy to answer questions about my involement in this Universe. :)

cheryl | November 10, 07:04 CET

Good survey - had to respond as I'm also a librarian (although Firefly is more my thing now!)

Just to note that I didn't have problems finishing the survey, but I did have some starting it (it took three attempts to load)

ncr | November 10, 09:13 CET

I didn't have problems finishing the survey, but I did have some starting it (it took three attempts to load

Thanks for letting me know. I contacted tech support and they think loading may just be a connection problem. The blank screen/having problems submitting though might be the result of javascript or cookies being turned off in the browser setting. They need to be turned on or the site can't determine what you've already finished or not. I know I usually have scripts forbidden on my browser so it's a problem I run into often.

nina I had a friend who attended in that area :)

yourlibrarian | November 10, 12:02 CET

yourlibarian, please forgive me. I always bite before I bark, a certain weakness in me for sure. I've read your posts and I think you're a wonderful person and I wish to welcome you to our room.

Again, welcome!

Madhatter | November 10, 15:34 CET

That's all right Madhatter! I was just worried that I was suddenly getting bunches of email trapped in my spam filter or something. I'm so happy with the response the survey is getting but it was a busy few hours yesterday.

And thanks for the welcome. I've actually been around for quite a while but I don't often have anything to post about so I may seem on the quiet side. It's nice to have gotten one at last though :)

yourlibrarian | November 10, 16:28 CET

November 09 2006