Help Us Consider our Policy on Third-Party Surveys

[iacas]

Two or three times a week, someone will come to The Sand Trap, create an account, and post a new thread with a link to a survey. These types of surveys most often take one of two forms:

• "I'm ba college student working on X, please take this survey for me as it's loosely related to golf."
• "I'm looking to create a product that does Y related to golf, please take this survey for my market research."

Right now, our policy is to mark these posts as spam and delete them. In the case of the student, they're often not golfers at all, and so they're only really "taking" from the community. We provide them with our time and effort and knowledge, and they get their B- or whatever, never to return to engage with the community to talk about golf, etc.

In the second case, the "taking" is more clear: they're using the vast traffic we have, and our members, to conduct free market research, without giving anything back.

But that's our position, and maybe there's a way to see it differently. I don't know that I can be convinced to change the latter; I imagine I could be convinced more easily to soften the position on the former. Maybe we come off as jerks not willing to help poor students just trying to do something golf-related… I don't know.

What do you think?

[Phil McGleno]

Charge students $9 and charge businesses $49 or $99 for these types of threads. If it's not worth $9 to a student or $99 to a business-I can see the $399 sponsor price as being too high-Then tough. Make an article with this policy-Link to it in the second response-And lock the thread until they pay. I voted for 'Something Else' and that is it-Otherwise I would vote for Dont Allow if you dont like that idea.

[billchao]

I think it's fine as it is. Nothing stopping a market researcher from posing as a student (the skeptic in me says they're not really who they say they are, anyway) if you soften your position on students.

[newtogolf]

If you want to charge someone to solicit opinions from the community I see no problem with that but I think that's your call.  As a community member I have no problem viewing these surveys and deciding for myself if I wish to participate in them.

[David in FL]

I have no problem at all with the current policy......

[Patch]

I don't pay them any mind what so ever. I just figure there might be a ton of malware attached them and ignore them.

[Club Rat]

I agree with the above posts - no problem with current policy.

I voted - "something else"

My thought would be to only allow a member to setup a survey after they have 50 posts, or pick a number.

Would certainly stop the headache and time involved to monitor these situations.

Club Rat

[boogielicious]

keep current policy.

[14ledo81]

I voted to keep current policy.

Only way I would change that opinion is to charge for the student survey or to have them prove they are a student (not sure how to make them prove it).

[iacas]

I voted - "something else"

My thought would be to only allow a member to setup a survey after they have 50 posts, or pick a number.

Would certainly stop the headache and time involved to monitor these situations.

Then you should have voted for "disallow" because no student or market researcher is going to make 50 posts (or even 5 posts) before posting their surveys.

[Gunther]

I think it's fine as it is. Nothing stopping a market researcher from posing as a student (the skeptic in me says they're not really who they say they are, anyway) if you soften your position on students.

I actually voted to allow the students, given that my kid just graduated from college so I was a little sympathetic. But, your post is, unfortunately, probably spot on so I would like to rescind or retract. McGleno's idea is a good one; may be another small revenue stream.

[Club Rat]

I was addressing your question - " But that's our position, and maybe there's a way to see it differently. I don't know that I can be convinced to change the latter; I imagine I could be convinced more easily to soften the position on the former. Maybe we come off as jerks not willing to help poor students just trying to do something golf-related… I don't know. What do you think?"

If the poll's are indeed an avenue for students "I'm ba college student working on X, please take this survey for me as it's loosely related to golf."

Then they need to become active as a member.

The  "free market research" issues would certainty be halted, or as @Phil McGleno e an opportunity for revenue on a small sale vs. sponsor cost.

It's your site, thanks for making all this a great interest for all.

Club Rat

[Shorty]

They are inevitably spam.

Almost always the same thing: Poorly worded, inane surveys by "marketing" students wanting to know if you would play more golf if you could afford it or what type of advertising made you buy TM's latest driver. And if you didn't buy it, why not?

I think that a contribution in return for the experience and time of members is a great idea.

They are clearly told to make a survey. They think "I like golf, how can I make it about golf?" Hence the trivial and useless nonsense that appears.

The irritating thing is I have NEVER seen any follow up post thanking the site or telling us of the results of the survey.

[iacas]

If the poll's are indeed an avenue for students "I'm ba college student working on X, please take this survey for me as it's loosely related to golf."

Then they need to become active as a member.

They won't do that. That's why I said you may as well have voted "disallow." It's the same thing: they're prevented from signing up and posting. None of them are going to make 50 on-topic posts just to post their survey.

Almost always the same thing: Poorly worded, inane surveys by "marketing" students wanting to know if you would play more golf if you could afford it or what type of advertising made you buy TM's latest driver. And if you didn't buy it, why not?

I think that a contribution in return for the experience and time of members is a great idea.

They are clearly told to make a survey. They think "I like golf, how can I make it about golf?" Hence the trivial and useless nonsense that appears.

The irritating thing is I have NEVER seen any follow up post thanking the site or telling us of the results of the survey.

Yeah, pretty much.

I just wanted to check in on this. Occasionally one of them will get mad, and send a pissy PM or email. Some of them will be "curious" about why they were banned or blocked. I just wondered if perhaps this was allowed in other places and if TST was losing out at all in not allowing it to happen, maybe that we weren't seen as "welcoming" or something.

[Ernest Jones]

I voted "something else".

I am fine with the current policy but also think that it could maybe be tweaked to allow some latitude. Phil's idea has some merit.

[Golfingdad]

Charge students $9 and charge businesses $49 or $99 for these types of threads.

If it's not worth $9 to a student or $99 to a business-I can see the $399 sponsor price as being too high-Then tough.

Make an article with this policy-Link to it in the second response-And lock the thread until they pay.

I voted for 'Something Else' and that is it-Otherwise I would vote for Dont Allow if you dont like that idea.

I like this idea, however, ...

Nothing stopping a market researcher from posing as a student (the skeptic in me says they're not really who they say they are, anyway) if you soften your position on students.

... this is a likely end result, so I think I'd probably go with "current policy."

[turtleback]

I almost voted to allow the student ones but in the end I voted for the status quo.

I couldn't help thinking of this thread:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/69113/players-performance-impact-on-the-score-help-me-with-a-class#post_880994

It wasn't a survey, per se, but I think it falls into that category.

If I thought there was educational value in these surveys I'd argue for allowing them on a public service theory.  With all the free instruction you and Mike give out I know you are not averse to doing a nice thing without regard to whether or not you are paid for it.

But before I retired a few months ago I was a teacher and for years (and still) I participated on a teachers board.  Every year we would get a stream of students from teacher prep classes with their surveys.  And the thing that emerged is that in almost all case there was no educational value in the survey.  It was purely hoop-jumping and busy work (sad to say, not at all unusual in education classes).  Just like the guy in that thread.  Well, maybe not QUITE that ridiculous, but almost.  Most surveys seem like the college analog to word searches.

Up to now you have been killing them so I guess there is at least a possibility that these surveys you've seen were better and had more educational value than those on that teacher board.  But I'd guess not, and in the end that is why I voted for the status quo.

[Hammer 4]

I don't do survey's...so I would say disallow them.