I have a Mac. I can't participate because the video won't play. If anyone else with a Mac can get it to play, tell me what you did to make it work.

Sorry, Robin. :+"

Hi Golddust

Thanks for trying. Here is what the video production guy told me:
There is a program that the mac folks that I send other stuff over the internet in the .wmv format use. It's called Flip4Mac and you can use Google to find it

Someone else told me an IE plug in would work.

Since you have this "survey" plastered all over the internet on other discussion boards with the directive for people to forward it to even MORE discussion boards and those persons to forward it on further, I hope you do get at least, easily a half million responses. That would be a lot of dollars do donate to such a worthy program. Is the money sitting in a trust right now waiting for the tallied number of completed surveys to be recorded? Even a hundred thousand responses should be easy to get on the internet considering it is worldwide and that would translate into a hundred thousand dollars , for a great and worthy cause.

For some reason the Komen for the Cure represenatives seem to have lost the info regarding your survey project, and know nothing about this great undertaking. You need to call them and remind them about your contract with them to use their name in this survey.

Hehehe. To think I was innocent enough to think that the fact that she registered here in 2004 was credibility enough. Thanks for the knock in the head. I too, want proof of her financial backing now.

At least I feel lucky that I have an allergy to downloading most everything but I admit, I escaped only by that pre-existing condition.

Thanks for the honest feedback.

If you go to the site you will find info about my university and a point of contact to ask about the legitimacy of the survey. I didn't know one had to ask a charity before donating to them. Making charitable donations for academic survey response is a time-honored tradition (I canprovide academic citation is you like).

As of last night I had about 200 responses (after 2 weeks of the surveybeing posted)--so despite the "power" of the internet, it's not a magic bullet.

I need 384 responses for statistical reasons. You'll also note an expiration date on the survey so it's not like I will be soliciting responses for ages and ages.

And again, taking it is entirely voluntary, and I do appreciate whatever response I can get. I do ask that you take the survey in the spirit in which it's posted--as an academic endeavor.

Robin

Robin

I read all the information on the website yesterday (and before the responses here) and took the survey at that time. Never crossed my mnd there was anything fishy and I still don't think so.

Robin I do want to tell you the differences in the sound track between the interviewer and interviewee made it difficult to understand. Also, on many questions I wanted to give a response that was not available - such as none of the above.

Robin, I'll take your survey. Try not to let the snarky "questioning" upthread bother you. Certain posters here are notorious for questioning motives, when what they should do is simply bypass things like this when they obviously have no interest in participating.

Robin,
I took your survey - my husband's working on his PhD dissertation so I know how important it is to get enough data. Good Luck to you.
Mary

I took your survey. At the beginning doesn't it say you will donate UP TO $400? That's what I thought I read. How nice of you to donate money in return for taking the survey!

Hi Robin - I took your survey and posted it on a very active figure skating website that I belong to. Good luck with your PhD!

Dee

Done---good luck!

ML

DillyDally and golddust, the survy details say that $1 will be donated for every completed survey for a total of $400. You actually want the OP to furnish you with bank statements? Doesn't that request seem, I dunno...a little extreme? Especially for a long-time GW member?

I'm just surprised, is all.

Joanna

Didn't I just said that?

Joanna, did you happen to see the comments that were made in a thread a couple of months ago about Eileen's financial worries?

Don't be surprised.

Just sayin'.

Auntjen, the snarky comments to to Eileen continue - the latest when she posted about a nice bench she saw online on sale...People just can't help but want to police other people. Eileen thankfully is big enough to let these things go and not deter her from continuing to be a positive member of the forum.

Thanks everyone! My numbers are getting better. You all are great.

Mary: tell your DH I wish him good luck as well. If he needs me to take his survey, just holler! He may be one of the fortuante ones who has data available and is just crunching numbers--but either way, good luck.

Robin

I took the survey earlier, took no time at all. You'll get your max soon I'm sure.

caroleoh, the latest comments were gentle reminders, in view of recent posts concerning very dire straits for that person.
The older comments that auntjen is referring to were much harsher.

I have a mac computer and the video played right away, I didn't have to do anything.

Mitchdesj,

I agree that my calling them snarky was perhaps a bit overstated, but still they rubbed me the wrong way because Eileen wasn't asking for advice on whether she should buy the bench or not, so it wasn't anyone's business whether she could or couldn't afford a $49 bench.

Sorry to veer off topic on the PHD thread!!

I don't see where dilly even posted to the bench thread. Someone else had advised her there, to save rather than spend what money she has managed to acquire.

I wasn't talking about Dilly per se, I was just referring to in general that people can't help but comment on things in a negative manner where it isn't asked for nor appreciated.

If you don't agree with something, don't like something, feel the post is a scam, misleading or any or all of the above, don't read it or post on it - just move on.

any news on the survey ? did you meet your quota ?

Thanks for asking

Despite golddust's exuberant optimism about the power of the Internet (LOL), I got about 40 additional surveys after posting here and several other places. I still need at least 100 more.

I know some people have had difficulties with the site -- there is a video as part of the survey and not all browsers/systems can launch it. No such thing as a perfect survey, alas.

But I'm still getting completed surveys, which is great. I may extend the expiration date to May, but have to discuss with my committee first.

Robin

I do hope you get an extension, good luck with that .

I just took the survey. It says it is open until April 30, and it didn't take long at all. Let's help Robin out; she has worked hard to get this far in her education.

I've just finished taking your survey, Robin. My son will be defending his Master's Thesis next month, so I know how important information like this is. I can only imagine how much more work, time and research must go into achieving your PhD. My best wishes!
Lynn

Lynn

I wish him all the luck! I remember the feeling of relief when I finished my masters and said, done! (Oh well!) It's a great accomplishment and he should be proud.

Robin

Thanks to everyone. I have enough responses to start crunching numbers! In fact, I have more responses than several of my colleagues thought possible, and more than some of them have used for their dissertations. I will close out the survey site this weekend and post a check to the Kome Foundation next week.

Couldn't have done it without y'all!

Robin

so it wasn't anyone's business whether she could or couldn't afford a $49 bench [so that her cats could look out the window at the birds].

Caroloh, we are going to have to agree to disagree. I sent her money a few months ago because she portrayed herself to be in a desperate situation. Maybe in your opinion, that doesn't make it my business, but I felt I had to say something about this proposed expenditure. And I said it as nicely as I could. You can be a friend in various ways, and I think I was a friend in sending her money and in cautioning her against discretionary purchases when she had/has no income.

Great news Robin, thanks for posting a feedback !!!

Latest (and last) update:

I finished my dissertation this month and aside from some administrative loose ends, I am done. I'm a PhD now!

Ironically, the week I posted the check to the Komen foundation (and thanks to everyone for taking my survey, it was nearly $300!), my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgey and chemo and is doing very well.

Robin

Well congratulations Dr. Robin. I just clicked on your survey and it's still there- need any more responses?

You should give yourself a pat on the back. I know how hard you must have worked.

mcmann

Thanks for letting me know it was still open--it should have been closed long ago. I just closed it.

And thanks but no, I don't need any more responses! I'm done! Woo-hoo!

Robin (er, Dr. Robin)