Questionnaire software - any suggestions?
I want to build an on-line questionnaire, a very basic one, are there any ready made applications in the Linux/Open Source world for doing this? I can't find anything obvious in the Ubuntu repositories. -- Chris Green
On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:30:12 +0000 Chris G <cl@isbd.net> allegedly wrote:
I want to build an on-line questionnaire, a very basic one, are there any ready made applications in the Linux/Open Source world for doing this?
I can't find anything obvious in the Ubuntu repositories.
Do you need to build your own? Surveymonkey lets you create your own on-line survey quite quickly. http://www.surveymonkey.com/ Mick --------------------------------------------------------------------- The text file for RFC 854 contains exactly 854 lines. Do you think there is any cosmic significance in this? Douglas E Comer - Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume 1 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc854.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------
mick <mbm@rlogin.net> wrote:
Chris G <cl@isbd.net> allegedly wrote:
I want to build an on-line questionnaire, a very basic one, are there any ready made applications in the Linux/Open Source world for doing this? Do you need to build your own? Surveymonkey lets you create your own on-line survey quite quickly.
Yikes! Surveymonkey is hosted in the US (so outside our privacy laws), isn't accessible to some assisted-access and secured browsers and has nothing to do with free and open source software so why even mention that piece of adware on this list? Please stop using surveymonkey. It is divisive and instantly biases any surveys run on it towards responses from able-bodied privacy-ignorant users of insecure browsers. Even Google Docs and Doodle are better than Surveymonkey, but limeservice (based on limesurvey) is available and you can download and install their software on Linux if you like. Hope that explains, -- MJ Ray (slef) Webmaster and LMS developer at | software www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk | .... co IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html | .... op
On Mon, 2009-12-14 at 11:23 +0000, MJ Ray wrote:
Yikes! Surveymonkey is hosted in the US (so outside our privacy laws), isn't accessible to some assisted-access and secured browsers and has nothing to do with free and open source software so why even mention that piece of adware on this list?
I suspect, to some, a service which allows something to accomplished without having to install proprietary software on one's own PC or, when providing a service to or asking contributions of others, on the PCs belonging to those people is preferable so something that does rely on locally installed proprietary software even if the proprietary software is commonly available. That probably explains mentioning this service on this list. Of course, advocating services which use free or open source software at the server end too would be better and issues of privacy legislation, privacy policy and accessibility are pertinent too. Although awareness of these things is probably much higher here than in the population in general we don't necessarily have the details about individual services so thanks for the info. Regards, Steve.
On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:23:41 +0000 (GMT) MJ Ray <mjr@phonecoop.coop> allegedly wrote:
mick <mbm@rlogin.net> wrote:
Chris G <cl@isbd.net> allegedly wrote:
I want to build an on-line questionnaire, a very basic one, are there any ready made applications in the Linux/Open Source world for doing this? Do you need to build your own? Surveymonkey lets you create your own on-line survey quite quickly.
Yikes! Surveymonkey is hosted in the US (so outside our privacy laws), isn't accessible to some assisted-access and secured browsers and has nothing to do with free and open source software so why even mention that piece of adware on this list?
Ummm. Look at Chris's original question. "I want to build an on-line questionnaire. a very basic one" Now look at my reply. "Do you need to build your own?" Seems a reasonable enough response to me. Chris wanted something quick and dirty. Whilst he may have specifically asked for OSS application recommendations, he didn't mention privacy, security, accessibility or anything else. Anyone conducting any kind of on-line survey must assume that it is not secure. It can be made secureish (for some definition of secure) but it will never be perfect. So, as I said, my pointing to a possible alternative approach to building from scratch seems reasonable to me. I didn't even recommend surveymonkey - I merely pointed out that it would let you create an on-line survey quickly (which seemed to me to meet Chris's request). The fact that it may not "have anything to do with free and open source software" should not preclude anyone from responding as I did. After all, I (and many others) have frequently answered questions posed here which have only tangential references to linux or OSS (see discussions of networking and ADSL for example). Sometimes thare are tools, techniques, capabilities or services which are NOT OSS based but which still might meet a short term specific need. Off topic? Almost certainly. Unacceptable? I leave that to others to decide. Cheers Mick --------------------------------------------------------------------- The text file for RFC 854 contains exactly 854 lines. Do you think there is any cosmic significance in this? Douglas E Comer - Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume 1 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc854.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------
mick <mbm@rlogin.net> wrote:
MJ Ray <mjr@phonecoop.coop> allegedly wrote:
mick <mbm@rlogin.net> wrote:
Chris G <cl@isbd.net> allegedly wrote:
I want to build an on-line questionnaire, a very basic one, are there any ready made applications in the Linux/Open Source world for doing this? Do you need to build your own? [...] [...] nothing to do with free and open source software so why even mention that piece of adware on this list?
Ummm. Look at Chris's original question. "I want to build an on-line questionnaire. a very basic one"
Now look at my reply. "Do you need to build your own?"
That part of the reply was fine, but couldn't it question the need to build without suggesting a horrible divisive pay-for-service site which has set surveying back years?
I didn't even recommend [XXX] - I merely pointed out that it would let you create an on-line survey quickly (which seemed to me to meet Chris's request). The fact that it may not "have anything to do with free and open source software" should not preclude anyone from responding as I did.
So a particular condition on the request should not discourage anyone suggesting anything even tenuously related? That seems unhelpful at best. Even worse, it may lead other LUGgers to consider using inappropriate or defective tools.
After all, I (and many others) have frequently answered questions posed here which have only tangential references to linux or OSS (see discussions of networking and ADSL for example).
The amount of networking and ADSL equipment which runs Linux means almost all of those questions can be on topic. As to the other things, I guess they're not threads I'm reading closely or suggesting things which have caused me massive inconvenience in the past!
Sometimes thare are tools, techniques, capabilities or services which are NOT OSS based but which still might meet a short term specific need. Off topic? Almost certainly. Unacceptable? I leave that to others to decide.
This response suggests that it's not left for others to decide, because if anyone decides to call it into question, you'll get the hump massively. Or is it just left for anyone except me to decide? I beg all posters *not* to suggest "NOT OSS based" services when the question specifically asks for an open one. If you're not going to help us free computing, then at least don't try to trick people into using closed solutions by giving them in reply to requests for open ones. Regards, -- MJ Ray (slef) Webmaster and LMS developer at | software www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk | .... co IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html | .... op
On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:47:02 +0000 (GMT) MJ Ray <mjr@phonecoop.coop> allegedly wrote:
Sometimes thare are tools, techniques, capabilities or services which are NOT OSS based but which still might meet a short term specific need. Off topic? Almost certainly. Unacceptable? I leave that to others to decide.
This response suggests that it's not left for others to decide, because if anyone decides to call it into question, you'll get the hump massively. Or is it just left for anyone except me to decide?
I beg all posters *not* to suggest "NOT OSS based" services when the question specifically asks for an open one. If you're not going to help us free computing, then at least don't try to trick people into using closed solutions by giving them in reply to requests for open ones.
slef I confess I'm puzzled by your reply. I have not got "the hump" at all, and I'm not at all sure why you think I have - but no matter. My point was (and is) simple. If a questioner here asks for advice about how to do something quickly using FLOSS and someone on the list happens to know that there is an on-line resource which will meet a short term need without much development being necessary, it should be perfectly acceptable to point that out. Development using appropriate tools can take place in longer time. Yes, ideally all responses should point solely to "the one true way". But in reality that may not be possible. It may be complex, it may take more time than the questioner has immediately to hand, it may be that the FLOSS alternatives to proprietary offerings are not yet mature enough, it may be that there /are/ no such alternatives yet and so on and so forth. I bow to no-one in my advocacy of FLOSS over proprietary software. And, personally I abhor what companies like google (which purportedly support FLOSS ideals) are doing. Nevertheless, if someone on this list said "I need a really quick way to develop a web based meeting scheduler, I'd say "have you considered doodle?", if they wanted a quick way to post photos on-line, I say "what about flickr, or picasa" - you get my drift I'm sure. The people on this list are all here because they share a common passion - linux and FLOSS. But let's not be blinded by that passion. Oh - and I'm not trying to "trick" anyone into doing anything. I was simply pointing ouut a possible solution. Cheers Mick --------------------------------------------------------------------- The text file for RFC 854 contains exactly 854 lines. Do you think there is any cosmic significance in this? Douglas E Comer - Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume 1 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc854.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------
mick <mbm@rlogin.net> wrote:
slef
I confess I'm puzzled by your reply. I have not got "the hump" at all, and I'm not at all sure why you think I have - but no matter.
I think so because of these "open letter" style emails on the list which seem to be making it all very personal.
My point was (and is) simple. If a questioner here asks for advice about how to do something quickly using FLOSS and someone on the list happens to know that there is an on-line resource which will meet a short term need without much development being necessary, it should be perfectly acceptable to point that out. [...]
My point is that it's not acceptable. If someone asks specifically for a FOSS way to achieve a task, pointing out that there are non-FOSS ways to do it is unhelpful and should not be done. It's like if someone asks for a bike route somewhere, it's unhelpful to give them directions for getting there by boat.
Yes, ideally all responses should point solely to "the one true way". But in reality that may not be possible. [...]
Maybe sometimes, but in this case, limeservice.org already exists and is already more mature than the non-FOSS competitor suggested.
I bow to no-one in my advocacy of FLOSS over proprietary software. And, personally I abhor what companies like google (which purportedly support FLOSS ideals) are doing. Nevertheless, if someone on this list said "I need a really quick way to develop a web based meeting scheduler, I'd say "have you considered doodle?", if they wanted a quick way to post photos on-line, I say "what about flickr, or picasa" - you get my drift I'm sure.
Yes, I get the drift: freedom doesn't seem to matter, despite the protestations. There are already many FOSS replacements for most services, but they're not what would be suggested.
The people on this list are all here because they share a common passion - linux and FLOSS. But let's not be blinded by that passion.
Let's not be blinded by the marketing moolah of private web services either.
Oh - and I'm not trying to "trick" anyone into doing anything. I was simply pointing ouut a possible solution.
Is something still a solution if it fails to meet the requirements? Regards, -- MJ Ray (slef) Webmaster and LMS developer at | software www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk | .... co IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html | .... op
Surveymonkey: 1. A site which ignores accessibility concerns and/or legal requirements - ie: it excludes some people with disabilities 2. is not free software as far as can be surmised. 3. seems to be dependent on Javascript to display the ruddy textual content (!) 4. Does not fall within the remit with British privacy/data protection laws in any way. 5. Full of crappy tables used for typographical layout, doesn't validate etc. etc. So much like many crappy websites then, and probably a pretty defective non-functional suggestion on the whole - even if it weren't being suggested as an alternative to some actual, you know, sorry to mention these words and everything but Free, Open Source software that runs on Linux. /me flushes SurveyMonkey.
participants (5)
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Chris G -
Marcus -
mick -
MJ Ray -
Steve Fosdick