We are asking them questions to determine the needs of specific populations for a new blogging application. WeÕve identified you as a potential user for this application and weÕre trying to figure out what potential users may have in common.Ó
The questions are grouped by theme. The first questions shaded in gray are background questions that lead from a discussion on oneÕs life and habits and funnel down to questions about news and information gathering. Finally, these lead to questions specifically about blogging (awareness, reading, and writing).
1) What would you describe as your full-time occupation? Do you have any other occupations?
Writer and marketing consultant
2) Do you read as part of your occupations?
i) What kind of reading? Do you enjoy it?
Yes, a variety of things, including stuff online. Enjoy is not the axis.
3) Do you watch TV or video as part of your occupations?
i) What type of media?
no
4) Do you write as part of any of your occupations?
i) What type of writing
Yes, writer, so write for journals, weblog and for companies.
5) What do you like to spend time doing when not engaged in any of the above occupations?
I like opera, tv, video games, spend time with family.
6) What do you do for fun?
Yes, all those.
7) Do you watch TV?
i) What TV shows do you watch?
Daily show, west wing, suprainos,
8) Why do you use your computer?
a) Do you ever use the Web to search for information, besides maps, directions, or weather? Example: research
b) From what location do you usually access the Web?
Use it for everything, email, most friends are e-friends, word processing, games online and off, primary source of information, weather, direction, research Š almost all research online. DonÕt read books online because they arenÕt there.
9) Do you have any sites you go to on regular basis?
a) Which sites/how often (daily, weekly, a few times a day)
b) Why do you go to those sites? What do you like about them?
Google, many times a day, a set of blogs, but less and less regularly over time, because IÕve reached saturation, so no new sources, Salon every day, Slate every two days, fills up 18 hours a day. Primary news source.
10) Do you like to read for pleasure/read for purpose other than main occupations?
i) What kind of reading?
ii) What have you read that you have enjoyed recently?
DonÕt do that much anymore, but for the past ten years, read mags, but not edifying, and read classics misses or didnÕt understand. But they take a long time because I donÕt put in a lot of time. Reading the Illiad now, because I read about a new translation, and they are fabulous. Discovered that I liked Horus (translation) and crappy novels on airplanes. And occasionally not crappy novels, Singer and maybe Phillip Roth, though not sure why. Used to teach philosophy and have been rereading recently. Richard Roarty. The order of things, discipline and punishment, Faucault.
11) Do you like to write?
i) If yes, why?
ii) What do you like writing about?
iii) What form does your writing take?
iv) How often do you write? Do you keep a diary?
v) If no, why not?
vi) Can you think of anything that might change make you interested in writing?
Generally yes, though sometimes no. To me, itÕs a craft, and itÕs how I imagine a furnature maker fits together and then there are times when the knotholes mean you have to through things out. But generally I really enjoy. Which also means I enjoy writing about things I donÕt care about, which is handy.
12) Do you like to stay up-to-date on news or current events?
i) If so, what topics do like to stay up-to-date on?
ii) Where do you get your information regarding current events?
iii) Do you mainly hear the news from people, newspapers, magazines, televisions, an Internet source, or other?
iv) Which ones?
v) Describe you top five news sources, across topicsÉ
Depends what IÕm working on. Two things. On something in particular, start at google, but much of my time online IÕm visiting my global info network. I hardly every just sit down and browse, but I spend a lot of time going from place to place, and get directed and then one link leads to another.
13) Give an example of a recent information need and describe:
i) What is the general process you would go through?
ii) How do you decide if the information you find is relevant?
iii) How do you decide if the information you find is believable (credible)?
iv) Do you ever find yourself changing your information need in order to find more or better results?
v) When you find a relevant document, radio program, television show, do you every find yourself wishing you had more information?
vi) Do you ever go about trying to access more information on a topic?
vii) What methods do you use for finding more information?
viii) When using the Internet, do you ever follow links from articles, even if you have not finished reading the article?
ix) Is it important to you to keep track of where you are going?
x) How do you keep track of where you are going? Bookmarks? Pen/paper? Text document to take notes?
xi) Do you go to any sites on regular basis? What time of day (inc day, Of the week)
Something on the tip of my brain, going to the computer, so I have to look at what I was writing about. Someone sent me, blogged about MS and XML and someone I know sent me to a page where MS has a patent on their XML schema. Or, blogging something on eTech on indigo project, searched indigo, and found a bunch of articles.
14) Have you ever heard of blogs?
i) If yes,
ii) In your mind, what is a blog?
iii) Where did you first hear the term ŅblogÓ?
(a) What are your general impressions of blogs?
iv) Have you ever read any blogs?
(a) If yes, which ones?
(b) How often do you read them? Do you have regular blogs you go to?
(c) Why do you read them?
(d) If no, why donÕt you read them?
(e) Do you subscribe to any blogs?
(f) Do you monitor any blogs?
(g) Have you ever responded to a blog?
(i) In what way (i.e.: a public comment or a direct email to author)
(h) How would you compare the blogs you read to other sources of information/news/etc?
(i) Do you read the posted comments on blog sites?
I do think that we should ask them what sites they
don't consider to be blogs.... the trick is wording that question so
that it's not leading. Perhaps just get them to name off as many sites
as possible, and stop them if they say one that's bloglike, and ask
them why they don't consider it to be a blog?
IÕm a loose constructionist about blogs. So IÕm more likely to answer the opposite. I guess what McClay writes is not technically consider to be a blog. The famous example is the Dean comment board, and A-listers discount it, because they didnÕt think it was a real blog.
15) Have you ever written or maintained a blog or contributed to someone elseÕs blog?
i) If yes,
ii) What did you write about?
iii) Do you ever wonder who may have read your writing?
iv) What
do you look for when you read other peopleÕs blogs?
Has anyone posted a reply to your blogs?
v) Do you generally respond to responses?
vi) Have you ever tried to find out what people might be reading your blog?
(a) How did you go about doing this?
vii) Have you ever communicated directly, via email, phone conversation, or other with one of your readers?