�We are asking them questions to determine the needs of specific populations for a new blogging application. We�ve identified you as a potential user for this application and we�re trying to figure out what potential users may have in common.�
The questions are grouped by theme. The first questions shaded in gray are background questions that lead from a discussion on one�s 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?
student
ui designer � 3 years
2) Do you read as part of your occupations?
a) What kind of reading? Do you enjoy it?
no much reading, didn�t write
3) Do you watch TV or video as part of your occupations?
i) What type of media?
looked for �cool links�, online magazines, to be up on what�s hot in design
4) Do you write as part of any of your occupations?
i) What type of writing
a little bit of writing, specs
wrote some copy for clients, usually edited heavily
wrote proposals, research?,
5) What do you like to spend time doing when not engaged in any of the above occupations?
read a lot
watch a lot of TV and movies
drinking
cultural events (asian American something)
through friends, mailing lists
deletes the emails because can�t bother to keep track of stuff months out
6) What do you do for fun?
7) Do you watch TV?
i) What TV shows do you watch?
Law and Order type shows
Mystery shows
BBC news
Local news in the morning
Don�t watch reality shows
Big BBC fan (BBC America)
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?
9) Do you have any sites you go to on regular basis?
a) Which sites/how often (daily, weekly, a few times a day)
always go to sfgate, bbcnews, amazon (not sure how conscious it is); yahoo! mail; looks at stuff from amazon; books: editorial reviews; music: user reviews; but often pre-judges beforehand, definitely read the editorial reviews for books
b) Why do you go to those sites? What do you like about them?
movie reviews
sfgate to read what�s going on about town
showbiz gossip (bbc has a great site)
don�t have time to read or watch tv daily; used to be an NPR junkie
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?
reads a lot of fiction
non-fiction: �essays�; all sorts of stuff, Ethnic studies, Science studies �used to be a scientist�
a lot of magazine reading
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?
Used to be a much more avid writer when he was working
not much inspiration; question of time
used to write a lot of essay-ish; gotten stuff published
hyphen?
never kept a diary
school-writing
writes a lot of emails
school is like a business so email is the means of communication
fun activities are more to get someone out of the house
forums to get published; (did he say that?)
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 topics�
Topics: movies, music (specific, not generally), art and design (fine art, fashion, graphic design)
Same ways to keep up as when you are working? Yes. Don�t get as much opportunities
Main news source: Sfgate, like the BBC website more than the TV because it�s not �live� as the website; likes up to date information, very important
5 top news sources: Sfgate, bbc news online, bbc new tv, npr, friends
13) Give an example of a recent information need and describe:
Right now: Massachusetts ban on gay marriage, overheard on the radio, so I logged onto the chronicle web site, then went to google which brought up far too much info, nothing really current, went to the bbc news; his history with the site make sfgate credible, history of gay and lesbian news, not authoritative: liberal bias, but generally like a newsbyte
how do you decide if a news story is relevant, gets a feel in the first couple paragraphs, on this topic can tell if it�s more a human interest story
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)?
My political sense (�I am human�); NY times is built into my mind to be authoritative; but not a part of the �cult of ny times�; sf chronicle is shaky
Is preference for times on reputation? Yes, but I don�t regularly read it, they don�t cover the local issues
iv) Do you ever find yourself changing your information need in order to find more or better results?
Yes, don�t always understand google�s weighting, etc
v) When you find a relevant document, radio program, television show, do you every find yourself wishing you had more information?
Yes, definitely; news sites don�t often go into depth; would like to talk about news; know everything that�s happening;
Don�t go to the editorial section of the same newspaper, DrudgeReport; don�t have regular spots on the opinions; email my friends who are into journalism; trust their opinions;
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?
Don�t always know how they are related, but if its relevant I�ll read it
ix) Is it important to you to keep track of where you are going?
Cut and paste into one document
Folder-oriented, put things in folders
Really bad at keeping track of next
Generally add links to favorites and then delete them after its over
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)
(patterns) Homepage is sfgate; click the home button a lot throughout the day; don�t really scan different sites; will go to bbc without a need, but not the first stop
14) Have you ever heard of blogs?
i) If yes,
ii) In your mind, what is a blog?
Only heard of them as a �public online journal�
iii) Where did you first hear the term �blog�?
(a) What are your general impressions of blogs?
Always know that they�re out there; didn�t hear the technical term until last summer; didn�t know the term �blog� until
Something really vein about putting your diary online
Doing it for attention
read a couple, the more personal ones
names: through livejournal
sent to me by a friend whose friend�s blog it was (a funny story he had written)
sent by a friend who had written
always have opinions (didn�t respond, though)
I have written letters to the editor of a magazines before; always to complain or criticize; never to say �I loved your piece on so and so�; culturally insensitive; almost all of them about culturally insensitive or about sexuality
never to criticize someone�s views
read the comments on livejournal
they were all so complimentary, I couldn�t help but wonder if they were all friends communicating in some way, got the feeling that they weren�t strangers, but they were all diaries
essays written weren�t prompted by something already read, usually based off something
drudgereport, once every couple months
insanely liberal or hilariously conservative (mostly because it�s the drudge report)
instant message, but not chatrooms
get tired of people ranting
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 don�t 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?
15) Have you ever written or maintained a blog or contributed to someone else�s 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 people�s 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?
Mass emails � usually to family, close friends
postcards to people who want them