The point is: there are simpler and easier ways to do this. And by simpler and easier I mean for the users>
Simpler would not necessarily be better. This is not as easy as you think. Most votes require simply choosing between a few options. This one requires submitting suggestions from users, paring down a long list, and making a final decision. We explored all of the options you've outlined actually. Let me explain:
We wanted to keep submissions private to avoid domain-squatting, so leaving domain suggestions as comments was out. We avoided a slash poll as they are unreliable (read the text below the results of every poll) and this is important, we'd have been criticised if we used that. 3rd-party solutions would have required handing thousands of user's email addresses to a third party, something we are not comfortable with (yes, that's how survey monkey works, we looked into it).
I admit we have communicated poorly and handled some details poorly. Still 512 people managed to sign up, we've contacted those who've claimed they were unable and we are including them too. We've been working night and day to make this happen, we all have real jobs and are not getting paid for this. Sorry if it's not up to your standards but I ensure you it's not out of laziness.
Thank you for taking hte time to respond and explain.
just and FYI I've used survey monkey in the past and know others that have. It doesn't require you hand over a bunch of emails. (you can if you want, but don't have to). You make a simple survey. It gies you the link or the option to embed it in your site. Who ever looked into it didn't look hard enough. The only email required is the suvery creator's when they first set up an account. To ID people in the survey just make a required question that asked for their soylent UN/UID or mail out the survey link yourselves.
I'm looking through the docs and a solution that would work in our situation is not obvious or simple, though I don't deny it's possible. Thanks for the explanation, it could be something to look into in the future. In this case though we'd still have had to email users ourselves (non-trivial with thousands of UIDs), and need some way for users to indicate that they'd like to opt-in (and might still be in a similar predicament with people frustrated that they did not do so in time). Furthermore, this solution would have required hundreds of dollars and use of a third-party, both of which we were trying to avoid.
(Score: 3, Informative) by mrcoolbp on Thursday April 17 2014, @06:20PM
Simpler would not necessarily be better. This is not as easy as you think. Most votes require simply choosing between a few options. This one requires submitting suggestions from users, paring down a long list, and making a final decision. We explored all of the options you've outlined actually. Let me explain:
We wanted to keep submissions private to avoid domain-squatting, so leaving domain suggestions as comments was out. We avoided a slash poll as they are unreliable (read the text below the results of every poll) and this is important, we'd have been criticised if we used that. 3rd-party solutions would have required handing thousands of user's email addresses to a third party, something we are not comfortable with (yes, that's how survey monkey works, we looked into it).
I admit we have communicated poorly and handled some details poorly. Still 512 people managed to sign up, we've contacted those who've claimed they were unable and we are including them too. We've been working night and day to make this happen, we all have real jobs and are not getting paid for this. Sorry if it's not up to your standards but I ensure you it's not out of laziness.
(Score:1^½, Radical)
(Score: 2) by jmoschner on Friday April 18 2014, @05:03PM
Thank you for taking hte time to respond and explain.
just and FYI I've used survey monkey in the past and know others that have. It doesn't require you hand over a bunch of emails. (you can if you want, but don't have to). You make a simple survey. It gies you the link or the option to embed it in your site. Who ever looked into it didn't look hard enough. The only email required is the suvery creator's when they first set up an account. To ID people in the survey just make a required question that asked for their soylent UN/UID or mail out the survey link yourselves.
(Score: 2) by mrcoolbp on Friday April 18 2014, @05:36PM
I'm looking through the docs and a solution that would work in our situation is not obvious or simple, though I don't deny it's possible. Thanks for the explanation, it could be something to look into in the future. In this case though we'd still have had to email users ourselves (non-trivial with thousands of UIDs), and need some way for users to indicate that they'd like to opt-in (and might still be in a similar predicament with people frustrated that they did not do so in time). Furthermore, this solution would have required hundreds of dollars and use of a third-party, both of which we were trying to avoid.
(Score:1^½, Radical)