Ok How do we do the survey?

Unlike survey monkey you can't just click on the answers.

Thanks for sharing this Aaron.  The survey is interesting.  I wonder what the book will be like?

I just filled it out within the Word document (used Bold print for my answers) and then e-malied it to the address in the footer.  While a clickable survey is easier this format allowed the responder more chance to give more detailed comments

 Just copy it and paste it into your  word processor, then copy it into an email, or just paste it into the body of an email, then edit it and add your answers.

It should be an interesting book. 

I did it and saved it and then sent it as my email.

What I like about other surveys (like survey monkey) is that they "hide" your e-mail.

Now I know I could set up an e-amil account with a non-identifying name-but that was just too much work.

I chose to trust Diana but am aware my responses are linked to my name.

I saved the survey to Word, filled it out, and mailed it to her e-mail address.

I am a fan of Diana Butler Bass. I was glad to help her a little bit in her great work, and look forward to her new book.

I hope Diana Butler Bass realizes that a voluntary survey such as this does not give an unbiased sample of the population.  That is, the people who respond will not be a representative sample of the population--they will most certainly be systematically different from  people who do not respond.   But perhaps she is only looking for quotes for her book, and asks most of the questions just to know the background of person being quoted.    That is, she is not planning to make inferences about the general populations based on the survey.

Hi Mely:

Isn't every survey voluntary?

I, for instance, never participate in telephone surveys. Only the votes of those who chose to answer appear in the survey.

As you said, Diana Butler Bass' survey is not a general survey or poll.

Every survey is voluntary to an extent, and therefore has some bias.   But a telephone survey, where the surveyer contacts random people, is not likely to have near as much bias as a write in survey, and the survey subjects have to take the initiative to complete the survey and send it in. 

Yes, Mely, I agree.

Ill do it

but i wonder, can we get royalties after the book is sold ?

Some of DBB's questions would make great discussion topics here on wondercafe!

I wasn't sure what she was saying in her last two questions so I didn't answer them. For some reason I couldn't see a clear contrast in the available answers. I thought she might have been saying "we are all one" vs. "some are more special than others". Any enlightening comments?

19. Are our “neighbors” best described as:
a. People who may be different than ourselves, but everyone should enjoy the benefits of freedom and toleration.
b. We are all human beings and live in an interconnected world in which our differences only serve to highlight human diversity and creativity.

20. I understand myself as:
a. An independent and rational human being, able to search out truth and live by it.
b. A human being in community, shaped mostly by intuition and experience, doing the best I can to live the good life.

 I found those two questions hard to tell apart. there may be some underlying assumptions behind the two options, but I didn't catch what it was.

Yes, I agree, and her new book would be worth discussing as wondercafe book discussion!

Hi James:

I voted b. on both.

I think she wants to know what rings most true for us, at first glance, sort of a Rorschach inkblot test. If I think about them for too long, I'd be inclined to vote for both.

I agree arm--and I also said (b) for both

I had a similar feeling about this question: 

Not sure how I could choose between (a) and (b) on this one.  Both apply equally to my life of faith as a Christian.

 Tabitha, the "blind" survey's that don't ask for your email are often capturing such information just from your computer.   Having created & developed surveys myself using some of the software like survey monkey....it is surprising what info is available.

That sounds a little scary, Pinga

Can you say more about this?

Interesting.  I always choose to assume that my responses are linked to me and in fact I think that is better.  (I also thought that professor reviews needed to be signed in University so that people could take responsibility for what they said)

I wonder, is that an inherent problem in trying to create a binary question when life and faith are so often not binary things?

 Paradox3, even in the free esurvey that I use, it captures your IP address.  Now, in this survey I can generate a survey list and track respondents details.  So, I send you a unique id for the survey, and then I can see the results back.  I don't pay for that premium of a service; however,  you can see why it would be helpful.  Reminders to those who have not filled in.

It is why it is important that you know who is generating the survey, and also, how you are given it.  

As they say in showbiz, the Czech is in the male ;3

(glad to have helped Ms. Bass)

I voted (b) on this one too because (b) intuitively appealed to me more than (a)

I think Diana Butler Bass did not mean this to be an either/or choice, just what appeals to us more at first glance.