Survey Form

Following is the survey form filled out by the first of the 137 volunteers in my sample, which included students, staff and faculty from the University of Maryland-College Park, American University and Howard University. The mean age of the respondents was 22, about 55% were white Americans and 66% were women. They were asked to go online wherever they wanted for 20 minutes, pasting the URL for each page they visited into the blank spreadsheet I gave them, recording how many seconds they spent on each page or e-mail message, and rating each one based on the temperature scale I showed them. After 20 minutes, they filled in the second half of the survey, which included questions about their amount of experience online, a gender scale, an alienation scale, and a few demographic questions.

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1st URL or e-mail: http://www.erols.com/

Time started: 130

Reason accessed: check to see if I could remote access my email

Quality rating: 0

2nd URL or e-mail: http://www.testudo.umd.edu/

Time started: 70

Reason accessed: navigate webpage

Quality rating: 100

3rd URL or e-mail: http://www.testudo.umd.edu/ScheduleOfClasses.html

Time started: 55

Reason accessed: to check out schedule of classes at UMCP

Quality rating: 100

4th URL or e-mail: http://www.venus.umd.edu/V/SOC/9901/soc.html

Time started: 65

Reason accessed: this is the spring 1999 semester schedule

Quality rating: 100

5th URL or e-mail: http://www.venus.umd.edu/Vbin/VSoc?term=9901&wc=PUAF

Time started: 154

Reason accessed: how many seats are still available in a class I want to take

Quality rating: 100

6th URL or e-mail: http://www.venus.umd.edu/Vbin/VSoc?term=9901&wc=PSYC

Time started: 158

Reason accessed: how many seats are still available in a class I want to take

Quality rating: 100

7th URL or e-mail: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Time started: 55

Reason accessed: to get a quick overview of today's news

Quality rating: 80

8th URL or e-mail: http://cgi.newsweek.com/cgi-bin/nwframe?url=http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/ls/ls0318_1.htm

Time started: 201

Reason accessed: interesting article in newsweek link from post homepage

Quality rating: 90

9th URL or e-mail: http://cgi.newsweek.com/cgi-bin/nwframe?url=http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/ls/ls0318_1.htm

Time started: 197

Reason accessed: another interesting article on newsweek site

Quality rating: 80

10th URL or e-mail: http://www.msnbc.com/pfp/firsttime/firstgl.htm

Time started: 75

Reason accessed: to check out the news

Quality rating: 25

11th URL or e-mail: http://www.msnbc.com/news/208115.asp

Time started: 125

Reason accessed: read newstory on Hurricane Mitch

Quality rating: 75

12th URL or e-mail:

Time started:

Reason accessed:

Quality rating:

Ending time for the last URL or e-mail of your session: 21:35

Please go to your favorite Web page and copy the URL here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Briefly, why is this page your favorite? interesting, wide range of topics, user friendly, colorful

Quality rating for this favorite Web page of yours: 90

How many months ago did you first use e-mail? 18

How many months ago did you first use the Web? 18

About how many hours a week do you spend on the Web? 7

What percent of that time do you spend in chats or discussions? 0

About how many hours a week do you spend on e-mail? 3

What percent of that time do you spend WRITING e-mail? 60

What percent of your e-mail contains ads — in the message or on the side of the screen? 0

How many times have you bought goods or services online in the last month? 0

What's the total number of times you bought goods or services online last Valentines Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day? 0

How many times did you buy goods or services during the last winter holidays? 0

If you have a home page of your own, please enter a 1. (If you do not, skip to line #101)

For how many months have you had a home page?

If your home page includes a chat or viewable guest book, enter 1. If not, enter 0. (Please do not leave the cell blank.)

If your home page does NOT include any ads or credit any company, enter 1. If it does, enter 0.

Now we'd like to know a few things about your life off-line. For the next 37 brief statements, please respond by entering a number from the temperature scale, where the bottom means "Never" and the top means "Always."

I am self-reliant. 85

I defend my own beliefs. 95

I am a cheerful person. 90

I feel all alone these days. 85

I am a moody person. 95

I am affectionate. 90

I am theatrical. 20

I often feel discriminated against. 10

I am assertive. 85

I have a strong personality. 90

I am unpredictable. 10

My whole world feels like it's falling apart. 5

I am feminine. 85

I am reliable. 90

I am sympathetic. 90

I wish I were somebody important. 5

I am a jealous person. 5

I have leadership abilities. 75

I am compassionate. 80

It's hard for me to tell just what is right and wrong these days. 0

I am eager to soothe hurt feelings. 90

I am a dominant person. 85

I am likable. 95

I don't like to live by society's rules. 15

I am a warm person. 90

I take a stand. 90

I am a tender person. 85

I'll never find the right person to care enough about me. 25

I am friendly. 85

I am an aggressive person. 30

I act like a leader. 50

I am adaptable. 75

I am UNsystematic. 30

I am competitive. 15

I love children. 75

I am gentle. 85

I am conventional. 75

Now we'll finish with just a few demographic questions:

Please enter the number that best represents your race/nationality: 1=African American; 2=Other "black"; 3=Asian American; 4=Other Asian; 5=Hispanic American; 6=Native American; 7="White" American; 8=Other "white"; 10=Mixed race; 11=Other 7

What is your sex? 1=Female; 2=Male. 1

Please enter your age, in years: 28

Please enter the number that best represents your level of education: 1=High school diploma or less; 2=Some college; 3=Bachelor's; 4=Master's; 5=PhD or professional degree. 4

Please enter the number that best represents your annual household income: 1 = $25,000 or less; 2 = $25,001-$50,000; 3 = $50,001-$100,000; 4 = Over $100,000. 2

Thank you! To save your answers, simply click on the disk icon in the upper left corner of your screen, or go to "file" --> "save" --> "OK." Then return your disk to the researcher. Do NOT write your name anywhere on this file or on the disk.

For more information about Mike Dorsher, and to find out the results of this study after it's finished next spring, please note his home page URL: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mdorsher

Next Page | Main Menu

1st URL or e-mail:	http://www.erols.com/
Time started:	130
Reason accessed:	check to see if I could remote access my email
Quality rating:	0
2nd URL or e-mail:	http://www.testudo.umd.edu/
Time started:	70
Reason accessed:	navigate webpage
Quality rating:	100
3rd URL or e-mail:	http://www.testudo.umd.edu/ScheduleOfClasses.html
Time started:	55
Reason accessed:	to check out schedule of classes at UMCP
Quality rating:	100
4th URL or e-mail:	http://www.venus.umd.edu/V/SOC/9901/soc.html
Time started:	65
Reason accessed:	this is the spring 1999 semester schedule
Quality rating:	100
5th URL or e-mail:	http://www.venus.umd.edu/Vbin/VSoc?term=9901&wc=PUAF
Time started:	154
Reason accessed:	how many seats are still available in a class I want to take
Quality rating:	100
6th URL or e-mail:	http://www.venus.umd.edu/Vbin/VSoc?term=9901&wc=PSYC
Time started:	158
Reason accessed:	how many seats are still available in a class I want to take
Quality rating:	100
7th URL or e-mail:	http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Time started:	55
Reason accessed:	to get a quick overview of today's news
Quality rating:	80
8th URL or e-mail:	http://cgi.newsweek.com/cgi-bin/nwframe?url=http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/ls/ls0318_1.htm
Time started:	201
Reason accessed:	interesting article in newsweek link from post homepage
Quality rating:	90
9th URL or e-mail:	http://cgi.newsweek.com/cgi-bin/nwframe?url=http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/ls/ls0318_1.htm
Time started:	197
Reason accessed:	another interesting article on newsweek site
Quality rating:	80
10th URL or e-mail:	http://www.msnbc.com/pfp/firsttime/firstgl.htm
Time started:	75
Reason accessed:	to check out the news
Quality rating:	25
11th URL or e-mail:	http://www.msnbc.com/news/208115.asp
Time started:	125
Reason accessed:	read newstory on Hurricane Mitch
Quality rating:	75
12th URL or e-mail:
Time started:
Reason accessed:
Quality rating:
Ending time for the last URL or e-mail of your session:	21:35
Please go to your favorite Web page and copy the URL here:	http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Briefly, why is this page your favorite?	interesting, wide range of topics, user friendly, colorful
Quality rating for this favorite Web page of yours:	90
How many months ago did you first use e-mail?	18
How many months ago did you first use the Web?	18
About how many hours a week do you spend on the Web?	7
What percent of that time do you spend in chats or discussions?	0
About how many hours a week do you spend on e-mail?	3
What percent of that time do you spend WRITING e-mail?	60
What percent of your e-mail contains ads — in the message or on the side of the screen?	0
How many times have you bought goods or services online in the last month?	0
What's the total number of times you bought goods or services online last Valentines Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day?	0
How many times did you buy goods or services during the last winter holidays?	0
If you have a home page of your own, please enter a 1. (If you do not, skip to line #101)
For how many months have you had a home page?
If your home page includes a chat or viewable guest book, enter 1. If not, enter 0. (Please do not leave the cell blank.)
If your home page does NOT include any ads or credit any company, enter 1. If it does, enter 0.
Now we'd like to know a few things about your life off-line. For the next 37 brief statements, please respond by entering a number from the temperature scale, where the bottom means "Never" and the top means "Always."
I am self-reliant.	85
I defend my own beliefs.	95
I am a cheerful person.	90
I feel all alone these days.	85
I am a moody person.	95
I am affectionate.	90
I am theatrical.	20
I often feel discriminated against.	10
I am assertive.	85
I have a strong personality.	90
I am unpredictable.	10
My whole world feels like it's falling apart.	5
I am feminine.	85
I am reliable.	90
I am sympathetic.	90
I wish I were somebody important.	5
I am a jealous person.	5
I have leadership abilities.	75
I am compassionate.	80
It's hard for me to tell just what is right and wrong these days.	0
I am eager to soothe hurt feelings.	90
I am a dominant person.	85
I am likable.	95
I don't like to live by society's rules.	15
I am a warm person.	90
I take a stand.	90
I am a tender person.	85
I'll never find the right person to care enough about me.	25
I am friendly.	85
I am an aggressive person.	30
I act like a leader.	50
I am adaptable.	75
I am UNsystematic.	30
I am competitive.	15
I love children.	75
I am gentle.	85
I am conventional.	75
Now we'll finish with just a few demographic questions:
Please enter the number that best represents your race/nationality: 1=African American; 2=Other "black"; 3=Asian American; 4=Other Asian; 5=Hispanic American; 6=Native American; 7="White" American; 8=Other "white"; 10=Mixed race; 11=Other	7
What is your sex? 1=Female; 2=Male.	1
Please enter your age, in years:	28
Please enter the number that best represents your level of education: 1=High school diploma or less; 2=Some college; 3=Bachelor's; 4=Master's; 5=PhD or professional degree.	4
Please enter the number that best represents your annual household income: 1 = $25,000 or less; 2 = $25,001-$50,000; 3 = $50,001-$100,000; 4 = Over $100,000.	2
Thank you! To save your answers, simply click on the disk icon in the upper left corner of your screen, or go to "file" --> "save" --> "OK." Then return your disk to the researcher. Do NOT write your name anywhere on this file or on the disk.
For more information about Mike Dorsher, and to find out the results of this study after it's finished next spring, please note his home page URL: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mdorsher