Here's a recluse/hikikomori survey I've created using PollDaddy:

Click here to take the survey.

Posted via email from HikiCulture – A Forum for Reclusive People (and Hikikomori) {hikiculture.com site blog}

The survey of 3225 drivers revealed the scariest road systems in Britain. Among top 10 spots eight were taken by Birmingham, Glasgow and London

Survey also revealed other drivers fears. 8% of drivers claim to avoid ’scary’ junctions and admit driving an average of 238 miles extra.

Large roundabouts were told to be most confusing aspect of urban driving, followed by one-way systems, speed bumps and box junctions.

“But what this research shows is that badly designed and confusing junctions are spoiling the driving experience for many motorists.

Top 10 UK’s most scariest junctions:

1. Gravelly Hill (Spaghetti Junction), Birmingham
2. M8 junctions through central Glasgow
3. Marble Arch, London
4. Magic Roundabout, Swindon, Wiltshire
5. Hanger Lane Gyratory, west London
6. M5/M6 intersection, Birmingham
7. Piccadilly Circus, London
8. Five Ways junction, Birmingham
9. Magic Roundabout, Hemel, Hempstead, Hertfordshire
10. Kingston Bridge, Glasgow

Bland Brits are spending big bucks on giving their homes the personal touch 80% would like to make a greater style statement with their homes, and are looking to celebs like Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell for inspiration when it comes to decorating their dwelling.

Bland Brits are spending big bucks on giving their homes the personal touch 80% would like to make a greater style statement with their homes, and are looking to celebs like Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell for inspiration when it comes to decorating their dwelling.

The survey of 1,000 people by Mira Showers showed that the celeb wed most like to steal interiors tips from is Cheryl Cole, who was the top choice for over a quarter of ladies as well as the majority of respondents under 25.

Which celebritys home would you most like to visit for style ideas?
1.Cheryl Cole 19%
2.Simon Cowell 16%
3.Nigella Lawson 15%

Which celebritys home would you least like to visit for style ideas?
1.Jordan 27%
2.The Queen 17%
3.Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen 16%

Source

The ‘sound’ of a brand is as important as how it looks, as the importance of regional accents is brought into spotlight.

56 per cent of Brits will listen to a special offer or promotion if they like sound of the voice delivering the message, with the Queen’s English and Scottish accents being the most popular accents. The Cheryl Cole factor means that Geordie was voted the third most favoured accent according to the poll of consumers by Nuance Communications.

Liverpool and Birmingham faired poorly in the research, with scouse and brumie brogues deemed to be the least effective for upselling purposes.

Ian Turner, northern European general manager at Nuance Communications, says it is human nature to react differently to different voice types. “Some of the world’s biggest companies invest millions of pounds each year ensuring that the way their brands ‘look’ and ‘feel’ reflect the values and beliefs of the brand. Yet very few organisations actually think about how their brand ‘speaks’, despite the fact that the vast majority of customer service communication and advertising is based on listening.”

Source

British woman would rather see curvier models splashed across the covers of glossy magazines, a survey has revealed today.

The study carried out by Dove skin care brand found  that advertising campaigns  which use airbrushing techniques to portray “unattainable perfection” in woman is leading to a rise in depression and low self-esteem.

A lot of the time airbrushing techniques will be used in order to slim down the waistlines  of already skinny models.

However the figures released from the survey show that woman would feel more comfortable with the use of curvier models such as Beyoncé and Kelly Brooke.

A total of 96% of women questioned said they felt the models used in beauty advertising were not a true representation of women today.

And more than 40% said the adverts made them feel self-conscious about their appearance.

Today’s research shows a sharp increase in the number of female consumers who want to see “real women” used in beauty advertising – up from 74% in 2004 to 95% in 2009.

The findings also come after a controversial statement by supermodel Kate Moss who recently said “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.Find out what else Kate Moss has been up to recently

http://showbiz.sky.com/kate-moss-plays-santa

We asked 100-ish teachers recently about the techniques they use to decide which GCSE Maths tier – Foundation or Higher – to enter their students in. You might be familiar with the approaches they described but perhaps you’ve not seen them ranked before, in order of popularity.

 1. Mock exams

Respondents used mock exams as the way in which they determined which tier pupils should be entered for. Some entered pupils into two mock exams, one for each tier, to determine which was most appropriate.

2. Teacher evaluation of past performance

Respondents mentioned using teacher assessment or evaluation, conducted through a number of means including formative assessment throughout the year and class observation. For some, the key thing to observe was whether a pupil was capable of achieving a B grade. If they were not, they would automatically be entered at the foundation tier.

3. SATS results

Many were using KS3 SATS results to judge which tier was best for each student. The level used as a benchmark varied from level 5 to level 6. In some cases, SATS were used to determine which sets pupils were put into. Their set then determined automatically which exam they would be entered into.

4. Attitude of pupil and / or parents / carers

The attitude of pupils was a key factor for many. It was important that pupils were prepared to work hard and attend regularly. It was also important that they were sufficiently confident and calm to cope with a more difficult exam without panicking. Some respondents mentioned taking into consideration what the pupil wanted to do next in their studies or career. It was also clear that there was pressure from parents for pupils to take the higher tier exam.

5. Performance in other modules

Those taking a modular exam often used the results of previous modules to determine the tier used for the next.

6. Skills in algebra

A number of respondents mentioned that facility in algebra was the main factor in success at the higher tier and it was perceived algebra skills that determined which tier a pupil was entered into. 

In a survey of over a thousand quotes from the X Factor finalists, judges and fans of the show, Geordie lad Joe McElderry has emerged as the most relaxed contestant. The poll, undertaken by leading Australian beer brand Foster’s uses a series of language based algorithms to gauge how worried or carefree someone is.

Popular social networking site Twitter formed a crucial part of the survey, helping to determine that with a score of 80%, bookie’s favourite Joe was well and truly the most ‘No Worries’ contestant out of this year’s remaining hopefuls.

Foster’s brand manager Natalie Clearie said: “It’s incredible that Joe McElderry manages to maintain such a No Worries attitude despite the pressure he is under – we wonder if he has some Australian in him? His fellow finalists could learn a lot from his laid back, Aussie attitude, and who knows, it might even win them some more votes this weekend.”

On the opposite end of the scale, Cheryl’s other act Lloyd Daniels is riding low with a score of only 10%. With twins John & Edward gone he is now favourite to leave and having already faced the bottom two twice before, the odds are not looking good for the Welsh singer.

For additional scores, news and views relating to the X Factor and its aspiring contestants, as well as all the best picks from the web, make sure you check out their Twitter page twitter.com/FostersUK

by Jessica Bryan

The FRC called for President Obama to discuss the persecution of Christians in India with the Indian Prime Minister who visited this week and attended the State Dinner.  The group also reported on findings from a recent GSS survey arguing that the survey “shows that adults who attend religious services at least weekly are more likely to believe in the importance of having their own children than those who worship less frequently.”

A survey of 5,000 Britons, conducted by pet healthcare company Bob Martin, showed that dog owners get more exercise walking their pet than people who go to gyms.

Those without a dog spend an average of just one hour and 20 minutes a week exercising by going to the gym or walking or jogging. Two dog walks a day each lasting 24 minutes and three longer walks a week each lasting 30 minutes give pet owners seven hours’ exercise a week, reports the  Daily Express.

47 per cent of non-pet owners admit they do no exercise. The survey revealed that 86 per cent of dog owners enjoy walking.On the other hand, only 16 per cent of gym users actively enjoy it.

Refer:
Walk with pet dog better than gym: Study

Cheryl Cole has topped a poll of 4825 people by Park Christmas Savings to find out who is the Sexiest Celebrity on TV.

She won by miles, picking up 49% of the overall vote. Peter Andre was next with 17% of the votes cast with X Factor hunk Danyl Johnson in third with 16%.

Katie Price was beaten by Stacey Solomon and only managed to secure 2 more votes than John and Edward. She finished in a disappointing fifth place.

Jamie Afro might have lost the X Factor deadlock but he picked up more votes than Lloyd Daniels and Olly Murs.

Holly Willoughby fans will be upset that she ended up in eleventh place so didn’t make the Top 10.

The Survey results:

1- Cheryl Cole (2,385 votes)

2- Peter Andre (806 votes)

3- Danyl Johnson (778 votes)

4- Stacey Solomon (408 votes)

5- Katie Price (112 votes)

6- John and Edward (110 votes)

7- Jamie Afro (51 votes)

8- Lloyd Daniels (45 votes)

9- Olly Murs (26 votes)

10- Dermot O’Leary (22 votes)

Source

A recent research survey of 13,000 gamers across North America and Europe posted by WorldsInMotion reports on an international poll from market research specialists TNS and Gamesindustry which gives use a glimpse into the world of a gamers favorite subject gaming, what genre’s they play, and how much time they spend on it. And it’s yours for only 4,950 Euro sounds like a bargain to me. For those of use who aren’t so well off  WorldsInMotion has given use a brief (but still full of good facts) synopsis                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ” This report contains comparative data om MMO players across six surveyed countries. It comprises approximately 60 pages and 70 graphs. The product also includes a full table set comparing MMO players in all six countries across all questions of the survey allowing unlimited cross-analysis and detail. “ Source: Gamesindustry
MMOs constitute 14 percent of all time spent playing video games in the U.S., according to the survey results. Console games, by comparison, claimed 34 percent of game playing time in the States. The average age of those players my surprise you, but there is a good reason for that. To read the full article go to  WorldsInMotion

Many moons ago, Apple announced to the cheering masses that iTunes should now be freed by and large of the ridiculous DRM which hinders legal and illegal users of content alike.

A new study reveals that Apple mobile product users actually have been trained by the App Store or other means to pay for more media than others do.

OK, so isn’t this contradictory? Surely DRM free will mean less overall payment for media since more devices of multiple-owning, and hardcore purchasing, Apple fans will use the media available? Well, yes.

Of course, this is saying that Apple iTunes and mobile device users are happy to pay for data. Not so. I believe that – as an owner myself – it is possible that the torture cell of paying is what’s going on here and that less payment means even more willing users, even if those users were resigned to paying in the first place.

Do Free Surveys and earn money easy, here is a list of the top US Survey sites.

Source:http://www.internetpaidsurveys.com/

Brand Institute

Brand Institute is a leading online market research firm dedicated to the strategic and innovative development of brand naming and identity solutions. They are most active in the healthcare field. Their surveys aid in the development and naming of new drugs, healthcare and other products. If you are a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, you will have tons of earning opportunities by taking paid surveys with Brand Institute. Even otherwise you can join the panel as a consumer – you can get lots of paid surveys as companies want to know their opinion on brands. Their surveys pay well, usually ranging form $10 to $30 or more. You can receive payments by paypal or check. If you opt for paypal, your paypal account gets automatically credited 4 to 8 weeks after you complete a survey. Join Brand Institute via Online Global Recruiting to get started.
Join Brand Institute here

SurveyHead

SurveyHead is a new online survey panel where you have the chance to take part in interesting online paid surveys. If you fit the demographic for the current surveys, you can immediately get started with a survey today. Even if you do not qualify, you wil get an instant reward of $5, as soon as you join the panel. Survey Head provides you with real market research studies and you will get paid for your participation. Once you are a member, you will be invited for future studies for which you qualify. For each survey you complete, your account will be credited with cash. Once you have reached $25, you can withdraw your earnings via paypal. Check out the link below to see whether you qualify for the current surveys.
Join SurveyHead Here

SurveySavvy

Surveysavvy is the online division of Luth Research, a leading market research firm. SurveySavvy has paid members more than $14 million for participating in paid surveys. You can get paid up to $20 or more for completing a survey. Surveysavvy offers great earning opportunities especially for IT and computer professionals. They also have a good referral program. You get paid $2 for each survey completed by your direct referral and $1 for each survey by your indirect referral. Join Surveysavvy where intelligence adds up and start earning for your opinion!
Join Surveysavvy here

GlobalTestMarket

Global test market is another site which sends a lot of survey invites. It was founded in August 1999 as a division of Global Market Insite, Inc. Members are rewarded for taking paid surveys in the form of Market Points – which are convertible to cash. Each survey typically offers 50 to 100 marketpoints. The number of MarketPoints rewarded depends on the length of the survey. MarketPoints are redeemable for cash once you have accumulated 1000 or more MarketPoints in your account. 1000 marketpoints are equivalent to $50. With the number of survey invites they send, the payout is easy to reach. Payments are sent by check mailed to your address.
Join Globaltestmarket here

NFO MySurvey

NFO (National Family Opinion Panel) MySurvey is considered to be one of the best paid survey sites. Established in 1946, NFO is the second largest market research firm in the world. Many reputed companies depend on them for market research. They send members frequent paid surveys and reward you handsomely for each survey. You are compensated for surveys in the form of reward points which can be later redeemed for cash. There are daily drawings for $100 (10,000 points) and monthly drawings for $10,000.
Join the NFO MySurvey Panel Here

Toluna USA

Toluna panel was previously known as Your2cents. One adult per household is allowed to join Toluna. You can become a member by completing a short registration form. Once you complete the main profile, you will be entered into a drawing for $5,000 cash and will receive your first $1 in bonus rewards. Every panelist who qualifies for and completes a paid survey will earn $1 to $5 or more. There are many bonus rewards and many chances to win $5000 cash sweepstakes periodically. You can request payment by check when you have at least $5 in your account.
Join Toluna here

Lightspeed Research

Lightspeed consumer panel pays you for your opinions. As soon as you register, you’ll automatically be entered in a $5,000 Lightspeed Sweepstakes. When you take paid surveys, you will earn Lightspeed Points, which can be redeemed for cash, prizes, or online gift certificates. Every day a panelist will be chosen to win extra points in their 5,000 Points-A-Day Giveaway. Every time you participate in a survey, Quick Match, or mini-poll, you earn an entry in the $5,000 Lightspeed Sweepstakes given away every 3 months. When you earn at least 600 points, you can redeem them for online gift certificates, a deposit into your PayPal account, or one of many prizes.
Join Lightspeed Research Panel here

Ipsos Surveys

Ipsos i-Say panel is managed by Ipsos Insight which is one of the largest professional marketing research firms in the world. Established in 1979, Ipsos Insight is one of North America’s leading market research and public opinion company. Ipsos i-Say currently uses a points-based reward system. Members earn reward points for taking surveys. Once you’ve earned 50 (or more) points, you can redeem your points for merchandise and gift cards offered by popular retail merchants. Each time you complete a survey, you are also invited to play “It’s Your Luck Day Instant Win Game” where you can win several great prizes instantly. Members are also entered in sweepstakes: You could win $5000 just for joining the Ipsos i-Say Panel. Most loyal members (members who take most or all of the surveys they are offered) become members of our VIP club and are automatically entered to win a car in the annual contest.
Join Ipsos i-Say panel here

Mindfield Online Internet Panels

Mindfield Online, a McMillion Company, is one of the market research industry’s leading online data collection companies.  At Mindfield you are always paid for your opinion when completing client surveys – no drawings or gimmicks for your participation.  Even those not qualifying for surveys have the opportunity to win some great prizes such as IPODS, IPHONES, Laptop computers and much more.  The Mindfield experience is really a great earning opportunity and a great deal of fun as you have the opportunity to help manufacturers make multi-million dollar decisions.
Join Mindfield today

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is part of a large market research company and has been conducting market research data collection since 1987. Opinion Outpost is rated as one of the best among top 10 paid survey panels. Opinion Outpost members receive many survey opportunities each month. Members generally earn up to $5 per survey completed depending on the length and difficulty of the survey. Earnings are in the form of opinion points which are later converted to cash. Payments are made by check.
Join Opinion Outpost here

E-Poll.com

E-Poll offers a place to express yourself and and to test new products, and you can earn $5-$30 gift cards for your participation. Rewards are in the form of points, and you can redeem the points for gift certificates of major retailers including Best Buy, Target, Starbucks, iTunes, McDonalds, Home Depot, Amazon, and more. You can also win other cool gifts like ipods. Their surveys are fun and easy.
Join E-Poll Rewards here

Well the poll is still going on, however I’ve made a graph of the votes till now. What started out as a fun poll, became a serious survey, thanks to me. Making everyone copy the entire poll in every post, as Arch Forum doesn’t have a poll option. It’s all about KISS remember?

Total voters so far:  88
Total votes: 124

z.s.tar.gz – The author of the poll made the next graph:

RealDolmen, uw rood-blauwe ICT partner, is nu ook duidelijk uw toevluchtsoord voor groen.

In een recente enquête van Datanews en Siemens vroeg men onder andere “Welke IT-dienstenleveranciers zijn volgens u het meest actief in toekomstgerichte milieuvriendelijke producten?”

RealDolmen scoort zeer hoog op deze vraag en komt in de rangschikking als eerste onafhankelijke, Belgische ICT leverancier, en algemeen op de 5de plaats na voornamelijk de grote constructeurs zoals HP, Siemens en IBM.

U kan de hele enquête lezen in het Data News nummer van 20 November 2009.

“THERE IN THE WALLS” Digital image – Courtesy of the FANTOM FACTION

With the Clothes Show Live just around the corner (December 4th-9th), the fashion and beauty event conducted a survey of British women to find out about their designer clothing secrets.

Some of the revelations came as no surprise to us here at Secret Sales HQ – such as females prefer shopping with their friends than their man – but others were a little less predictable.

Believe it or not, 64 per cent of people would rather turn down a date with their ideal man in return for a shopping trip with Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Cole. Have you girls not seen her fashion choices on the X Factor?

The research also noted that on average, us girls will spend £68 on birthday presents for that special someone in our lives, but £137 on a typical shopping spree.

Caryn Franklin, who will be presenting the Birmingham show, told us that people were spending longer on finding the perfect piece of clothing and were opting to spend more on single items.

“We now understand the true cost of cheap clothes on the lives of the people who have to make them, we are just much more discerning,” she explained.

Source

About a week ago I asked the readers of this blog to take a few minutes to respond to the first survey of the blog.  First, I would like to thank all of you who took the time to share with me.

Second, here are the results:

What topics would you like to suggest:

1. Lean culture
2. Leadership
3. Consulting best practices
4. Issues from the floor
5. Open to all topics
6. Real life examples of where lean has been successfully used
7. Lean history
8. Respect for people
9. Sustaining improvements

What type of device do you usually use to read the Lean Is Good blog?

Everybody responded that they use a computer, nobody responded that they use a phone/PDA.

How many times per week do you check the Lean Is Good blog?

75% of respondents visit 3 times / week, 25% visit every day.

If you subscribe, do you subscribe via an RSS reader, a web browser, or email?

Nobody subscribes via RSS in a browser, 20% subscribe via an RSS reader, and 80% subscribe via email.

How many posts per week from Lean Is Good would be ‘just right’ for you?

30% of respondents said 1 post per week is best, 40% said 2, and 30% said 3 would be perfect.

How many minutes does it take to read the ‘perfect’ length post?

38% said that 3 minutes is the best post length, 50% said 5 minutes, and 13% said that 7 minutes is perfect.

Once again, thanks for take the time to take the survey.  Bryan, Scott, and I will work on complying with our ‘voice of the customer.’

Bruce

Back in early October I posted a link to a survey seeking views about whether services should have democratic oversight at all and if so, whether that oversight should come at council, regional or national level.

I am very grateful to so many people for taking the time to complete the survey and I have put together the slide pack below which summarises the results. 

town hall or whitehall

While (as might be expected given most of the respondents are from the world of local government) there is a general sense that there are a number of public services where accountability should switch from Whitehall to townhalls, it’s a more mixed picture.

Significant numbers of respondents feel that a number of more administrative functions such as electoral registration, registration, managing car parks, housing benefits and council tax collection, don’t require democratic oversight at any level.  And for some of these services where respondents felt some kind of role for politicians was appropriate, a large number favoured it being at a national level.  There was also strong support for regional oversight of some services such as transport, emergency planning and waste disposal.

And when it comes to social care the survey suggests that most people continue to see an important role for national politicians.

My tentative conclusions?  Perhaps the debate about devolving power from central to local government tends to get stuck because:

• some things are better done at a regional level but in most parts of the country there are not regionally elected politicians
• belief in the need for national oversight of personal social services is strong and probably reflects our cultural belief in uniform outcomes (this was something the Lyons report highlighted that compared with other European states we seem to have less tolerance of regional variations)
• potentially councils could seek to move out of some of the more administrative functions they perform which might align with a stronger focus on councils as community leaders
• it would be interesting to run a similiar survey of elected representatives to see how their views match up

Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet?  if that was possible…not really

How do you flush the toilet in public?  it depends how ur supposed to flush it.  some toilets do it automatically!

Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?  all the time!  i hardly forget to wear it.

Do you have a crush on someone?  yes…but i feel as if i shouldn’t…because nothing is going to happen

Name one thing you worry about running out of.  electricity and water

What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble?  apparently this girl from the suite life of zack and cody…but idk who

What is your favorite pizza topping?  mushrooms

Do you crack your knuckles?  yes, even though i tried to stop the urge…oops i just did it!

What song do you hate the most.  party in the u.s.a by miley cyrus

Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head?  not really because im listening to another song

What are your super powers?  i can get crazy and hyper when i get my happy time!

Peppermint or spearmint?  spearmint

Where are your car keys?  still with the car that i have yet to buy

Whose answers to this questionnaire do you want to hear?  the dalai lama’s

What’s your most annoying habit?  burping and cracking my knuckles

Where did you last go on vacation?  japan 8 years ago…but that was more of a school trip than a vacation

What is your best physical feature?  my junk in the trunk?

What CD is closest to you right now?  josh groban!!! <3

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?  cold cuts, butter, and cheese

What superstition do you believe/practice?  uh walking under a ladder…i run instead

What color are your bed sheets?  blue and white stripes

Would you rather be a fish or a bird?  a bird because i can poop and fly at the same time

Do you talk on your cell phone when you drive?  no…but if i had to i would use bluetooth

What are your favorite sayings?  AWESOME!

What song(s) do you sing most often in the shower?  songs on the radio

If you could go back or forward in time,where would you go?  i would go back and observe the significant moments in history

What is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?  star wars

What CD is in your stereo?  idk

What CD will be in your stereo in a few minutes?  none…i just listen to the radio

How many kids do you plan on having?  2

If you could kiss anyone who would it be?  my crush

What do you do when no one is watching?  take a bath

If they made a movie about your life, what actor/actress would be you?  i would love amanda bynes!

Would you rather die in a blaze of glory or peacefully in your sleep?  peacefully in my sleep!

Coffee or Tea?  tea

Favorite musician(s)/bands you’ve seen in concert?  none…i hardly go to concerts…but i would LOVE to go to a josh groban concert <3

Have you ever been in love?  no, i don’t have enough experience

Do you talk to yourself?  always!

hope you guys enjoyed this!

Have an AWESOME Thanksgiving!

lots of love!

ash<3

Igennem de seneste måneder har jeg arbejdet en del med positiv psykologi via mit studie. Dette forløb har inspireret mig til at fokusere på mine styrker – frem for svagheder, som dog falder mig så naturligt. At jeg må forsøge at være mindre fejlsøgende og mere optaget af styrkerne. Det handler måske om, at jeg må til se gennem andre briller.

Dernæst er jeg optaget af, om vi primært arbejder ud fra det, som vi gør bedst? Hvordan oplever du det i din kontekst?

En Gallup undersøgelse blandt to millioner mennesker viser, at kun 17 % bringer sine styrker i spil dagligt. Der er faktisk kun 1 % “chance” for, at du ikke er engageret i dit arbejde, hvis din leder hovedsageligt fokuserer på dine styrker (Positiv psykologi på arbejde). Dermed er der et klart link mellem motivation og evnen til at gøre det, som vi er bedst til.

En af verdens største ledelsestænkere, Peter Drucker, sagde på et tidspunkt: “Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong… And yet, a person can perform only from strength“. Kan det tænkes, at udfordringen mere er, at vi slet ikke er klar over, hvad vores styrkesider er? At vi måske ikke ved, hvad vi er bedst til?

Vil du sige, at du kender dine egne styrker?

Malcolm Gladwell skriver i “Outliers” at det tager 10.000 timer at blive ekstremt dygtig til “noget”. Om dette er en magisk grænse eller ej, så kræver det uden tvivl tid og hårdt arbejde at nå toppen. Dog tænker jeg, at det starter med, at vi bliver bevidste omkring vores styrker – og får mulighed for at sætte dem i spil – dagligt.

 Hvad tænker du?