Nielsen surveys Mac users?

[jaw04005]

I just received a call from Nielson Ratings. I am assuming this is the same ratings company that logs television viewership. Anyways, the rep wanted to know how many Macs I had in my household, if any, and what speed they connected to the internet.

They also asked if I was an AOL user. I just found this interesting since we usually get our Marketshare research from other not so reputable sources like Cnet.

Anyone else got this call?

 

[sambo.]

ummmmmmm

did they have to ask if you owned a Mac or a PC? i would be very worried if ratings companies knew what i owned before calling me up (unless i had filled in some form somewhere, like in INK, not on the web.....)

 

[Abstract]

Wow, what does that have to do with anything? I'd tell them to skip that question and move on... If they want TV viewer info regarding shows, then cool, but if they asked me "Do you own a Mac?", or "How tall are you?", or "What did you eat for dinner tonight?", then I'm not answering. Completely irrelevent as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Gherkin]

And what TV shows you view isn't irrelevent?

 

[LethalWolfe]

And what TV shows you view isn't irrelevent?

Not to broadcasters who use the ratings to help determine how much they charge for commerical air time. And not the companies that are buying that air time.


Lethal

 

[Abstract]

If a poll conductor that finds the view numbers for TV shows and all things television related is asking me my shoe size, or what my turn-on's are, it's completely dodgy. Same with asking about my Mac. If I say I'll participate in the poll, fine, but I'll only answer questions related to the shows, or maybe some info like my age so that they can categorize me properly.

If they're categorizing viewers in terms of what computers they use, that is truly weird.

 

[MisterMe]

I just received a call from Nielson Ratings. I am assuming this is the same ratings company that logs television viewership. Anyways, the rep wanted to know how many Macs I had in my household, if any, and what speed they connected to the internet.

They also asked if I was an AOL user. I just found this interesting since we usually get our Marketshare research from other not so reputable sources like Cnet.

Anyone else got this call?

Unless you are leaving out a lot of your conversation with the caller, I tend to believe that the caller was not from Nielson. It seems that this person called you because he knew that you are a Mac user. Nielson does random samples and, as you relate it, this was not random. Certainly before I give out any kind of information of that sort, I insist on the caller telling me who he or she is.

 

[Muskie]

??

who cares if someone you don't know now knows you have a mac, why should that be a secret? i don't think them knowing you own a mac should be put in the same category as knowing your shoe-size and turn-ons.

 

[jaw04005]

They did NOT ask me anything about my television habbits. I could careless who knows I have a Mac, and who doesn't. However, he simply asked if I owned a Computer? How many Macs, if any? What type of internet connection do you use? How long have you been using the internet? Are you an AOL subscriber?

That was it. Short and sweet. He actually gave me his name, and a number to contact Nielsen for verification. But, I was in the middle of cooking dinner so I didn't even take the information down.

I just didn't realize Nielsen did anything more than TV, but just doing a quick check around the net shows they monitor broadband usage.