Danzdol | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 01:33 pm     WOOOOO!!!!!!! I am excited , I got a phone call from the Nielsen ratings and I volunteered for an assignment from OCtober 16th-23rd. I am to jot down what shows I watch that week. Has anyone else done this? |
Theowl | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 01:40 pm     Danzdol, I never have, but I'd love to do it!! How did they call you?  |
Essence | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 01:45 pm     I've done it before. They even send you a couple of bucks for your trouble. Owl, when they called me, I asked how they got my number since I'm unlisted. The lady told me that they take your area code and the prefix in your area and do a random number thing. |
Theowl | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 01:53 pm     Thanks Essence. I guess I'll just have to wait for them to call me. I just thought maybe there was somewhere that you sign up for it.  |
Danzdol | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:02 pm     Hmmm they had my husband's name and last name and our address....... She said I was randomly chosen in my area but they had my info. Theowl- I will see if the form says anything about recommending people. I have always wanted to do it so when they called I was happy. In fact, I have a privacy director and I had already rejected the call in the morning because I didn't understand what they said in the recording and the next time (hours later) I accepted the call and it was them. I'll report back how it went. |
Theowl | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:10 pm     If they do ask for recommandations, tell the TheOwl really wants them to call. I have the TV on from 7 AM until 2 AM. I can give them a really run for their money!!  |
Reader234 | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:11 pm     Aww if I can put in a word for a show that needs nielson help - Starting Over, its a reality show, you can read about it on their website... starting over (now I'll just bet I'm not the FIRST one to reccomend a show for you!! lol - HAVE fun and add me to the jealous category!!) (edited to try and get the url to work... hopefully 3rd times the charm!!) |
Theowl | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:13 pm     Reader, I never miss that show!! It's on WB here at 8 AM. I love it and I'm beginning to really dislike Nyanza!! And starting to really like Andy.  |
Reader234 | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:17 pm     Hey owl, have you seen our dissing Ny on the tv show site here? I just wish it was on a better time here - In Chicago of all places its on at NOON!! I catch it when I'm not subbing. I do like that I can catch up on the website, and cant wait to see the change of people... (and woohooo, the 3rd time was the charm!!) |
Bastable | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:22 pm     I can't believe that Nielsen still does its ratings with a diary. How mid-1900s! We have digital cable and other technological innovations now, and they can tell us to the second what we're watching and how we're flipping around the channels. Why are they still using diaries--and what's more, how come the networks still pay to get those figures? Surely they could make a better deal with the cable companies to report exact figures on what people were watching at any given moment. |
Theowl | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:36 pm     Yes Reader, I've been there and posted alittle. Don't they have it on 2 times a day there? Bastable, I know that would be the smart way to do it, but it's not as much fun that way.  |
Squaredsc | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 04:41 pm     wow danzdol and essence you are the first people ive ever heard of doing those nielsen ratings. |
Azriel | Monday, September 29, 2003 - 06:13 pm     I did it danzdol. They should pay you money to do it because it's a hassle! I thought it would be fun, but you don't just write down what you watched, you have to write for everyone in the house and if your house is like my house was, someone is going to leave it up to you to keep track of what THEY watched. In the one I did you had to keep it accurate down to 15 minute intervals. It was a lot of writing and a lot of remembering if you didn't write it down at the time and tried to go back a day. I can't believe that everyone fills it out accurately, either. The temptation to just put down that you watched your favorite shows or even shows that you just think would have been good, even if you didn't see them, has got to be too great for some people. After we did it, I said NEVER again. |
Essence | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 05:27 am     I forgot about that part Azriel. It wasn't bad for me because I live alone and only watch in the evening (for the most part). I only had to worry about what I was watching. You are supposed to keep track of any program that is on while that tv is on or what you are taping. It was pretty simple for me, but I agree the diary is not the best way to go about it (especially with a lot of people in the house). |
Marysafan | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 06:46 am     We did the Nielson diary back in 1984. I put my oldest daughter who was in junior high in charge of it...and we let her keep the $1.00 they paid us! It was a hassle and a headache! |
Danzdol | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 10:54 am     It should not be that hard. My husband only watches ESPN Sportscenter and Designers Challenge in HGTV for the most part and I only have time to watch my fave shows. These are the ones that will most likely show up on my report: Real World/Road Rules Challenge Real World Bachelor The Practice Survivor West Wing Sportscenter Designers Challenge It's only my husband and I. I might add my baby's Barney and Teletubies on Sunday but it's not much since we only watch at night and it's just my hubby and I. I will just leave a pad on the nightstand so that we can write everything down on the spot as we watch. |
Crossfire | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 11:19 am     Just a comment on the diary vs other automatic collection methods. I think the diary's are required. Though I have digital cable with all the bells and whistles, HDTV, VOD, Time Shifting, DMX, and PPV including three or four hundred channels with 'high speed' internet to boot the cable company cannot tell what it is I am watching. They know what station I am tuned to, but they have no way of knowing if I am watching. Even when I turn the TV off, the digital box remains on, and tuned to a channel. With three of these in my house, and only one person to watch, any automated data collection will be more inaccurate by a minimum of two thirds than accurate as I can only watch one at a time. Any data collected from my house would be useless for rating program popularity. |
Tashakinz | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 01:31 pm     hmmm - I find it interesting that they don't pay much. We're part of the Nielsen net ratings and they send us two $50 savings bonds a year just to monitor our surfing habits. Sounds like the tv people get hosed. |
Bastable | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 03:34 pm     I don't see how diaries are any more reliable than electronic monitoring. People admit to fudging their diaries all the time. |
Crossfire | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 04:05 pm     That's true, but for the purposes of the polling, the data would still be more valuable than the electronic monitoring in that you at least have people indicating what they like. To make the point more directly, which is more reliable: 1. Three unattended TV's indicating the last channel watched for days on end. 2. People who agree to note their viewing activities with a certain percentage of those just filling in what they like. I vote for #2. |