Staff —

For the empire: Please take the 2012 Ars Reader Survey

Last call for our survey. Just 1,000 more takers, and we'll share the results.

Aurich Lawson / Thinkstock

Happy Black Friday!

This is just a reminder (and the only one we'll foist on you) that every year we reach out to you, oh great readers, to participate in our big survey extravaganza. We’ve been conducting yearly surveys since 2006, and when combined with other reader feedback, traffic analysis, and our close reading of goat entrails, the surveys help guide us into the mysterious future. We take your responses quite seriously!

In fact, these surveys are perhaps the most important line of feedback you can give us. Generally, only hardcore readers take them, which means we’re less likely to hear from someone who doesn’t really read or care about the site. It’s also the case that we’re usually blessed with a mountain of respondents, which lets us get statistically significant data. All of this means that your taking ten minutes to fill out this survey will help us out greatly. If we break 7,000 respondents, we’ll even publish the results. [Update: we're almost there!]

This year’s survey has three components. One is to tell us how we’re doing on a number of fronts. The next is to tell us more about yourself (we really, really need this information, but the data we collect will only be used in aggregate and will never be sold to anyone). Last but not least is something new: the final page has freeform questions that are optional to answer. We’re going to read through all of the responses, so don’t leave any opportunities untouched!

The 2012 Ars Reader Survey.

95 Reader Comments

  1. Filled out. with some responses in Spanish, hope that's Ok.
    7255 posts | registered
  2. JKT wrote:
    Damn, just realised that I didn't put in my most wanted 'one thing I'd like to see changed' - your habit of not publishing whole posts to your RSS feed.


    In case you're not aware of it, subscribers have the option of a full text feed.
    1652 posts | registered
  3. structurebuddy wrote:
    In the comments section at the end I added that I hope Ars turns away from the continuing temptation to promote meaningless android/apple tribalism.


    I have to admit, I'll generally read the comments to most articles I read on Ars, and some of those Apple/Android threads are pretty heavy going. I like reading comments which expand on the source material, or people politely exchanging points of view; 400 comments vigorously debating whether or not Apple/Google/Samsung sucks/rocks doesn't scratch that itch for me. But I suppose I could just start skipping those comments, or the articles entirely.
    426 posts | registered
  4. You know what this site needs? Two things:

    A classic comments mode (ie, no Facebook-like up/down-voting.)

    In-depth gaming articles/reviews written by women. Peter Bright and Kyle Orland are okay but, well; this feels like an area that is lacking female contributors on most tech sites. Oh, and I do mean thorough, well written articles and not 4 to six paragraph-long light-hearted footnotes *coughpcmag.comcough*
    1654 posts | registered
  5. jarvy wrote:
    Not working on an iPad. iOS 6.


    Ditto. Sad face, survey monkey.
    212 posts | registered
  6. Attempting to write in an "Other" answer for "What else besides reading online do you do for entertainment or enrichment?" but it will not let me progress. I just want to go to the theatre!
    1 post | registered
  7. I don't really have 3 other favorite sites. Ars is the site I look at for general tech info, and I visit a fair amount. I look at Apple Insider and MacRumors for Apple information. I can't tell the survey this, however, as it insists that I have 3 favorite tech sites. Exit Survey.
    2071 posts | registered
  8. CuriouslySane wrote:
    JKT wrote:
    Damn, just realised that I didn't put in my most wanted 'one thing I'd like to see changed' - your habit of not publishing whole posts to your RSS feed.


    In case you're not aware of it, subscribers have the option of a full text feed.


    They do! That is awesome! I really should see what else they have for subscribers, but this is enough to get my money.
    309 posts | registered
  9. A suggestion I hope will be considered is articles featuring comparisons between halmark products with videos being an advantage. I find this gives context to some words and descriptions given in siloed reviews.

    For example I've been under the impression that the Nexus 10 provides an adequately smooth experience which while largely true, contrasted to the fluidity on other products, still lags considerably.

    Even if videos are eschewed, I still think direct comparisons would be helpful in contextualizing performance and experience in some cases.
    704 posts | registered
  10. dnedialk wrote:
    One of the things I _love_ about Ars is the white text on black background. My iPhone's screen's brightness cannot be wound down enough to not wake me fully when I wake up and want to read.

    Ars is the only site I can read on it without the brightness fully waking me and preventing me from sleeping again that night. More sites should have this.

    Or devices should, for the love of God, allow the brightness to be adjustable all the way to zero.

    In iOS settings you can configure a triple click of the home button to perform various actions (or give you a list of choices to choose from).

    One of them inverts the display.
    1550 posts | registered
  11. structurebuddy wrote:
    In the comments section at the end I added that I hope Ars turns away from the continuing temptation to promote meaningless android/apple tribalism. It seems like a certain fraction of the articles here are published knowing that they will get people worked up and flaming at each other. It may be good for page views and number of comments, but in the end it will just drive people like me away, and bring in partisan blowhards who will never be satisfied anyhow.

    That's not how I see the articles. I think Ars does an impressively good job of being unbiased with regard to those articles. Certainly better than just about any other website covering the topic.

    The only publication I'm aware of that is less biased is the TWiL podcast (which is run by actual lawyers, instead of journalists). Unfortunately the topic of that podcast is heavily influenced by which guests they have on a given week, so they don't always cover IP law even when there has been a major development.

    You're certainly right about the comments however. As a bit of an IP activist myself I really want to discuss the current state of IP law but it's hard when there are hundreds of people posting complete bullshit in the comments feed. I thought comment voting would help, but it seems to really fall apart when a high percentage of people placing votes do not have a good understanding of how IP law actually works.
    1550 posts | registered
  12. Forgot to put this in the survey, and maybe it would be impractical for the writers but: Summarized versions of some of the more sprawling product reviews? I'm curious as to how the newest release of OSX is performing, but not 20 pages curious.

    wangstramedeous wrote:
    A suggestion I hope will be considered is articles featuring comparisons between halmark products with videos being an advantage. I find this gives context to some words and descriptions given in siloed reviews.


    Also this. I know most reviews include some sort of benchmarking, but that's not quite the same as a hands-on side by side comparison.
    115 posts | registered
  13. propjoe wrote:
    Forgot to put this in the survey, and maybe it would be impractical for the writers but: Summarized versions of some of the more sprawling product reviews? I'm curious as to how the newest release of OSX is performing, but not 20 pages curious.

    wangstramedeous wrote:
    A suggestion I hope will be considered is articles featuring comparisons between halmark products with videos being an advantage. I find this gives context to some words and descriptions given in siloed reviews.


    Also this. I know most reviews include some sort of benchmarking, but that's not quite the same as a hands-on side by side comparison.

    It sounds like you enjoy exactly the articles that I hate.

    The 20 page articles are my favourite. I can skim to the last few paragraphs if I just want the conclusion, but I normally skim read the whole thing and then pay close attention to the most interesting parts (which often differ from what others find interesting).

    Comparisons of one product to another are, in my opinion, totally useless. There are always a million minor details that get glossed over.

    If I want to compare two products, I would much rather read a 20 page long article about each one than see a side by side comparison. If only one of them has a 20 page article... then I'll assume it is the only one that is actually good enough to even consider.
    1550 posts | registered
  14. Shucks. I was kinda distracted when filling the survey and forgot to put in that, as a non-US reader, I'd like to see more international tech/policy news, if at all possible. I realize not everything is big enough to get to you, but I still think there might be some room for improvement here.
    42 posts | registered
  15. I have conflicting thoughts about some questions in this survey.
    For example this one: "The increase in products reviews in the last few months has been great.": Normally i would check "agree" but I started thinking that you (ars) would get the wrong idea and start becoming more like engadget/gizmodo etc.

    The volume of content is strictly tied to what section I prefer. If I answer I want more content it's not accurate. I just want more law&disorder content.

    "How often do you read user comments on Ars Technica stories?"
    This again is tied to the section I'm reading. If I'm reading a law&disorder article I almost always read the comments but if it's an article about ios/android I'm not reading anything.

    Maybe the survey should have been more focused or larger. You would get more specific information and I would not be afraid of what to answer.
    3 posts | registered
  16. I believe that ARS is making a great, *great* work in broadening the scope of the articles published.
    BTW, contrary to other comments i red, I believe that you should let the gadgetry to other sources who have made theyr mission to publish every f***n' iFixt coverage that god send on the damn planet.

    I always loved the fact that this site is science oriented, if not driven. I love the coverage on physics, chemistry and engineering; the political and antropological content is also very appreciable.

    One thing i'll love, and I believe the site lacks, is video content. Interviews, documentaries, inquiries on the tech and science world, but maybe it's too expensive, dunno.

    BTW, keep up the great work!
    51 posts | registered
  17. I agree with the others about lessening gadget-focused articles.

    Remember Jon Stokes, and his long, informative articles about microprocessor technologies? I miss those. Peter Bright's coverage of the underworkings of Windows over the years, and his excellent reviews are similar in quality. Can we have more of that, Ars?

    Also, science and technology -- articles about the Large Hadron Collider and about other purely-scientific research are fascinating to me, and something Ars has done really well over the years.

    Keep it up!
    297 posts | registered
  18. Dassassin wrote:
    I agree with the others about lessening gadget-focused articles.

    Remember Jon Stokes, and his long, informative articles about microprocessor technologies?


    Oh yes!
    I remember one great coverage on the workings of streamlined pipelines on (at that time) new nvidia cards that was brightly stunning.

    I believe that a lot of people have the expectation to be taught on the topic of technology and science by ars staffers, something that's difficult to achieve once out of school and stuck in the worklife and something that's difficult to find in other sources.
    51 posts | registered
  19. More Science, less Apple! (if you feel you need to keep it balanced then less MS and Android is ok as well)

    either way, still my favorite site
    112 posts | registered
  20. My one complaint and hopefully someone can help me out here is.....When I reply to a posting it takes me to a separate screen and then not back to where I was in the thread. Am I making sense here and is there a work around?
    316 posts | registered
  21. I thought the Android question was confusing: "The renewed attention to Android has been very good." If I disagree, does it mean that I don't like the renewed attention, or that it hasn't been that good?

    For the record, I love that there's been some attention to Android, but I don't think the articles have been very good. I'd like more in-depth analysis, and less reviews "by the numbers", not just on Android but generally. There's a lot of gadget reviews and rumors sites out there, but I come to Ars for the longer articles.
    13 posts | registered
  22. CuriouslySane wrote:
    JKT wrote:
    Damn, just realised that I didn't put in my most wanted 'one thing I'd like to see changed' - your habit of not publishing whole posts to your RSS feed.


    In case you're not aware of it, subscribers have the option of a full text feed.

    Thanks for the head's-up (I did not know and, alas, that one feature is not enough for me to pay the sub, and I don't need/want any of the others). Ah well, I'll stick to reading other sites' content while underground...
    381 posts | registered
  23. Your survey is not working in my Firefox, but works in my chrome.
    Question 6 does not have a checkbox for "other" leading me to choose woodworking because of my incessant fapping.
    1229 posts | registered
  24. Image
    639 posts | registered
  25. How do I answer the first question if I typically access Ars via RSS reader?
    270 posts | registered
  26. I'd LOVE to fill out this questionnaire... except that hardly any of the boxes registers my input on the mobile version. I just get a yellow highlight maybe a random tick mark every now and then.

    I suppose the most important feedback would be:

    "Do you require competent technical service via the website devoted to technology?"

    Yes/No/ It's OK, I'm reading the print edition.
    1298 posts | registered
  27. One thing I'd like is for email notifications and the link contained therein to take me to replies to my posts, instead of just posts in the thread. I'm much more likely to post comments if I feel someone out there is gullible, sympathetic or annoyed enough t reply to a comment and then I've got the tools to easily find those replies via my mobile phone (which I've upgraded to a Galaxy Note 2, btw).

    Oh and can we post a comment without having to click "readers' comments' please?
    1298 posts | registered
  28. Well, I already did the survey. But another three-word description suddenly presents itself:

    Eleven. Tracking. Beacons.
    91 posts | registered
  29. A word of warning if you are logged in [to Ars] while filling out the survey (not sure if this is a must?):

    The following line from the posting above is bullshit:
    Quote:
    we really, really need this information, but the data we collect will only be used in aggregate and will never be sold to anyone


    Immediately after leaving Survey Monkey, I was annoyed to find that I began receiving a lot of spam for a service I had to "unsubscribe" from (which of course, I never actually subscribed to).

    Considering I didn't have to provide any personal info or even an email, I find it interesting that Ars must have passed that information along to Survey Monkey (since I was logged in) and I've since deleted more advertisement emails (such as those related to the topics in the survey, like Android, Apple, employment, engineering, software, etc.) in the last two days than I've actually seen in my inbox (thanks to a good spam control by Gmail) in the last year.

    Thanks, Ars.
    1242 posts | registered
  30. GhostRed wrote:
    A word of warning if you are logged in [to Ars] while filling out the survey (not sure if this is a must?):

    The following line from the posting above is bullshit:
    Quote:
    we really, really need this information, but bubthe data we collect will only be used in aggregate and will never be sold to anyone


    Immediately after leaving Survey Monkey, I was annoyed to find that I began receiving a lot of spam for a service I had to "unsubscribe" from (which of course, I never actually subscribed to).

    Considering I didn't have to provide any personal info or even an email, I find it interesting that Ars must have passed that information along to Survey Monkey (since I was logged in) and I've since deleted more advertisement emails (such as those related to the topics in the survey, like Android, , employment, engineering, software, etc.) in the last two days than I've actually seen in my inbox (thanks to a good spam control by Gmail) in the last year.

    Thanks, Ars.


    This.
    1298 posts | registered
  31. GhostRed wrote:
    A word of warning if you are logged in [to Ars] while filling out the survey (not sure if this is a must?):

    The following line from the posting above is bullshit:
    Quote:
    we really, really need this information, but the data we collect will only be used in aggregate and will never be sold to anyone


    Immediately after leaving Survey Monkey, I was annoyed to find that I began receiving a lot of spam for a service I had to "unsubscribe" from (which of course, I never actually subscribed to).

    Considering I didn't have to provide any personal info or even an email, I find it interesting that Ars must have passed that information along to Survey Monkey (since I was logged in) and I've since deleted more advertisement emails (such as those related to the topics in the survey, like Android, Apple, employment, engineering, software, etc.) in the last two days than I've actually seen in my inbox (thanks to a good spam control by Gmail) in the last year.

    Thanks, Ars.


    We absolutely did no such thing. We passed nothing to SM, and SM cannot read your Ars cookies.
    19288 posts | registered
  32. Dassassin wrote:
    .....Remember Jon Stokes, and his long, informative articles about microprocessor technologies? I miss those. Peter Bright's coverage of the underworkings of Windows over the years.......


    I second this. I love the detailed technical articles. I know they take a long time to research and write, and they may not have as large an audience as others, but there are some of us that really enjoy them.

    So although I won't ask for these all the time, the occasional technical article is really appreciated.
    138 posts | registered
  33. dh87 wrote:
    I don't really have 3 other favorite sites. Ars is the site I look at for general tech info, and I visit a fair amount. I look at Apple Insider and MacRumors for Apple information. I can't tell the survey this, however, as it insists that I have 3 favorite tech sites. Exit Survey.


    It's free form text, write that in (I did)
    8718 posts | registered
  34. I wish that you had asked abou the science articles, IMO they are an ars gem -- man cannot live on computers and gadgets alone!
    634 posts | registered
  35. There's no art in the 'alternate hobbies' section? I am disappoint :(

    Seriously, I take issue with 'best in class' phrasing of the quality questions. I think Ars generally wavers in both Microsoft and Apple coverage (sometimes it's excellent, sometimes it's echo chamber), but I do think they're generally very good. But I find it rather hard to call it 'best in class' because of this wavering.

    And I second the need for a science article question - it's definitely one of the reasons I hang around (along with the 20-page reviews of new OS releases and 4-page essays on various computer subjects. ^^)
    698 posts | registered
  36. duffbeer703 wrote:
    I wish that you had asked abou the science articles, IMO they are an ars gem -- man cannot live on computers and gadgets alone!

    Ken and I are both reading the comments here. If you've got specific suggestions for the science section, leave them in this discussion, and they will be seen.
    7750 posts | registered
  37. Ken Fisher wrote:
    GhostRed wrote:
    A word of warning if you are logged in [to Ars] while filling out the survey (not sure if this is a must?):

    The following line from the posting above is bullshit:
    Quote:
    we really, really need this information, but the data we collect will only be used in aggregate and will never be sold to anyone


    Immediately after leaving Survey Monkey, I was annoyed to find that I began receiving a lot of spam for a service I had to "unsubscribe" from (which of course, I never actually subscribed to).

    Considering I didn't have to provide any personal info or even an email, I find it interesting that Ars must have passed that information along to Survey Monkey (since I was logged in) and I've since deleted more advertisement emails (such as those related to the topics in the survey, like Android, Apple, employment, engineering, software, etc.) in the last two days than I've actually seen in my inbox (thanks to a good spam control by Gmail) in the last year.

    Thanks, Ars.


    We absolutely did no such thing. We passed nothing to SM, and SM cannot read your Ars cookies.


    I'm not accusing you of lying, but I did back track the site that is sending these various emails, along with some header information, as well as server info related directly to the spam emails and matched with some info from various cookies from Ars and I can absolutely guarantee that there is an undeniable link between the survey I filled out and the information I provided at Ars.

    One blatantly obvious link is the fact that the spam referenced "personal" data that I addressed in the survey that I have not given anywhere else. Specifically, that my field is Electrical Engineering. I have just recently entered into this field, as I have not completed school yet, and have NEVER indicated this as my occupation previously as it was NOT my occupation.

    It would be impossible for this to be a coincidence. Again, not saying it was a malicious act but it was definitely related to the survey.
    1242 posts | registered
  38. Question 6 needs an 'other button'. I do not do any of that pick list stuff but the survey will go no further without me claiming I do something I do not do. Obviously I am in the minority since there is only one prior complaint but to continue I am not being honest. I picked home automation since I attempt to motivate myself to do things as an automaton- similar huh???
    159 posts | registered
  39. ShuggyCoUk wrote:
    dh87 wrote:
    I don't really have 3 other favorite sites. Ars is the site I look at for general tech info, and I visit a fair amount. I look at Apple Insider and MacRumors for Apple information. I can't tell the survey this, however, as it insists that I have 3 favorite tech sites. Exit Survey.


    It's free form text, write that in (I did)

    Yeah, he was just being obstinate. I put Slashdot, BBC, and Newegg.

    ..what?
    1314 posts | registered
  40. Dr. Jay wrote:
    duffbeer703 wrote:
    I wish that you had asked abou the science articles, IMO they are an ars gem -- man cannot live on computers and gadgets alone!

    Ken and I are both reading the comments here. If you've got specific suggestions for the science section, leave them in this discussion, and they will be seen.

    The science articles are great; the only specific you're likely to get is: Moar!

    Non-specifically, sometimes, when the comments devolve into creationist bashing (as if we had any creationist readers), or left - right back and forths, where it quickly feels like ganging up; make me as tired as a run on sentence.

    I see you have tried to deal with that with your voting thing. But I have yet to feel I have the authority to vote someone's opinion up or down. And whenever a comment is hidden, in every case, I expand it to see the offending verbage. So it's a good idea on paper, but it's not working for me at all. I'm not sure going all slashdot style would be good for Ars either, but that comment system is better than this one.

    How feasible is it to have a full time comments cop? The comments section may be the the number one asset of your whole deal here. One of the more valuable things on the internet. I realize the comments live under the umbrella of the good writing (especially science); but other sites have good and interesting articles too, and they don't have these kinds of comments. Not these old timers, experts in different fields, .. smart people. :)

    What machine or mob-rule moderation does is kinda bad for the best commenting environment. I mean, if everyone thought like me, there'd be no point in reading the group think. A thoughtful intelligent person though, can find and deal with trolls, and more importantly; separate them from the occasionally over-enthusiastic zealot. It's a thought.

    PS. Jon left the door open to do freelance for you guys. If you can get him to come down from the mountain long enough to do a chip article of any kind; I guarantee I'll click through one of your ads and buy something.
    1314 posts | registered

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