(Mostly) Not TV

[Melissa P]

It looks like I was randomly selected to join "Google Opinion Rewards."

The mailed invitation (from Google) says "It is a pleasure to let you know your household has been chosen to represent your community in an important research study conducted by Google on how Americans use and consume media.  Fewer than 1 out of every 30,000 households are selected for this exclusive program."

More:  "As part of our study, we'll give you up to $141 dollars in reward points as an install bonus.  You'll also get over $6.50 in reward points each week you continue to participate.  These rewards can translate to $479 in reward points per year for watching television and using the internet like you already do.  These reward points can be redeemed for gift cards from major retailers."

Does anyone have a recommendation or advice about whether or not I should join?

[Jon Delfin]

First thing is to find out what "major retailers" means. 

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[Melissa P]

Thanks for the input.

Shortly before I posted here, I called the number given for information about the program.  I could not get satisfactory answers to my questions, which were:  (1) concern about downloading something that's going to interfere with the operation of my computer, iPad, phone, etc., and (2) what exactly is the compensation.  In other words, if I'm going to get a new TV out of it, I'm fine.  If I'm going to get financial support for a gaming habit I don't have, well, then, I'm not at all interested.

I will ask your question in an email.

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[Adam Bowie]

I believe the app at least used to be just that - an app that popped up from time to time asking you to complete a short questionnaire about your behaviours. So it shouldn't really impact your internet usage. Basically, you're joining a big panel, and whenever Google's advertising sales team need the answer to something they don't already know, they can ask the panel and get a robust response from panellists that can inform them.

To be clear, this is for advertising sales, and that alone. Talk of "representing your community" just means that they're short of people in your zipcode/sex/age/ethnicity to make a representative sample. 

I don't believe that it's an app that monitors in the background every single site you visit - there are such apps - but I'd definitely read the small print. In January, Facebook was caught by Apple using such an app to read just about everything on people's phones using an app called Facebook Research. They paid participants - including teens - $20 a month to be included. Apple pulled the plug on that when they found out. But I don't think this is what Google is doing. (Facebook incidentally has recently launched a new version of its app which is closer to Google's although it still measure things like how long you spend in apps that are not made by Facebook - they want to know why your spending more time on Snapchat than Instagram or whatever).

I'd also seek a clarification on that "$479 ... per year" because $479 seems to be a $141 install bonus plus 52 weeks x $6.50. But do they give you another install bonus the following year? If not, then your annual amount would drop down a fair bit. Maybe a new TV in year one, but not in year two.

Also it says "up to" $141, and "can" translate to $479. I suspect that the amount you get depends on how hard it is to recruit into your demographic. But maybe I'm being cynical. I've worked in market research, although I've never maintained a panel like this, and rewarding panellists to keep them on board is standard practice.

To be clear, I've previously used a version of this app some years ago, although I didn't make more than a few pounds that I was only able to use in the Google Play Store. The rewards they're offering you are bigger. I did however once attend a Google focus group to answer questions on using work email on a personal Android phone. But that was completely different and I got cash!

Adam

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[Melissa P]

Many thanks.  As someone who used to conduct surveys for the federal government, everything you said makes sense.  In fact, I think Google's random selection process must be good since I consider my household really typical of my community, although I'm probably somewhat older than the average resident.  I've also participated in market research panels on various topics.  $100 for an hour or two of my time is well worth it (although I just did one last week for a local university for a lot less because I thought the topic was interesting).

So, based on what I'm reading here, especially the description of what Google is up to, it looks like it's okay to join.

I appreciate all of the input.

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[Doug Eastick]

Adam's response sounds much more intelligent when I read it with a British accent (in my head).

:)

aside: wondering if any Canadians recall a commercial 10(?) years ago where some Indian (Asian-indian) people were talking about interviewing a Canadian and didn't think he/she was intelligent based on the way they spoke.    Wish I could find a clip of that.

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Doug Eastick <eas...@mcd.on.ca>

[Adam Bowie]

On Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 4:13 AM Doug Eastick <eas...@mcd.on.ca> wrote:

Adam's response sounds much more intelligent when I read it with a British accent (in my head).

:)

 

The secret's out. We all sound so much more intelligent when we're in North America... :-)

[Bob Jersey]

Doug Eastick, to Adam, Melissa and Jon, in part:

Adam's response sounds much more intelligent when I read it with a British accent (in my head).

:)

I'm actually able to to do that too... I can't swear to it, but after he joined, I could have looked up his then-station over there and found an audio stream (good luck with that nowadays, other than BBC)

B

[Adam Bowie]

On Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 5:03 PM 'Bob Jersey' via TVorNotTV <tvor...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I'm actually able to to do that too... I can't swear to it, but after he joined, I could have looked up his then-station over there and found an audio stream (good luck with that nowadays, other than BBC)

B

You could indeed have tuned into Virgin Radio or Absolute Radio, and sadly your're right - they're much harder to stream outside the UK now. But you'd have only very very rarely heard me. I had very occasional chats with Geoff Lloyd on his show, but you'd have had to be a die-hard to have heard them :-)

My current employer is much easier to hear your side of the pond. Indeed you can get our output many times a day on your local NPR station! Those news programmes they carry from your ex-colonial oppressors! But you'll do well to hear me on that either. (Unless you caught this... https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswlyw)

Adam