Gravity Filter Survey

[Mark Ferwerda]

I just got a survey from BPL regarding use of gravity filters. Interestingly, after all the generic questions, it asks if I use one and provides a possible answer of “never” which I checked, since I don’t use one (I use chlorine dioxide). However all the rest of the required questions asks which brand and experiences of gravity filters which don’t apply to me. But I can’t submit the survey unless they are answered. I guess the intro should have said only take the survey if you use gravity filters…

[Paul Wagner]

Yeah there is another, similar flaw in the survey further down.  It asks if you have ever become ill with stomach issues in the backcountry: yes,/no/maybe.

But no matter what your answer, it then asks if you answered yes to the previous question, do you believe this illness came from a faulty filter.  I answered NO to the first question, and it then insisted that I answer the second one.  The answers were yes/no/maybe

I answered no to that second question…but that’s a flawed survey.

[Bill Budney]

More than half of the surveys I have seen in the past couple of years have been impossible to complete due to mandatory questions that have no acceptable response.

It’s a trend, and it is silly. It is certain to lead to inaccurate results.

What is the point of asking for opinions, then telling people what their opinion MUST BE in order to submit the survey?

EDIT: And what happens to the statistics when people choose incorrect responses just to complete the survey? That can’t be good. :)

[Arthur]

The way it started out, I was certain the next question was going to be “what is you income?” along with many other irrelevant typical questions on surveys.  Disappointed, it never came.

[David Thomas]

The only gravity filters I’ve owned were ones I built myself, starting in the 1980s.  I have been to other people’s base camps and appreciated dumping 2-3 gallons of raw water and leaving for the morning to come back to 3 gallons of filtered water.

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