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Take the PVRblog survey, win a Harmony 688 remote

To better know my readers, I'm launching a PVRblog reader survey today and will run it for one week, closing it up on Nov. 8th. Taking the survey will help me find advertisers that fit well with the content here and the audience. If you've ever been annoyed with off-topic ads that have nothing to do with video recorders, TV, or TiVo, taking the survey will help tailor their messages so they're actually useful.

To sweeten the deal, I'm going to give away a Harmony 688 remote to a random survey responder after it's been up for the week. This remote is designed for DVRs and offers many of the same features found in my earlier review of the 880 remote. You can set it up to talk to all your devices and keep activities like watching a DVD or seeing what's on your TiVo be just one button click away, instead of ten clicks from five remotes.

Thanks in advance for taking the survey!

Update: looks like the advertising company I'm working with closed the survey up a few days early after getting almost a thousand responses (which apparently was plenty and they decided to end it). Sorry if anyone found this post too late, the winner of the remote has been picked and contacted and will be announced soon here.

by Matt Haughey November 1, 2005 in News

Comments

Now I'm confused. Where's the survey? Not launched yet?

Posted by: Myles at Nov 1, 2005 10:25:57 AM

Where is this fabled survey?

Posted by: nick at Nov 1, 2005 10:27:37 AM

http://external.fmpub.net/take/3/200

Took a few tries to get it to post correctly.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Nov 1, 2005 10:28:18 AM

How are you going to pick a winner if your survey doesn't ask for any contact information? I put my email address in the comments sections, just in case...

Posted by: Dennis at Nov 1, 2005 10:44:53 AM

It never asked for any contact info for the survey contest entry. How does it pick a winner?

Posted by: Paul at Nov 1, 2005 10:45:24 AM

"taking the survey will help tailor their messages so they're actually useful."

hmm, the survey seemed geared more to getting the kind of data advertisers like so you can increase your ad rates rather than to help me with "useful" ads.

Posted by: Brent at Nov 1, 2005 11:13:10 AM

I assume putting my email in the 'may we contact you' is good enough for entry?

Posted by: S J at Nov 1, 2005 11:36:47 AM

Yeah, sorry it's not super clear -- add your email so you can be contacted.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Nov 1, 2005 11:47:40 AM

To the "May we contact you field" or the "Comments" field?

Posted by: Rick at Nov 1, 2005 11:55:15 AM

the may we contact you field seems most appropriate.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Nov 1, 2005 12:02:23 PM

No thanks. Maybe the site should focus on providing relevant content before trying to provide more relevant ads. The quality and quantity of posts has gone way down in my opinion. I would think that content improvement and finding content which interests your readers would be important.

I agree with Brent...this information seems like fodder for you to increase rates, not provide more relevant ads or content.

Posted by: Tyson at Nov 1, 2005 2:07:00 PM

I just took the survey, but I didn't enter my email address into the box... is there a way I can retake it or be entered for the remote some other way?

Posted by: Katie at Nov 1, 2005 3:03:20 PM

Hmm.. I took the survey but thought there was a second page to put my email in.

Posted by: pete at Nov 1, 2005 6:35:30 PM

So why is it bad if PVRBlog is using this data to raise their rates. Would you rather have ads on this site and have him make a little money OR ads on this site and have him make LOTS of money. This site is great, lets hope they make lots of money and be incented to post more often and have better content.

Posted by: Scott at Nov 1, 2005 6:44:31 PM

"I would think that content improvement and finding content which interests your readers would be important."

They're not mutually exclusive. It's one post about a survey to help a company promote this site better to advertisers (yes, to increase rates or whatever). There won't be any more posts about it and the rest of the content will be applicable.

Finding content is job one, and though the site has languished in the past (it's just a hobby for me to run it, like it's a hobby to goof around with TiVos), as Scott says above, when a hobby suddenly picks up a few bucks you tend to spend more time on it.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Nov 1, 2005 10:27:37 PM

Took the survey thought there was a second page so no email. I guess I'm out of the running for the remote?

Posted by: Michael at Nov 2, 2005 6:09:03 AM

What a rip, you didn't let anyone know how to enter their contact info, all you are after is selling the data. You're an class one a-hole. Thanks for nothing.

Posted by: Craig at Nov 2, 2005 7:33:01 AM

Matt -

I do appreciate the site and your efforts. If I didnt, I guess I wouldnt be here.

Maybe it is a chicken and egg scenario. 'What comes first, content or profits?'

Posted by: Tyson at Nov 2, 2005 9:13:45 AM

I'm not selling the results, a company handling ads here is conducting the survey.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Nov 2, 2005 10:16:51 AM

I also appreciate this site. I visit it daily to check for the latest Tivo news. I can't believe that so many people can show up and complain when you are actually giving away an expensive device. So ungrateful. Thanks Matt for all you do here - hobby or not - I like it.

Posted by: Daily Reader at Nov 2, 2005 10:20:54 AM

Thank You
This survey is no longer active.

Why???

Posted by: Daniel at Nov 3, 2005 5:21:25 PM

I get survey no longer active as well. Has this been shut down early or something?

Posted by: Brian at Nov 4, 2005 6:58:36 AM

Might as well as remove the link/post altogether...

Posted by: Apex at Nov 4, 2005 9:21:24 AM

What a croc. Survey to run thru 11/08? This site is now removed from my bookmarks.

Reading thru the comments I can say good luck with any future scams you run.

Posted by: Joe at Nov 6, 2005 6:49:29 AM