[clug] FOSS surveys - once is happenstance.

[Owen]

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:06:36 +1100
"Mike Carden" <mike.carden at gmail.com> wrote:

> Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.
> 
> Does anyone else admin any projects on sourceforge? Have you received
> several different email requests to complete surveys around FOSS in
> the last few weeks?
> 
> I received my first one about a month ago and on the surface it looked
> legit. It appeared to be from a European University and seemed to be
> asking appropriate questions. Then another one from another uni, then
> two this morning allegedly from an Italian uni.
> 
> Has anyone else seen these? My scam radar is twitching because after
> several years of no such thing, I seem to suddenly have a lot of
> interest in a short period. Is it just that a bunch of universities
> have had the exact same idea at the same time? Here is the text of
> today's:


A couple of years ago on one of the Gimp lists, there were a number a similar requests. Users were asked to complete a survey re software, its usage and development.

There was at least one challenge to the authenticity of a request, but in the end it all seemed to boil down to the endless 'dream up a thesis' task for graduate students.


FWIW


Owen