Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Aleks Gornisiewicz on March 18, 2014 at 8:31am

Hi Julia,
Thanks for your feedback. It was just a result of disappointment I guess because I didn't think that people would react like that. I mentioned that it is a school project and that it is a campaign on behalf of the Brain Injury Association, which is a non-profit so I though that the nature of public service campaigns is widely known. I also mentioned that it is a specific campaign for a specific cause that we didn't pick but were assigned. So there is no room for my personal opinion in this project, it is based on the information we received from the BIA and the information we collect. And even though all of that was said, I still got replies like "fix the infrastructure", "create more bike lanes", "the bike helmets are not the most important" Maybe they are not but it is the goal of campaign: to encourgae people but not make them scared of riding or present riding as dangerous. We won't be telling people they have to wear helmets but that maybe they should consider it because of the consequences of a potential fall or accident.
It is really not my topic which makes it a lot more difficult.
Again, thanks for your feedback.


Julia 3.5/7.5 mi said:

Hi Aleks,

I wanted to touch on a few points, mostly because I work in higher ed and I see situations like this pop up from time to time.

Understandably, when you work with a client or a class project, you'll find your research has a specific angle or agenda. Going forward, it might be most helpful to outline who is funding this research, and the basis for your questions. I think adding a disclaimer to the top of the survey, indicating that the questions are rooted in brain injury statistics and the reduction in related serious/long-term effects, might have a positive effect in quelling some of the "I have a different opinion" responses. Not that these responses aren't valid - they certainly are - but they're outside of the scope of your current research. You've touched a nerve here because your initial assumptions "wearing a helmet reduces brain injuries; everyone should do it" doesn't align with many of the other elements cyclists consider when riding (cycling infrastructure and traffic speed, for example).

On professionalism, especially if you continue in public places like this forum, I'd recommend that you take a more laid-back approach to criticism. No survey will please everyone, and you'll always get responses you don't like or personally agree with. I do agree with the comment above that a quick search this site would've shown the "wear a helmet/don't wear a helmet" debate to be much deeper and more nuanced than you likely perceived. Personally, I didn't have a problem with filling out the survey initially (besides the multi-options I mentioned above), but now that you've tried to "beat your point" into forum members and resorted to yelling and snide comments, I'm not pleased to be a part of your research. Please do consider the larger picture you represent here - especially your client and Loyola University. I'm not certain about requirements for decorum for your university, but I know there are several "public voice" policies in place where I work, and your comments in this thread would not be aligned to them.

Wishing you the best of luck in your research, and hoping that this experience will help guide and shape your future endeavors -

Julia

Aleks Gornisiewicz said:

haha if that is your goal then what can I say, I feel sorry for you. These professionals at least are trying to do something and I wonder if you are active and do anything to improve the community or change something or all you do is actually hide behind the computer screen where no one can see you and tell others what they should do and what they do wrong. 

I'm not going to address all the ridiculous accusations that appeared in different posts because it would be a waste of time. Yes, I signed up only because I wanted to post the survey but I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Everyone has different opinions and views but they all should be respected and responded to in a little different manner than many of you have done. Also, I'm a student and I STILL LEARN, and yes the survey maybe might have been better or done differently, but it is a part of a learning process. 

Thanks to those who filled out the survey.

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Permalink Reply by Aleks Gornisiewicz on March 18, 2014 at 9:14am

You are right, I'm not a bicyclist which makes it even more difficult to do this. If I had a chance to pick a topic I would have never picked this one because it is difficult to work on something you cannot identify with, but I know will not always get a chance to work on issues and topics I'm really interested in. Yes I signed up just to post the survey but I didn't know you would have something against that but now I know so all I can do is thank you all for taking it anyway.
When it comes to the survey, age bracketing ends at 35 because we already have a specific target audience in mind for this campaign. As you know, it is a part of a campaign planning: you need a specific target audience for your campaign because you can't target everyone. I know a lot of you got offended but that's not what we meant, it is because of the reason I've mentioned above. I understand your confusion with the city and neighborhood but I'm still learning and it is one of the challenges you face when you create surveys and do research in general, it has to be really clear and specific so next time I'm sure it will be better.
Thanks for taking it anyways and I want to make it clear: I know that you and other people know a lot about this topic and I respect those opinions.


notoriousDUG said:

OK, first off your first paragraph here is pretty hilarious because Howard is one of the people around here who you can see at tons of events and who donates tons of his own time, and I'm pretty sure funds, to several worthy causes and organizations.  I know Howard is one of the people on this forum who is not only active in the cycling community in Chicago but whose contributions make cycling in Chicago better.  Of course you would know that if you were a member of this community and not just some ding-dong who sees a giant focus group for their project...

You'd also know that I also do my fair share of volunteering and am very accessible in real life.

As for answering the accusations I think it is something you should do, provided you have a leg to stand on.  If you are a doing work for an industry funded organization ('Not for profit' does not mean an organization is not actually part of a corporate marketing machine) that is realy nothing more than a scare tact shill for the helmet industry why should we welcome you here?  Should I welcome you with open arms when you are trying to get free information that doesn't actually want to make cycling safer but just sell more helmets? 

You want to use us for research fine but don't try and tell us that it's to make cyclists safer; just admit it's to sell more helmets.

For the record, I took your survey and it is terrible!

-Why did you end age bracketing at 35?  I'm 38 and I would be willing to be my attitudes and thoughts on helmets are very different from people in their late 40's or early 50's

-What is the difference between riding in the city and riding a neighborhood?  I ride through several neighborhoods in the city every day.

-Do you even ride a bike?  Or know anyone who does?

For the record, I wear a helmet about 90% of the time I am on a bike and I think it's a good idea but I also do not think most cycling is so dangerous that you are at significant risk without one.

Aleks Gornisiewicz said:

haha if that is your goal then what can I say, I feel sorry for you. These professionals at least are trying to do something and I wonder if you are active and do anything to improve the community or change something or all you do is actually hide behind the computer screen where no one can see you and tell others what they should do and what they do wrong. 

I'm not going to address all the ridiculous accusations that appeared in different posts because it would be a waste of time. Yes, I signed up only because I wanted to post the survey but I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Everyone has different opinions and views but they all should be respected and responded to in a little different manner than many of you have done. Also, I'm a student and I STILL LEARN, and yes the survey maybe might have been better or done differently, but it is a part of a learning process. 

Thanks to those who filled out the survey.

h' 1.0 said:

This discussion is turning out to be a great education for Aleks in why paid/professional advocates stay as far away from online discussions as possible. Nice work everyone :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on March 18, 2014 at 9:36am

But that doesn't sell bike helmets...

Davis Moore said:

Going back to the brain injury issue and cycling to illustrate, the Brain Injury Association might want to ask itself if it might have a better outcome of reducing the actual number of brain injuries overall by throwing it's weight behind research that determines the rates of brain injuries in communities with robust cycling infrastructure vs. cities that don't (the underlying cause of crashes that result in TBIs), rather than focusing on helmets (which is more of a reactive band-aid).

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Permalink Reply by BruceBikes on March 18, 2014 at 10:10am

Aleks, does the Brain Injury Association encourage motorists or pedestrians to wear helmets?  I haven't looked it up, but I would guess that both of these modes account for a vastly larger number of head injuries due to car crashes than cyclists.

I wonder why you're targeting bikes specifically when you should be encouraging helmet use for anyone anytime they leave the house.  If we an achieve that, we could drastically reduce brain injuries related to falls and motor-vehicle crashes. 

Aleks Gornisiewicz said:

I understand where you're coming from but take into account that the Brain Injury Association is a NON-PROFIT organization so they support this cause because they have knowledge and facts that head injuries are very serious injuries, and wearing helmets might help prevent it. As an organization, they deal with bicycle-related accidents' victims on a daily basis; plus, it has been proven that helmets can reduce the likelihood of a head injury. So yes, the goal of the campaign is to encourage bicyclists to wear helmets but also, our goal is to actually EDUCATE people because oftentimes they don't understand what falls under the "brain injury" umbrella. You might fall off the bike, get up and go home thinking you are OK because your head doesn't hurt or because you did not lose consciousness. What people do not realize is that the injury might have already occurred and the symptoms might develop over hours or days. When it comes to your last sentence, actually falls and motor-vehicle traffic injuries are the leading cause of brain injuries.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gecko on March 18, 2014 at 10:15am

Helmets for everyone, anytime they do ANYTHING!!!  Don't forget, all these special uses require specially-designed helmets!  More money for helmet manufacturers!  Yay, we're all so safe and the helmet companies are so rich!  So much win!

BruceBikes said:

I wonder why you're targeting bikes specifically when you should be encouraging helmet use for anyone anytime they leave the house.  If we an achieve that, we could drastically reduce brain injuries related to falls and motor-vehicle crashes. 

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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on March 18, 2014 at 10:58am

Just because I'm paranoid it does not mean they are not out to get me.

Davis Moore said:

Eh. I don't really buy into the idea that it's all about helmet manufacturers selling more helmets. That comes off as conspiracy theory to me.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on March 18, 2014 at 11:05am

Cross country ski and canoeing helmets look an awful lot alike. Smells like a interdisciplinary conspiracy!

Nick G said:

Helmets for everyone, anytime they do ANYTHING!!!  Don't forget, all these special uses require specially-designed helmets!  More money for helmet manufacturers!  Yay, we're all so safe and the helmet companies are so rich!  So much win!

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Permalink Reply by Matheis on March 18, 2014 at 11:16am

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Permalink Reply by Matheis on March 18, 2014 at 11:20am

Helmets or Health?

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Permalink Reply by Matheis on March 18, 2014 at 11:33am

Aleks: stop your fear mongering, please.

Fear of Cycling 03 - Helmet Promotion Campaigns

"Of most relevance here is that every call for cyclists to wear, or be forced to wear, helmets demands the association of cycling with danger, and thus the production of fear of cycling."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne B. on March 18, 2014 at 11:45am

Aleks,

I've also had to conduct surveys for classes which weren't on topics that interested me. Still, you need to maintain professionalism and should anticipate that many communities are over-researched- they get asked A LOT to fill out surveys and then often never see anything come of it. That was my initial reaction to your post...I take bike safety issues seriously but just didn't have the energy to do another survey. If you had taken the time to search the site, you'd see that we get a lot of inquiries from researchers, reporters, etc. It's nice to be asked for your opinion but less nice when you give it again and again and nothing seems to come of it. 

This is also also why you should pilot your survey (test it out with a small group of people) to make sure that it works well and that the answer options make sense to the group you're surveying.  Doing this shows that you value the time and opinions of those you're surveying. That might have helped you here and I think Julia's advice is spot-on too. Don't let your take-away from this be "internet people/cyclists are cranky" but try to think about how you presented this survey and why people reacted the way that they did. Partly, yes, internet people ARE cranky but there are valid reasons for some of that and if you want to professionally and ethically interact with any community that requires legwork up front on your part. 

Best,

Someone who has taken way too many survey design courses

Aleks Gornisiewicz said:

Hi Julia,
Thanks for your feedback. It was just a result of disappointment I guess because I didn't think that people would react like that. I mentioned that it is a school project and that it is a campaign on behalf of the Brain Injury Association, which is a non-profit so I though that the nature of public service campaigns is widely known. I also mentioned that it is a specific campaign for a specific cause that we didn't pick but were assigned. So there is no room for my personal opinion in this project, it is based on the information we received from the BIA and the information we collect. And even though all of that was said, I still got replies like "fix the infrastructure", "create more bike lanes", "the bike helmets are not the most important" Maybe they are not but it is the goal of campaign: to encourgae people but not make them scared of riding or present riding as dangerous. We won't be telling people they have to wear helmets but that maybe they should consider it because of the consequences of a potential fall or accident.
It is really not my topic which makes it a lot more difficult.
Again, thanks for your feedback.


Julia 3.5/7.5 mi said:

Hi Aleks,

I wanted to touch on a few points, mostly because I work in higher ed and I see situations like this pop up from time to time.

Understandably, when you work with a client or a class project, you'll find your research has a specific angle or agenda. Going forward, it might be most helpful to outline who is funding this research, and the basis for your questions. I think adding a disclaimer to the top of the survey, indicating that the questions are rooted in brain injury statistics and the reduction in related serious/long-term effects, might have a positive effect in quelling some of the "I have a different opinion" responses. Not that these responses aren't valid - they certainly are - but they're outside of the scope of your current research. You've touched a nerve here because your initial assumptions "wearing a helmet reduces brain injuries; everyone should do it" doesn't align with many of the other elements cyclists consider when riding (cycling infrastructure and traffic speed, for example).

On professionalism, especially if you continue in public places like this forum, I'd recommend that you take a more laid-back approach to criticism. No survey will please everyone, and you'll always get responses you don't like or personally agree with. I do agree with the comment above that a quick search this site would've shown the "wear a helmet/don't wear a helmet" debate to be much deeper and more nuanced than you likely perceived. Personally, I didn't have a problem with filling out the survey initially (besides the multi-options I mentioned above), but now that you've tried to "beat your point" into forum members and resorted to yelling and snide comments, I'm not pleased to be a part of your research. Please do consider the larger picture you represent here - especially your client and Loyola University. I'm not certain about requirements for decorum for your university, but I know there are several "public voice" policies in place where I work, and your comments in this thread would not be aligned to them.

Wishing you the best of luck in your research, and hoping that this experience will help guide and shape your future endeavors -

Julia

Aleks Gornisiewicz said:

haha if that is your goal then what can I say, I feel sorry for you. These professionals at least are trying to do something and I wonder if you are active and do anything to improve the community or change something or all you do is actually hide behind the computer screen where no one can see you and tell others what they should do and what they do wrong. 

I'm not going to address all the ridiculous accusations that appeared in different posts because it would be a waste of time. Yes, I signed up only because I wanted to post the survey but I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Everyone has different opinions and views but they all should be respected and responded to in a little different manner than many of you have done. Also, I'm a student and I STILL LEARN, and yes the survey maybe might have been better or done differently, but it is a part of a learning process. 

Thanks to those who filled out the survey.

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