Facebook Housing Polls Results
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Posted by austicke
#1

The 3rd annual Gen Con Indy Facebook group housing poll results. I'm surprised to see that satisfaction has gone up significantly compared to the past two years.

Posted by garhkal
#2

Being it only polled those on face book, it would be interesting to see how many of us who are complaining are not ON face book to have taken that poll and whether those #s would be different.

Posted by austicke
#3

Garhkal, if you're suggesting that members of the Gen Con Indy Facebook community may be happier than other attendees, I won't argue with you. :)

Posted by braewe
#4

I don't do facebook either, way too much drama and stalking for me. My result doesn't match any though...got a room, not UNhappy with it, but not HAPPY either, and didn't get it through my own random assigned time! (I know I know, way too specific).

Kind of scary how many are booking out of block.

Posted by gharris
#5

Neat info, but again you can't use this as an "official" poll or base any further decisions on it until you open it up to non-Facebook users.

Posted by austicke gharris
#6

gharris wrote:Neat info, but again you can't use this as an "official" poll or base any further decisions on it until you open it up to non-Facebook users.

You'll be relieved to learn that no one considers an online poll as "official". Further, even if it were open to non-Facebook group members, it still wouldn't be official. It's an online poll for god's sake.

Even so, I think it's a good indication how a subset of attendees feel about the matter, and I wouldn't have any problem extrapolating this to the larger population in a very broad sense. I think this supports the notion that most people are happy with their ability to book a room for Gen Con and it's just a very vocal minority that is complaining. Now, I don't know if that minority is 1% or 28% or 49% of the total population, but I think that the feelings of 779 Gen Con attendees is a good indication that it's somewhere in that range.

Posted by lehane braewe
#7

braewe wrote:
I don't do facebook either, way too much drama and stalking for me. My result doesn't match any though...got a room, not UNhappy with it, but not HAPPY either, and didn't get it through my own random assigned time! (I know I know, way too specific).
Kind of scary how many are booking out of block.

Booking out of block is what our group has started doing. We have been discussing simply going out of block from the get go and get rooms reserved as soon as possible. I don't think (still have to confirm with a couple of friends) but I don't think any of us even got a time slot that would have even given a shot at a downtown room in the block out of 8 entries.

If we know we are going to go out of block with a year to get the needed OT to cover out of block expense then that seems like a preferable idea than fielding a futile effort in the lottery and going out of block anyway with only half a year to get OT to cover the added expense.

Posted by austicke
#8

Lots of people book out of block between August and January each year and then see if they can get something better or cheaper in the housing lottery. It's just smart planning.

Further, there are probably a good number of out-of-block rooms being freed up now that some folks can release their contingency room.

Posted by gharris austicke
#9

austicke wrote:
gharris wrote:Neat info, but again you can't use this as an "official" poll or base any further decisions on it until you open it up to non-Facebook users.

You'll be relieved to learn that no one considers an online poll as "official". Further, even if it were open to non-Facebook group members, it still wouldn't be official. It's an online poll for god's sake.Even so, I think it's a good indication how a subset of attendees feel about the matter, and I wouldn't have any problem extrapolating this to the larger population in a very broad sense. I think this supports the notion that most people are happy with their ability to book a room for Gen Con and it's just a very vocal minority that is complaining. Now, I don't know if that minority is 1% or 28% or 49% of the total population, but I think that the feelings of 779 Gen Con attendees is a good indication that it's somewhere in that range.

You can't extrapolate any opinions based on a restricted, admittedly biased 1% sample size. However, as the "Gen Con Indy Facebook Group Housing Poll Results" people will mistakenly jump to conclusions anyways. Unfortunately, the last year has proven that Facebook users love fake news.

Not to say that you are presenting this as fake news, just pointing out that people will believe it like fake news.

Posted by austicke gharris
#10

gharris wrote:You can't extrapolate any opinions based on a restricted, admittedly biased 1% sample size.

Of you can. The quality of the results are only as good as the data and methodology, but you can use the available information to help form conclusions. To plug your ears and refuse any thought unless you have 100% response from all attendees is foolish.

People who consider this "fake news" are making their own assumptions. This is only an online poll, nothing more.

Posted by lehane austicke
#11

austicke wrote:
Lots of people book out of block between August and January each year and then see if they can get something better or cheaper in the housing lottery. It's just smart planning.
Further, there are probably a good number of out-of-block rooms being freed up now that some folks can release their contingency room.

The hotel we ended up using had the time listed as "special event", wanted the payment up front, and only offered 10% back on cancellation. This is assuming I am remembering the terms correctly so we were wondering if hotels were starting to tighten up on people reserving rooms, getting a room in the block, then cancelling the first room.

Posted by mbroadwater
#12

Actually, that number of respondents is a pretty good sample size for the population of GenCon. And it's no more or less biased than doing a poll on this forum.

Posted by austicke
#13

If anyone cares, the poll is now up to 803 responses, but the response percentages are unchanged. Anyone in the Gen Con Indy Facebook group is still welcome to respond.

Posted by gharris austicke
#14

austicke wrote:
gharris wrote:You can't extrapolate any opinions based on a restricted, admittedly biased 1% sample size.

Of you can. The quality of the results are only as good as the data and methodology, but you can use the available information to help form conclusions. To plug your ears and refuse any thought unless you have 100% response from all attendees is foolish.People who consider this "fake news" are making their own assumptions. This is only an online poll, nothing more.

You yourself admitted probable participant bias earlier in this thread. The sample is also artificially restricted. This isn't plugging your ears and refusing any thought, this is basic statistics. The numbers are interesting but useless. Grab a larger, completely random sample of users on a neutral, non-facebook site that isn't a fan page and you may have something. Right now, no. You can't present this poll as an accurate statistic- even if it may turn out to be right.

Don't underestimate the stupidity of people when it comes to fake news. The last year's worth of politics in the USA has proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

You may want to retitle the poll to better reflect what it is.

Posted by gharris mbroadwater
#15

mbroadwater wrote:
Actually, that number of respondents is a pretty good sample size for the population of GenCon. And it's no more or less biased than doing a poll on this forum.

It is a Facebook fan page for Gen Con. How will the responses NOT be biased? Austicke even acknowledged potential bias in the third post of this thread!

Posted by mbroadwater
#16

I didn't say it wasn't biased. I said it wasn't any more or less biased than the forums.

Posted by jobeth66 lehane
#17

lehane wrote:
austicke wrote:
Lots of people book out of block between August and January each year and then see if they can get something better or cheaper in the housing lottery. It's just smart planning.
Further, there are probably a good number of out-of-block rooms being freed up now that some folks can release their contingency room.

The hotel we ended up using had the time listed as "special event", wanted the payment up front, and only offered 10% back on cancellation. This is assuming I am remembering the terms correctly so we were wondering if hotels were starting to tighten up on people reserving rooms, getting a room in the block, then cancelling the first room.

All 3 of the hotels I booked out of block are no deposit and can be canceled with no penalty up to 24 hours before checkin 

Posted by choriqueso
#18

Yea. Facebook exclusive polls will not be an accurate representation of the big picture.

Posted by austicke choriqueso
#19

shavenskaven wrote:Facebook exclusive polls will not be an accurate representation of the big picture.

But it will be an accurate representation of Facebook group members who respond.

Posted by gharris austicke
#20

austicke wrote:
shavenskaven wrote:Facebook exclusive polls will not be an accurate representation of the big picture.

But it will be an accurate representation of Facebook group members who respond.

Yep. It will be an accurate example of badly collected data.

You need to clearly show that this poll is unofficial and done just for fun, and be up front about the bias in it. Sadly the casual reader is not going to read into it as well as some of the people in this thread did.

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