Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Survey for a midterm paper on Civic Engagement and the Internet

By

1. How long have you been an active member of BMG?

2. Are you an active member (attend meetings and events, not just pay dues for) in any other social, fraternal, or professional organizations (service groups, religious groups, PTAs sports groups, labor unions, veterans’ groups, scouts, the Red Cross, etc.)? If so, how many?

3. Do you participate in any in-person political clubs/debates regularly?

4. Do you personally know any other members of BMG and did you know them before joining or meet them because of BMG?

5. How often do you spend a social evening with a neighbor? With friends who do not live in your neighborhood (such as a work associate)?

6. When you vote, do you organize a group from your neighborhood to carpool together, or do you go alone?

7. Do you participate in BMG as an individual, or share an account with a group?

8. Do you participate in any other online political forum discussions (such as RedMassGroup)?

9. Do you associate yourself with a particular political party, or are you a BMG member for general political discussion? (You can just answer yes or no for the first part, I understand that these forums are anonymous.)

Thank you all again!

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Comments

  1. 1.  Less than a year ish?  I can’t really remember a date.
    2.  Red Sox Nation count?
    3.  I’m in the College Republicans.
    4.  I know one person here, only because I go to school with him. 
    5.  Very often, as per my age group.
    6.  Alone.
    7.  Individual
    8.  I tried RMG, but its not as engaging.
    9.  I’m registered Republican but I discuss pretty much anything.

    1. Since Mid to late 2005 (definitely by Oct. 2005, but may have been during the summer… I forget)

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    2. Yes. Many… at least 4, maybe as many as 7 depending on how you count.

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    3. Yes.

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    4. I do know other members of BMG, but generally I knew them outside of BMG. I’ve met a few people in person and had that odd experience of, “OHH, so you’re [insert handle here].” I haven’t made any deep face to face connections through BMG, but I have met people.

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    5. Very regularly – daily – with friends who do not live in my neighborhood, occasional social event with neighbor.

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    6. I do drive people, but I also organize. Usually when I vote I vote on my own, and then drive others to the polls or do other campaign work.

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    7. Individual.

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    8. Yes, many other progressive blogs on the national, state and local levels.

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    9. Both.

    1. Slightly over a year
    2. 2 organizations (1 political, 1 legal)
    3. No
    4. No
    5. Rarely if never
    6. Alone
    7. Individual
    8. Yes, MyDD
    9. Dems

      1. Id say two years.
      2. I actively attend Methodist services every Sunday, am a member of the College Democrats
      3. Am an active member of the Chicago Debate Society.
      4. Just one and he was a teacher at my high school.
      5. Every night but I live in a dorm so not sure if that counts entirely.
      6. I vote in my room since I vote absentee.
      7. Oh just me if only there were more that thought like me.
      8. I occasionally post at RMG, OvalOffice2008, mydd, dailykos, different friends blogs
      9. Id say Im still a Democrat though certainly more independent minded than most of the Dems in MA, IL, or on BMG.

    1. ~1 year
    2. yes, two
    3. no
    4. yes – i live with one (since long before we discovered BMG); know a few others through political campaigns
    5. neighbors – a few times a year; friends – once a week
    6. alone
    7. individual
    8. yes, infrequently
    9. yes – Democrat

    1. According to my page, Sun Jun 04, 2006 at 11:16:17 AM EDT.  I believe this was right after the Dem convention.  I wanted to help my candidate by paying attention to the spin in the blogosphere.
    2. Yes.  Active?  I’d say Habitat for Humanity, the United Educators of Pittsfield (MTA) and the School Council at my place of employment.  I’m also a member of the Democratic State Committee, but I’ve missed some meetings.
    3. I am active in local politics.  Wrote some letters to the editor recently.  Attended some fundraisers.
    4. I know one other guy from this region who posts sometimes, and a number of Dem activists through the state committee.  Familiar names surface from time to time, but there are many registered users so I may know more of them than I am aware of.
    5. Evenings? I’d say once a week.  My weekend dog walks with friends don’t occur in the evening so I guess you don’t want to know about them.
    6. Alone.
    7. Individual.
    8. I used to put my two cents into Daily Kos once in awhile, but it’s flooded with dumb comments so I stopped trying.
    9. I am a Democrat.

    1. 1 Year
    2. No
    3. No
    4. No
    5. Yes
    6. Alone
    7. Individual
    8. No
    9. Not registered with a political party. I enjoy the discussing progressive ideas.

    • on the ratings abuse by SchoolZombie’87.

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      How do you give someone a “worthless” for answering the survey?

      • …I’m not above the frey. But it’s apparent SchoolZombie clicks on my profile just to stalk my answers and downrate them. And I probably woulnd’t have mentioned it if he only 0’ed me, but he recklessly downrates a whole swarth of people.

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        But yeah, I’m pretty sure that my comment isn’t the best ever, but the 3 rating fits a pattern.

  7. 1.  You can get the join date by clicking on any of our handles.  For me, it’s June 03, 2006
    2. Depends on how you count.  Let’s say one.
    3. Yeah.
    4. Nope
    5. Average 4 times a week
    6. Nope
    7. As an individual
    8. Occasional at DKos
    9. I am a proud Democrat.  And I’m here for general discussion.

    1. I first signed up on Thursday, March 02, 2006. I suspect I probably lurked for a month or two before that.

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    2. Yes, with about 3-4.

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    3. Yes, I co-host a weekly podcast and frequently attend forums around the state and do other events I’m invited to (when I have the time).

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    4. I know many people who write at BMG, all of whom I’ve met after I started writing here myself.

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    5. I don’t spend social evenings with neighbors; most of the time I go out with friends I met in college. Most of them live about 30-40 minutes away, but we go out around 3 times a week.

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    6. I vote alone, though I share my of my opinions about my vote online.

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    7. Individual.

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    8. Many – such as Dailykos, Mydd, Towleroad and the general Bay State blogosphere, which extends way beyond BMG.

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    9. I am a registered Democrat, but identify with the progressive wing of the party. Though, I still participate in BMG discussions mainly for the discussions, not because I’m a democrat.

    1. Since early 2007, started reading in Oct 2006.
    2. Chairman of the Greater Boston Young Republicans, National Committeeman of the Massachusetts Federation of Young Republicans, Kitchen Executive at Saturday Sunday Bread(a soup kitchen)
    3. See answer to question two.
    4. I know Peter Porcupine, Pers-1975, and may have met JoeTS, but will probably see him this weekend at the MACR event.
    5. Neighbors, I have neighbors? I socialize quite frequently with other people from a variety of different places college friends, high school friends, political friends, work friends, and just people I’ve met along the way.
    6. If my grandmother counts. I used to give her a ride when I lived in lowell. 
    7. Individual
    8. I edit RMG; comment on richardhowe.com, left in lowell, and hub politics; and blog on redstate(which can getyou in trouble if you use David’s pictures)
    9. I am a Republican and have been since I was 7.5 years old watching Real People in January of 1981.  After two years of nightly misery watching the news with my parents, they broke in with a special update.  The new President got the hostages freed, just by being sworn in.  Now that was someone I could believe in.

    • but we DEFINITELY will this weekend.  I’m the chairman of the UMD CR’s so I think they have me going to some leadership seminar?  I don’t know. 

  10. 1.) Since the Spring of 2007
    2.) yes – 2
    3.) No
    4.) No
    5.) 3-4 times per week
    6.) Never voted before
    7.) I share my account
    8.) yes
    9.) If I had to pick a party I would say Democrat.

    1. 2+ years
    2. 2 or so.
    3. What constitutes a political club? I’ve been to a few Drinking Liberally events or MDF functions, but mostly I just drink with campaign buddies.
    4. Yes, and both. Some I knew before, some I met after. However, the meetings have been more related to campaign work and not due to BMG.
    5. Um, sometimes? One a week or so?
    6. Go alone. Actually, I usually vote absentee because I’m often working a campaign in a different district on election day.
    7. Individual. There are shared accounts?
    8. Yep. RMG, less so DailyKOS, a few others.
    9. Democrat, and also for general political discussion.

    1. Active since 2005, lurking since late 2004.

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    2. Are you an active member? Social – yes, 3+; Fraternal – 1 (more moderate activity); Professional organizations – at least 6, using your criteria – I would put my Chamber of Commerce as professional, but my church and adult Scout membership as social.

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    3. Got a live one scheduled for next week!  And an on-line w/mikes for tomorrow!

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    4. Eabo, David, Cos, Ryan.  Met them at blogging and civic functions.

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    5. Neighbors are summer people, so only once in a while – other friends, once a week.

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    6. I’m usually driving people to the polls for a campaign; lesser elections, I vote alone.

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    7. Individual

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    8. Many – WideAwakes, Republican Operative, RedState, RMG – all over the place.  THIS is my only progessive forum.

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    9. Republican and Proud.

    1. For a little over two years, IIRC.

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    2. Longtime member of my church, including choir and editor of the church newsletter. Member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Longtime board member/past president of a local community music school. Board member of town-based charitable nonprofit.

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    3. Vice-chair of my local Democratic Town Committee.

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    4. Met some at a Deval Patrick campaign rally. Didn’t know them before that time.

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    5. Regular visits with my nearest neighbors during my walks. (I live in the boonies, so I use the term “neighbor” loosely here.) Weekly (and raucous) pub nights with a group of close friends in the nearby city where I used to live.

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    6. I go alone or with hubby, but I’ve organized rides to the polls on behalf of the local progressive candidates. Does that count?

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    7. All by meself.

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    8. Yes, most notably DailyKos, although lately I’ve been too busy to post or even read much.

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    9. Democrat (formerly longtime unenrolled voter) and yes.

    1. Member of BMG since early 2007, was reading it for about a year before I started posting.

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    2. Several professional organizations, Licensed Site Professional Association (environmental cleanup professionals), REFA (real estate and development professionals), American Institute of Professional Geologists, etc.

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    I am an elected town meeting member in Randolph (we have representative town meeting not open) and I am on the Conservation Commission for Randolph.

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    I am also a Free Mason (shh don’t tell anyone its supposed to be a secret) and until recently was a member of the Parrothead Club of Eastern Massachusetts.

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    3. Only at the local watering holes.

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    4. Nope

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    5. With both about once or twice a week.

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    6. Usually alone, I am usually one of the first people at the poles on my way to work.

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    7. Individual

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    8. RMG, Hub Politics, some sports blogs

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    9. I am a registered independent and always have been.

    1. 1 year

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    2. Yes, 2, both professional

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    3. Nope

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    4. No

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    5. Neighbors, 2 or 3 times a month, Friends – try once a week. (I got 3 young ones in the house)

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    6. Solo, before work.  I usually open the place,

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    7. Individual

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    8. Yes

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    9. Lifelong Democrat

    1. About a year and a half. (April 2006)

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    2. No.

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    3. Yes.

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    4. I know who a few of them are from professional circles, but since I post anonymously, they probably don’t know who I am.

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    5. (a) once or twice a week; (b) few times a month

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    6. My wife and I usually go together, first thing in the morning.

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    7. Individual

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    8. Nope

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    9. Dem since I registered at 18.

  17. Thanks to everyone who responded. I really appreciate the help. This is going to do a lot for my paper!

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