Survey:GA Ellipse policy - let u2.com know

[Klink]

Somebody on u2.com set up a poll/survey to to let u2 know what the fans think about the new GA ellipse (bomb shelter) policy. Smart idea, but the poll results will be biased due to its u2.com posting. To help with that, I think some interferencers should be surveyed. Heres the link. Just select the best option.

http://www.opinionpower.com/Surveys/515024690.html

Jon

 

[Neilz]

First come, first served

 

[Klink]

I agree 100%.

Jon

 

[*Ally*]

i voted, but don't think they're gonna change the policy- at least not on this leg!

 

[oceane]

I voted too, but the choices are a bit weird, and very 'Zootopian', like that U2.com members should getnin before everyone else (I am a member but I don't really agree with that).

 

[U2Kitten]

Is this 'ellipse' the same thing as the 'heart?' I hope so!

And yes it should always be first come first served. I've rotted away on enough cold, or hot, filthy city sidewalks to earn a spot, everyone who does that should have first pick.

 

[Klink]

I voted too, but the choices are a bit weird, and very 'Zootopian', like that U2.com members should getnin before everyone else (I am a member but I don't really agree with that).

Yeah, that's what I meant by biased. I noticed a significant % of the vote favoured u2.com members. I'm not a fan of that option either and I'm a member, too.

Jon

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Seems as if "first come, first served" is in the lead for now.

 

[tkramer]

I'm not against Lotto, but it should be a real lotto. This current system still encourages you camp out for a shot at the outside rail. So vote first come first serve.

 

[Klink]

bump...keep voting people. Maybe someone will listen.

Jon

 

[HappyFatBono]

The only motivation for putting up this poll is because they disagree with the current policy. So why beat around the bush with this poll...just have one answer - "First Come First Served".

Do you think by putting down other options the decision makers will give this poll any more merit than some fanantic post about being upset about not making into the BS?

 

[jammin909]

Those you stand in line the longest should get the best seats, seems pretty simple to me.

 

[Blue Room]

Looks to me like the lottery options on the whole are tied or ahead of first come, first serve. Not what alot of you wanted to see I'm sure. But there is the reality of the situation.

 

[Klink]

I'm not sure that that's the case. Very few people like the lottery system as it appears in the first four shows. While it's not a majority, the largest number of people chose first come first served. Also, if you force the large number of people who voted for u2.com options to choose between the two, it's my guess that you'd find the majority would choose first come first served because the largest number of those people chose the non-lottery u2.com option.

After 271 votes:

The 4 lottery options up until now: 33%
The 2 non-lottery Options: 62%
Don't care: 1%


Jon

 

[oceane]

Looks to me like the lottery options on the whole are tied or ahead of first come, first serve. Not what alot of you wanted to see I'm sure. But there is the reality of the situation.

That's your way of interpreting the poll. Many people like myself are not necessarily against *any* lottery, but against THIS lottery (which is just about the worst set-up anyone can think of). Obviously if people are given many different options, they must choose one even if they also like others (I am in favour of a normal lottery with a time limit OR first come first serve, either way) What is clear is that the people who like the current system are a small minority, which is a good enough reason to change it. That being said, there is nothing scientific about this poll, and I don't think anyone from the band or their managment will see it anyways.

 

[Blue Room]

Lets see:

Lottery options total 30%
First come first serve 38%
U2.com first option 24%

I dont think that is any kind of majority for any one method. Lets face it the people that are banging the drum the loudest and starting the petitions and complaining are those that want first come, first serve. Its pretty clear though that not even a signficant majority of fans prefer one way or the other.

I agree though, this isnt very scientific. But given the people it is being linked to and the level of outrage expressed here and other places you would think first come, first serve would be the landslide winner. Its just not so, so I stand by what I said originally on this thread as it appears to be the case to me.

 

[Klink]

The u2.com option with 24% is otherwise a first come first serve option (after u2.com members), so I would add those to the first come, first served support and get 63%. Any way you look at it less than 15% support the current lottery system. 40% support first come first served directly. That says the same thing to me as I held originally, too. Not to mention the other poll on interference here where over 60% support first come first served as opposed to the lottery.

Jon

 

[tkramer]

The u2.com option with 24% is otherwise a first come first serve option (after u2.com members), so I would add those to the first come, first served support and get 63%. Any way you look at it less than 15% support the current lottery system. 40% support first come first served directly. That says the same thing to me as I held originally, too. Not to mention the other poll on interference here where over 60% support first come first served as opposed to the lottery.

Jon

Klink is right. It's too bad they wrote the poll this way. Now they can say whatever they want about it. I've seen plenty of polls about this around the u2 boards and it's safe to say 60-70% are firmly against the lotto in its present form. It's probably higher. I've asked a few non-u2 concert goers what they thought of it and everyone of them thought it was the strangest thing they've heard for a concert.

 

[oceane]

Klink is right. It's too bad they wrote the poll this way. Now they can say whatever they want about it. I've seen plenty of polls about this around the u2 boards and it's safe to say 60-70% are firmly against the lotto in its present form. It's probably higher. I've asked a few non-u2 concert goers what they thought of it and everyone of them thought it was the strangest thing they've heard for a concert.

Seriously, anyone who says that most fans agree with the current lottery policy is in denial. Sorry. Sure some people like it, and their opinion needs to be heard like any other, but the trends everywhere are clear.

 

[HappyFatBono]

Seriously, anyone who says that most fans agree with the current lottery policy is in denial. Sorry. Sure some people like it, and their opinion needs to be heard like any other, but the trends everywhere are clear.

People who think that everyone hates the lottery is in denial as well. Sorry too. Sure there is not much support for it on U2 fan board because they are typcially occupied by poeple who are willing to wait in line. The lottery affects us the most and we will continue to whine about it till we turn blue, but no way are we the majority.

Believe it or not there are U2 fans outside these forums.

 

[oceane]

No one said everyone hates the lottery, please don't make me (or anyone) say things I haven't said. Of course some people like it, but there in the minority on the boards. You're totally right about no every fan being on the internet. But that doesn't change anything to the general trend. The U2 boards attract a good part of the biggest fans. i.e. people who are likely to have an opinion on the subject. The fact is most people who care are against it. Not everyone, but most. And I'm sorry but the people who care are the people whose opinion matter the most. They are the people with GA tickets for the most part, i.e. they are the ones affected by the policy.

 

[Blue Room]

The u2.com option with 24% is otherwise a first come first serve option (after u2.com members), so I would add those to the first come, first served support and get 63%. Any way you look at it less than 15% support the current lottery system. 40% support first come first served directly. That says the same thing to me as I held originally, too. Not to mention the other poll on interference here where over 60% support first come first served as opposed to the lottery.

Jon

Interesting logic. NO, the U2.com method is NOT first come, first serve. Someone who is not a U2.com member could camp out a week ahead of time and a U2.com member that gets in line at 5pm the day of the show is getting in ahead of them. Sorry, thats not first come first serve no matter how you want to twist it.

The bottom line is that those options that say any type of lottery in them (not counting the U2.com option without a lottery) total 34%. The first come, first serve total is 38%. Thats pretty close IMO. In a Statistics class that would most likely be within the margin of error.

Oceane I'm not in denial about anything. I think the percentage of fans that want to bitch and moan about the lottery though is a smaller percentage than what you think. Its primarily a few boistrous message board fans only IMO. Which represents a tiny percentage of the U2 fans going to the shows. Those of you that think by constantly bitching about it, starting petitions, etc.. is going to change it are the ones in denial IMO. The band wants it this way. Thats all that matters. Honestly, not sure why I'm in this argument as I dont really care that much either way.

 

[The OOTS]

Doesn't that poll say most people want some form of a lottery????

 

[oceane]

What that poll shows more than anything else is that a lot of U2.com members think they should get a better shot at the ellipse than other people, which I think is an even 'unfairer' idea than first come first serve OR lottery.

I am a member, so I would benefit from that, but I feel people are really voting for what would get THEM a better spot, regardless of what is fair or not...

People who are U2.com member want U2.com members to have priority.
People willing to wait in line want first come first serve.
People who had planned to come out late anyways want a lottery, because otherwise they have no chance at getting in.

 

[Klink]

Interesting logic. NO, the U2.com method is NOT first come, first serve. Someone who is not a U2.com member could camp out a week ahead of time and a U2.com member that gets in line at 5pm the day of the show is getting in ahead of them. Sorry, thats not first come first serve no matter how you want to twist it.

After U2.com members, that option is first come first served as the method of entry so YES actually. I think it's pretty darn logical to assume that if 'u2.comers first' wasn't an option those people would find the first come first served more fair than the lottery, otherwise they would have chosen the u2.com/lottery option. But they didnt't. Logical.

Jon

 

[BWU2Buffs]

Without commenting on the merits of any particular poll, a few observations come to mind; and it would be helpful to have someone post that does market research for a living. I’m close to it, but don’t do it professionally.

As posted in a similar thread, a fan website is more likely to consist of die-hard and very engaged fans and is not a representative sample of the ticket holding public, and might not even represent the GA ticket holding population very well either. Isn’t it fair to assume that a decent to significant sized percentage of GA ticket holders never visits a fan website for whatever reason; and how could you prove it one way or another?

My instincts are that the only way to fairly and accurately measure the fan response to the lottery system is ask a randomly selected sample of GA ticket holders a series of questions about the lottery system. Some would be U2.com members, some Prop members, some without any fan club affiliations.

Then, match the data against the band’s goals (i.e. different faces each night, reasonable fair chance for any GA fan to get in the bomb shelter) and continue from there.

If the vast majority of them – say 80% or more -- dislike the lottery, and the band is willing to see the same faces each night knowing that these same folks might bail out for their sleeping bags for tomorrow night’s show at the start of Yahew, then ditch the lottery.

If the data suggests anywhere from 65% or less against the lottery, then stay with the lottery policy assuming it achieves many, if not most, of the band’s goals.

Ultimately, my main point is that web polls, especially those found on narrowly focused topics, are not very good at measuring data and extrapolating that data to a general population because of issues with the sampling base.

If we knew that Interference or any other website hosting a lottery poll (the sample base) was an accurate representation of the general population (GA ticket holders) it would work; but we don’t know that factually – so, we end up with anecdotal evidence – for all we know, it’s a vocal minority that does not like the lottery; and in the same breath, it could be a vast majority.

Without a more statistically valid correlation between the sample base and the general population we end up exactly where we are – lots of chatter, no valid measurements that account for multiple variables.

 

[tkramer]

Honestly, the 4 or 5 people I know that think it sucks the most aren't going to any shows, and don't listen to U2.

They think strickly from a concert going point of view it's poor of the band to not let fans know in advance that it is a lotto line for the first half of the floor.

This further proves your point as some U2 fans on the boards would never admit the band kinda led people to believe it was going to be a true GA line.

 

[tkramer]

On the other hand, couldn't one argue that a U2 fan board is a close as you are going to get to the concert going audience without doing an exit poll at every show?

 

[retro]

I might be in the minority...but I love the new system. Some people in this world have to work during the day.

I don't think it's fair that someone who's seen the show 10 times from the 'bomb shelter' should be able to do that. (or at the very least complain about not getting inside for an 11th time)

I'm just as big as a U2 fan as the rest of you. I've got all the Albums, Singles and a zillion bootlegs....but I also WORK. I would like a half decent shot at being inside the elipse.

 

[oceane]

As posted in a similar thread, a fan website is more likely to consist of die-hard and very engaged fans and is not a representative sample of the ticket holding public, and might not even represent the GA ticket holding population very well either. Isn’t it fair to assume that a decent to significant sized percentage of GA ticket holders never visits a fan website for whatever reason; and how could you prove it one way or another?

My instincts are that the only way to fairly and accurately measure the fan response to the lottery system is ask a randomly selected sample of GA ticket holders a series of questions about the lottery system. Some would be U2.com members, some Prop members, some without any fan club affiliations.

Yes, having a real survey of GA ticket holders would be the best way to get an accurate picture.

That being said, I believe that the opinion on the boards is relatively representative of GA ticket holders who care, without being anything scientific of course.

Simply put, there are 4 ways to get GA tickets, the most coveted of all, for as show popular as U2. These are all assumptions of course, but I think they are reasonable.

1.Being a U2.com member and buying tickets during the pre-sale
2. Being really motivated and organized for the general sale: lining up at an outlets super early, having 5 friends on the phone, knowing the ins and outs of buying tix on the net as quick as possible, and so on
3.Paying extra money to a scalper or broker
4. Having connections in showbusiness: production, radio, ticketing, publicity, etc.
5. Being extremely lucky.


Number 1 and 2 probably make up for at most of GA ticket holders, and could be classified as 'hard-core' fans, like most of us here: going to a U2 show is very high on their priority list, they're willing to make more efforts than most concertgoers to get tickets, etc.

Number 3 is probably a mix of serious fans and people with money.

Number 4 is made up mostly of people who probably like U2 quite a bit, but will show up close to showtime and don`t care all that much about GA policy or where they end up.

Number 5 is made of any kind of people, but probably constitute about 5% of all GA ticket holders.

So what's the conclusion? Because of the difficulty in getting GA tickets, most people who got them are probably either pretty hard-core fans, MANY of which spend at least some time on the boards, or people who probably don't care about whatever GA policy there is.

Is a fan website more likely to represent the opinion fo hard-core U2 fans? Of course, but I think those people make most of the crowd who has GA tickets AND has an opinion or cares about GA policy.