Tag Archives: consumer panels

The MindField Nickel Tour, Revisited

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The internet is a living, breathing, sweating beast…and things change. We did a tour of the MindField Online website last year, and we now present an update. Enjoy!

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Over at the MindField Online Facebook page, we commonly hear, “I’m new—how does this whole thing work?”  That’s a pretty broad question, so we usually answer, “There’s plenty of info to be found at our website, www.mindfieldonline.com -check it out!”

But exactly what you will find has been a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an internet – until now!  So, keep your hands and feet inside the tram as we take an informative, exciting (but mostly informative) tour of the MindField Online Internet Panels website!

Member Home

A really useful portal that gives you a quick look at announcements, surveys available (“Live Now!”), membership details, payout options, referrals, member profile survey status, payout balance progress… and more!

Account Settings

Here is where you can update or change your user preferences, email or street address and your password.

History

This is a detailed list of your survey activity, with a link to your payout activity, as well.

Policies

How do you register? Who is eligible? What are the rules? Here is where you find out!

FAQ

Check out the answers to some frequently asked questions HERE. Then, take a moment to realize “So THAT’S what FAQ stands for!”

IQD

Other than farm fresh ingredients, what steps does MindField Online Internet Panels take to ensure the quality of our data? Find out HERE.

About

Because corporate histories are so darn exciting, click HERE to learn more about MindField Online and parent company McMillion Research.

News

Much of the news you will have seen on our Facebook page, but you will get more detail here.

Winners

MindField Online has regular cash drawings and sweepstakes. Here is where you can see the winners.

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And that brings us back to the lobby. We hope you have enjoyed your tour of the MindField Online Internet Panels website! Thanks for your attention. Please exit through the giftshop…

A Sam-tastic Opportunity for MindField Members!

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Check out the the Sam’s Partnership Panel!

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Bro! Why buy a can of Axe Body Spray when you can buy a whole case, Bro?” Buying in bulk can be a great deal, especially if you have a large crew. And Sam’s Club is one of the premier names in the biz. So it’s big news when a giant like that teams up with MindField Online. Check it out!

MindField Online + Sam’s Club = Another HUGE Opportunity!!!

MindField Online has entered into a corporate partnership with Sam’s Club and will manage the Sam’s Partnership Panel. This means more surveys will be available for our members and you can receive additional incentive earning opportunities by taking part.

To take part in this tremendous opportunity for MindField Online and all of our members, please complete this profile survey ASAP. This survey will help us to understand your use of Sam’s Club’s services and the items you tend to purchase from them.

You will receive $1.00 for completing along with an entry into the drawing for cash prizes totaling $1,000.00. All incentives and winnings will be posted to your account within 10-14 days of the study completion.

Then you will see a Click to Join link. The Partnership Panel is open for Sam’s Club members. So, if you aren’t a Sam’s member, but someone else in the household is, then that person can participate and get the incentive. So go to your Member Home page and give it a shot!

Credit Crunch?

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…or not?

I was preparing a blog post about how Americans were getting their act together on credit cards. Specifically, that our rate of late payments was the lowest in 5 years, suggesting that we were getting our financial houses in order, paying down debt, getting on the right track, etc, But, just now, I see that…

Consumer credit climbed more than forecast in May, led by the biggest jump in credit-card debt in almost five years that may signal Americans are struggling to make ends meet.  Bloomberg.com

The continuing soft job market seems to be the culprit, putting a damper on consumer confidence. But, there are things we must have and, it appears, we are now putting them on the ol’ plastic. The sad thing is, whether this is healthy or not, business and government don’t seem to care—as long as you are spending!

As for me, I had my share of youthful credit mistakes. I cleaned it up, paid it off and I haven’t looked back. But these are tough times. How are you handling it? More credit purchases? Less? Charging but paying it off quickly? Let us know!

(photo: flickr.com)

State(s) of Happiness

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Who are the happiest Americans? And how would be know? Well, you interview a BUNCH of people all across the United States – DAILY, for a WHOLE YEAR – and you draw some conclusions!

Gallup rated each state on the following: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, work environment, healthy behaviors and basic access to services and amenities.  Drum roll please…

Happiest States:

10 Montana…09 New Hampshire…08 Nebraska…07 Kansas…

06 Colorado…05 Alaska…04 Utah…03 Minnesota…02 North Dakota…

01 Hawaii

Unhappiest States:

40 Nevada…41 Tennessee…42 Florida…43 Missouri…44 Arkansas…

45 Alabama…46 Ohio…47 Delaware…48 Mississippi…49 Kentucky…

50 West Virginia

 So that’s the rundown. What do you think? Are you in a “happy” state? An “unhappy” state? Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Let us know! Check out the whole report, and have a great weekend!

MindField in the News!

100,000 rolls of toilet paper, anyone?

A fun article in the Charleston (WV) Gazette profiles McMillion Research/ MindField Online from its roots as a kitchen-table operation in the late 60’s, through the “standing in the Mall with a clipboard” years, to the telephone banks, and to the internet force it is today.

“We’ve done children’s drinks, soups, adult diapers, every cosmetic known to man, soft drinks, every food, cookies, crackers… you name it, we’ve asked them about it,” says Gary McMillion.

But it’s much more than dish soap and toilet paper. Over the years, McMillion/MindField has polled people about their reactions to world events like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the OJ Simpson trial.

Basically, when interested parties need answers from a bunch of people – about darn near anything – they come to MindField! According to Gary, a big reason for MindField’s success is a great group of panelists who – of course – like the compensation, but who also really care about helping companies provide better products and services to consumers.

It’s a nice article, so check it out!

Fill the Money Pit Wisely

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Um, yeah…you’ll need more than that.

They say the average US household has lost 40% of its wealth in the last 5 years, largely due to plummeting home values.  Often, when people can’t sell, they renovate. Either they are trying to make the house they are stuck in more livable, or make it more attractive to a potential buyer. And no matter what they spend, they tell themselves it’s not an expense, but an investment.

It’s the magic phrase uttered by almost anyone who’s ever considered the cost of home remodeling: “We’ll get it back when we sell.”  Unless you keep those projects practical, though, you might just be kidding yourself.   Bankrate.com

Then they list the types of remodels you might want to avoid:

  • Home Office: Will cost you up to $29,000 but you’ll only get 46% back upon sale.
  • Backup Power Generator: Hey, they had that windstorm in Ohio a couple of years ago, and my mom was without power for 2 weeks! But this once-in-a-blue-moon convenience costs about $15K, and you will get back 45.8% upon sale.
    Adding a Sunroom: Costs $75K, and you will get back about half of that.
  • Upscale Master Suite Addition: Succumbing to HGTV envy will cost you upwards of $220K and, again, you could make half of that back.
  • Adding a Bathroom: $20K to $40K, depending on your tastes, and a 53% return.
  • Garage Addition: Dad’s dream is expensive, up to $90K, and you will get a 54% return.

There’s more at the original article, so check it out!

(photo: homesnhouses.com)

Facebook Fade?

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“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” would be really cheesy here. So I won’t write it.

Will Facebook disappear in 5 to 8 years? That seems to be the thrust in an article, entitled “Facebook Will Disappear in 5 to 8 Years.”  But first, let’s define ‘disappear.’ The author means faded in significance, not dead and gone.

“In five to eight years (Facebook is) going to disappear in the way that Yahoo has disappeared. Yahoo is still making money, it’s still profitable, still has 13,000 employees working for it, but it’s 10 percent of the value that it was at the height of 2000. For all intents and purposes, it’s disappeared.” CNBC.com

So, still around, but far from the big gun it is today. But why? He says it’s evolution, and a new age is beginning. The web started with big portals like Yahoo. Remember Yahoo was your home page, you had mail, you had news sources from everywhere posted on  the page? That’s a portal. Then came the social media age, first with Myspace, and then dominated by Facebook. Now, everyone is moving to mobile devices and leaving the desktop behind. Facebook has admitted its troubles in mobile, primarily the inability to make any money from the platform.

So, if all of this is true, what’s next? Do you have any ideas? Do you know of any cool apps or services that could possibly inherit Facebook’s mantle? Let us know!

Wait…Tattoos are PERMANENT?

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Call it a sign of the times. Doctors are reporting a rise in patients seeking tattoo removal… in order to improve their chances of employment!

Tattoo removal is up 32% over the last year, according to The Patient Guide, a website comprised of 25 skincare publications.  The site reports that many of the patients say they’re undergoing the treatment for employment-related reasons.  NY Daily News

Either it’s college grads regretting their youthful ink, or it’s older people who have been laid off and looking for new jobs. The offending ink is often at the wrist or neck.

One doc is seeing 20 (!) patients a day. And it ain’t cheap! Tattoo removal can take up to 10 sessions, at $200 a pop.

I have to say, of all the things we can tell kids right now, in this horrible job environment, avoiding the ink is near the top! What do YOU think? Reasonable? Or dumb, old-fashioned prejudice?

(photo: yabucket.com)

Stay-at-Home Credit Card Blues

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Apparently, the recent credit reforms under the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (C.A.R.D.) are making it more difficult for stay-at-home spouses to get a credit card.

While non-working spouses could previously take out credit cards in their own names by citing household income data, the new rules, as spelled out by the Federal Reserve, require credit card companies to consider only individual income. That means anyone who doesn’t earn her own income, such as a stay-at-home mom, will have a much harder time qualifying for her own credit card.   USNews.com Money

As you might imagine, these folks aren’t happy. Worries about losing financial independence, concerns about finances in the case of divorce, and the ability for someone to get out of an abusive relationship have all been cited on various protest websites. Over two dozen congressmen are calling for action.

What do you think? Does this (as one protestor said) “Set women back 50 years?” Or does it only make sense to only issue cards to people who earn the income? Let us know! And read more here.

(photo: htmlgiant.com)

It Just Got All MEMORIAL Up in Here!

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Long Memorial Day weekend ahead and, boy, this underemployed blogger could use the break! 😉 Just for fun, I went poking around the web looking for Memorial Day topics.

First, some history. Memorial Day began as a way to honor the Civil War dead. They think the first community wide observation was in 1866, but the first large-scale ceremony was at Arlington Cemetery in 1868. It expanded to honor the dead of all wars after World War 1.  It became an official, take-Monday-off holiday in 1971. Did you know you are supposed to observe a moment of silence at 3pm local time on Monday? I had never heard that.

Anyway, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and USA.gov have a bunch of links about:

…and more, so check ‘em out!

Finally, for all you consumers (and MindField fans) out there, a website that tells you about all of the sales at durn near EVERY store in the country: MemorialDaySalesDotNet

Happy Memorial Day weekend, MindFielders! Have fun, be safe and, most importantly, HONOR those who sacrificed all!!