Between now and June 14, United will be conducting their system-wide 2002 Employee Climate Survey.  There are a couple of ways you can take this survey: SkyNet, via toll-free telephone (if you're in the U.S.):  (877) 474-5566, and at a special website they created called www.unitedemployeesurvey.com.

According to a recent NewsReal article, United's survey allows "all employees the opportunity to provide their feedback about the company, its leadership and the work environment."  However, it isn't just 'all employees' that can submit the survey ladies and gentlemen...it's anyone on Planet Earth.  Here's what I mean:

Since I just created our own JSN Survey, I was quite interested to see United's version and how they created it.  If you visit the United Survey, you immediately see the survey page.

The address, www.unitedemployeesurvey.com, is a normal, standard website address like www.yahoo.com.  In other words, anyone on Planet Earth (with an Internet connection) can go there and view the pages.

In the case of United's new survey, not only can anyone access the actual form,  but they can also submit the survey multiple times, as well as submit blank surveys with nothing filled out!   In other words, there is no verification system nor is their any method used to prevent multiple votes.  At least, as far as Bailey and I could tell.

Normally, most polling web pages have at least a simple cookie-based system that records the fact you voted straight onto your computer.  Our own little amateur JSN Poll uses this method; it's not perfect, but at least it's something that makes it harder for non-employees or non-members to submit a vote.

I'm sure United must have some method of separating these survey results; from those obtained from their unitedemployeesurvey.com website address, as opposed to those obtained from SkyNet, which requires an employee to log-on.  If not, how can they be sure that it is in fact United employees that are voting?