Soliciting and reporting feedback
A method includes (a) electronically presenting to a user, graphical or audible representations of two or more possible reactions in a range of a reactions to an occurrence or a proposition, the two or more different graphical or audible representations sharing a common representational concept, (b) enabling the user to indicate a selected reaction to the occurrence or proposition that is within the range, and (c) associating the user's indication with one of the graphical or audible representations.
1 . A method comprising
electronically presenting to a user, graphical or audible representations of two or more possible reactions in a range of a reactions to an occurrence or a proposition, the two or more different graphical or audible representations sharing a common representational concept,
enabling the user to indicate a selected reaction to the occurrence or proposition that is within the range, and
associating the user's indication with one of the graphical or audible representations.
2 . The method of claim 1 in which the user is enabled to indicate the selected reaction from among a greater number of possible reactions within the range than there are graphical or audible representations.
3 . The method of claim 1 in which the user is enabled to indicate the selected reaction along a continuous scale corresponding to the range.
4 . The method of claim 1 in which there is a continuous range of the reaction and the graphical or audible representations are continuously variable.
5 . The method of claim 1 in which
the selection is indicated by a position of a slider control of a user interface.
6 . The method of claim 1 in which
the presentation of the graphical or audible representations is determined at least in part by the selection by the user.
7 . The method of claim 1 in which the graphical or audible representations comprise images or sounds that are expressive of different states of human reaction.
8 . The method of claim 1 in which the representations are of at least three different degrees of reaction.
9 . The method of claim 1 also including
enabling the user to provide audible or written prose comments associated with the selection.
10 . The method of claim 1 also including
enabling the user to make the selection tentatively and to confirm the tentative selection to have it registered.
11 . The method of claim 10 also including
storing the confirmed selection.
12 . The method of claim 1 also including
electronically presenting the graphical and audible representations to other users, and enabling the other users to make the selections.
13 . The method of claim 12 also including
analyzing the selections of the users, and
reporting the results of the analysis.
14 . The method of claim 1 also including
reporting information about the selection to another user.
15 . The method of claim 14 in which the information about the selection is reported to the other user by presenting at least one of the graphical or audible representations.
16 . The method of claim 1 in which the occurrence or proposition comprises the user's satisfaction with a service or product used by the user.
17 . The method of claim 1 in which the graphical or audible representations are presented in a window of a graphical user interface.
18 . The method of claim 1 in which reaction comprises a single overall reaction to the occurrence or proposition.
19 . A method comprising
electronically presenting to a user at least one graphical or audible representation of an aggregate degree of reaction of other users to an occurrence or a proposition, the representation being drawn from a set of images or sounds that are expressive of different human reactions.
20 . The method of claim 19 in which
the representation is presented to the user in a window of a graphical user interface.
21 . The method of claim 20 also including
enabling the user to select characteristics of the other users whose degree of reaction is represented.
22 . The method of claim 21 also including electronically presenting to the user additional graphical or audible representations of historical aggregate degrees of reaction of the other users.