世論 What Japan Thinks

This is another fascinating survey with quite surprising results. The survey is from MyVoice, where they looked into the issue of email.

Demographics

Over the first five days of April 2008 14,815 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 14% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 30% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

This is interesting to see how people use their computer and mobile phone email addresses. Mobile phones are restricted to mostly communication with friends and family, whereas computer-based email does many things.

Most of the new models of mobile phones support not just display but also the creation of HTML email; that is email with inline photos and emoji, but they do tend to chew up memory space on the mobile phones. I can’t really say there are many benefits from HTML email; having said that, DecoMail is HTML email and I couldn’t live without that feature now when communicating with the wife!

Research results

Q1: How many computer-based email addresses do you have, including both private and work ones? (Sample size=14,815)

One	24.1%
Two	28.4%
Three	21.7%
Four	9.1%
Five or more	16.6%

Q2: How many mobile phone-based email addresses do you have, including both private and work ones? (Sample size=14,815)

One	82.5%
Two	8.1%
Three	1.0%
Four	0.2%
Five	0.4%
None	7.9%

Q3: To what sorts of uses do you put your computer-based email addresses to? (Sample size=14,815, multiple answer)

Email newsletter registration	75.1%
Internet shopping	67.6%
Communicating with friends	65.9%
Prize competition entry	56.2%
Communicating regarding work	41.0%
Registering for auction site	38.7%
Communicating with family	35.6%
Requesting information	35.4%
Communicating with internet friends	16.7%
SNS	16.6%
Receiving pictures, videos	11.3%
As web site management address	10.5%
Checking forwarded mail	9.3%
Music download	9.0%
Communicating with boy/girlfriend	7.2%
Other	5.3%
No answer	0.1%

Q4: To what sorts of uses do you put your mobile phone-based email addresses to? (Sample size=mobile phone email address holders, multiple answer)

Communicating with friends	82.4%
Communicating with family	75.6%
Communicating regarding work	28.6%
Email newsletter registration	20.2%
Communicating with boy/girlfriend	16.5%
Communicating with internet friends	15.0%
Prize competition entry	7.2%
Internet shopping	6.1%
Music download	5.3%
SNS	4.2%
Receiving pictures, videos	4.1%
Registering for auction site	3.8%
Checking forwarded mail	2.7%
Requesting information	2.0%
As web site management address	0.8%
Other	3.5%
No answer	0.4%

Q5: What do you think are the good points regarding HTML email? (Sample size=14,815, multiple answer)

Pictures, illustrations can be inserted	62.5%
When videos are inserted it’s easy to visualise the product	48.0%
Easy to understand the contents	38.4%
Can enjoy the bright colours	38.3%
Easy on the eyes, good layout	26.6%
Has impact	17.2%
Leaves an impression	13.1%
Can enjoy music	5.5%
Other	0.3%
No particular good points	11.0%
Don’t know	6.9%
No answer	0.4%

Q6: What do you think are the bad points regarding HTML email? (Sample size=14,815, multiple answer)

Message size is large, download time is long	59.1%
Worried about virus transmission	37.7%
Some mail programs don’t display them correctly	30.4%
Awkward to set up HTML mail viewing	8.7%
People can tell if you’ve viewed the email	7.8%
Some mail programs or servers won’t accept HTML mail	6.0%
Difficult to view	4.3%
Difficult to understand the contents	2.6%
Doesn’t leave an impression	0.8%
Has no impact	0.6%
Other	1.3%
No particular bad points	12.1%
Don’t know	8.2%
No answer	0.4%

Q7: At what times do you feel you don’t really want to inform someone of your computer-based email address? (Sample size=14,815, multiple answer)

When posting to bulletin board	52.8%
When giving it to someone online I’ve never seen in person	52.3%
In real life to people I meet for the first time	37.3%
When registering online from a computer	33.3%
When signing up for a contract in real life	30.5%
When registering online from a mobile phone	24.8%
When giving it to my boss	12.5%
When giving it to colleagues	7.3%
When giving it to friends	1.6%
When giving it to family	1.2%
Other	2.4%
Nowhere in particular	14.0%
No answer	0.5%

Q8: At what times do you feel you don’t really want to inform someone of your mobile phone-based email address? (Sample size=14,815, multiple answer)

When giving it to someone online I’ve never seen in person	56.9%
When posting to bulletin board	52.1%
When registering online from a computer	50.7%
In real life to people I meet for the first time	45.3%
When signing up for a contract in real life	44.1%
When registering online from a mobile phone	40.7%
When giving it to my boss	20.3%
When giving it to colleagues	10.6%
When giving it to friends	2.4%
When giving it to family	1.2%
Other	3.6%
Nowhere in particular	10.2%
No answer	0.3%