3Com Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has teamed up with Internet pollster Harris Interactive, Rochester, NY, to create Planet Project, a short-term venture that seeks to poll Internet users around the globe — beginning today — on topics such as religion, marriage, self-image, and law and order.
According to its sponsors, more than 350,000 people have signed up to participate in the Planet Project, which will collect and post its results in real time via the Internet.
“There will be no waiting to find out how the world answered the questions,” said Eric Benhamou, CEO of 3Com, the communications and messaging platform company that is underwriting the Planet Project.
Harris Interactive is providing the polling technology and analysis for the project, which was set to begin at midnight Nov. 15 at the international dateline and continue for four days.
“This is the first attempt at Internet-based polling on a global scale,” said Gordon Black, Harris Interactive CEO. “We believe the lessons learned will lead to future polling that has significant advantages over older polling methods in use today.”
The poll contains eight sections: religion, beliefs and fears, health, sleep and dreams, self-image, marriage, dating and sex, parenting and education, and law and order. Each section has about 20 questions. Polling is open to anyone with Internet access and is being offered in eight languages.
Ten additional companies are supporting the Planet Project, including Sun Microsystems Inc., Oracle Corp. and AT&T.
