Directory:Gregory J. Kohs

Gregory James Kohs The Kohser or Thekohser
Gregory Kohs (2007)
Residence	West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States Template:Country data US
Born	1968-10-07 Jackson, Michigan, United States Template:Country data US
Known for	Intellect, humor, and diplomacy
Occupation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Contact	489 Lake George Circle West Chester, PA  US  19382 302.463.1354 Web: GregoryKohs.com E-mail: Gmail Blog: Inside Market Research Reporting: Examiner.com
Reference	Latitude: 39°56′22.5″N Longitude: 75°36′42.4″W

Gregory J. Kohs is a marketing research practitioner and founder of Internet enterprises. He is the youngest child of four, born in Jackson, Michigan to Richard and Loretta Kohs. In 1981, he moved with his parents to Central Florida, settling in Winter Park, Florida.

Kohs now lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania with his wife, daughter, and a high-energy chihuahua mutt. He is a director of market research and analysis at Comcast Business. He founded or co-founded three Internet-based organizations: Facts On Call, Inc. and the non-profit Internet Review Corporation (both now closed), and MyWikiBiz.com, which is a publicly-edited directory featuring tens of thousands of pages of content. Over the years, Kohs served as a volunteer director of the Church of the Loving Shepherd.

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Credentials

Overview

In 1986, Kohs accepted a Dean's Scholarship (half tuition) to attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Graduating magna cum laude in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in History, Kohs accepted a Russell Conwell Fellowship (full tuition, plus annual stipend) to attend Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, he pursued a PhD degree which combined elements of Military History and Quantitative Methods in Geography. Simultaneously, he worked as a dormitory faculty member at the boys' boarding school, The School at Church Farm. After passing the comprehensive exams and completing work on about one-quarter of his dissertation (which was to have covered the aviation industry in Eastern European during the 1930's), Kohs opted to leave academia with his Masters degree to pursue a career in marketing research.

Having worked for three previous research firms (Data & Management Counsel, Research Works, and ICR), Kohs is now Director of Market Research, Planning, and Analysis at Comcast Business. His work includes mostly quantitative survey data collection among business decision-maker audiences; however, some qualitative research and financial management initiatives are regularly on his plate, too. Primary research areas include product concept testing, pricing optimization, customer satisfaction, and advertising effectiveness. His publications include a white paper about market research for PR and a co-authored medical journal article about computed tomography in clinical practice.

Kohs has recently expanded his reach into entrepreneurial ventures centering on wiki editing and optimization. This includes the launch of his MyWikiBiz service. He also writes about wikis as a citizen journalist at Examiner.com.

Cheers

Numerous colleagues and clients of Gregory Kohs have offered their recommendations of him.

• ...always being friendly, supportive, and patient! I always felt appreciated and happy to come in. - Migela Duka, Comcast - March 2016

• He's brilliant, he's consistent, he's astute, and he's funny. - Tim Davenport, founder of Mutant Pop Records - June 1, 2014

• <Wikipedia> is lucky to have people like Greg; even if he never directly contributes to [Wikipedia] going forward, we're all well aware that he's a very intelligent and eloquent individual with a knack for investigative reporting. He holds [Wikipedia] and the [Wikimedia Foundation] to their word, and I personally thank him for that. - Wil Sinclair, Partner of Lila Tretikov (former Wikimedia Foundation executive director) - May 22, 2014

• I sincerely appreciate the time and effort you invested in ensuring that I got the most out of my internship by giving me stimulating projects accompanied by helpful and constructive feedback. - Danica Breton, Comcast - August 2013

• Greg is a fantastic market researcher. He is well-versed in research methodologies and balances his technical knowledge with an ability to glean useful product development findings and insights. Greg delves deep into research design to ensure that results will be reliable and trustworthy and ensures that key stakeholders are included at every step of the process. With his background in working at a research services firm, he is also very helpful when working with research vendors -- often providing helpful direction when vetting proposals or managing vendors throughout the research project process. He's also extremely professional and responsive to stakeholder concerns. - Bianca Ling, Comcast - February 9, 2012

• Mr Kohs, your work is not of low quality. That there are others as good as you is possible, but unlikely. - David Goodman, Wikipedian in Residence, New York Public Library - November 19, 2010

• Your advice and support was greatly appreciated. I was lucky to learn about my field of interest from somebody as knowledgeable as you. - Carol Blackburn, Comcast - May 2010

• I was fortunate to work with Greg for a number of years at ICR, before he made the bold, but wise, move to Comcast. I learned a great deal from him as well as about him. He is dedicated to taking in as much as possible, yet strives to make his own mark and contributions. There are those who know a lot about a few things, and others who know a little about many things; then there's Greg, who knows an awful lot about many, many things! His intelligence and analytical nature have clearly driven his success, but his personality and above-average 'people skills' separate him from the crowd. - Dean Martinelli, ICR - November 23, 2009

• I have nothing but glowing remarks to make about Greg. He was managing my account at a vendor and I was thrilled to have him join my team. He is very bright, knows the industry, has a strong skill set in research and analysis and is a team player who bends over backwards to help out. If I had to recommend a replacement for me in my current role, Comcast would be lucky to have Greg in that spot. - Paul Hockenbury, Comcast - January 5, 2009

• Greg is a trustworthy and meticulous individual who gets things done. He approaches challenges head-first and always looks to the solution in any given situation with a positive attitude. His work ethic was unquestionable and admirable. He was immensely helpful over my years working with him and always offered well thought out and sound advice. It was a pleasure working with him in all aspects. - Mark McErlean, ICR - December 11, 2008

• Dedicated to creating a privately owned database of individuals and companies. Very patient with the setbacks and missteps on the way to creating the future of wiki technology and Web 2.0, but always optimistic. - Garrett Minks, Page Creations - November 25, 2008

• Greg did an excellent job covering data with the West Division team. I appreciate his knowledge and the way he was able to help our teams understand the data and potential actions to improve customer perception. - Cathy Kilstrom, Comcast - September 15, 2008

• I have worked with Greg, for many many years. He is one of the most professional and knowledgeable individuals I have worked with on market research projects. He always takes time to answer questions -- great and small -- with a care and concern rarely found. - Stacy (Wagner) Casebier, Synergistics Research - July 19, 2006

• I have known and worked with Greg for about 10 years. He is intelligent, driven, detail-oriented and approaches his work with integrity and concern for his customer. I know because I've worked with Greg as a co-worker and come back to him as a client. - PJ Gorenc, Nemours Foundation - February 10, 2006

• Greg is one of those rare people who have the ability to move from strategic-level concepts and theory right down to the tactical applications. When it comes to Market Research, Greg knows how to get it done right. - Michael Brenner, ICR - February 3, 2006

• I want to express my sincere gratitude for your help and counsel this year. As always, the work has been very high quality and well received. - Rick Kolster, SunTrust - December 15, 2005

• Put Greg Kohs on every project. - Kirk Coburn, Pure Golf - October 27, 2003

• Greg Kohs is fantastic to deal with -- helps us with every need. - Jennifer Guberman, Magnet Communications - September 24, 2003

• Greg Kohs DEFINES client service! - Laura Schneider, Accenture - September 17, 2003

• Greg Kohs and his team were a pleasure to work with. - Jane-Linn Vincent, Manning, Selvage & Lee - August 19, 2003

Jeers

Unfortunately, you can't please 'em all.

• I think you're nuts... partly because you're an obsessive, but mostly because you seem to have no life... Seriously, I think you're looneytunes. I'm sure I'm not the first person to have said this to you. - Mike Godwin, former Wikimedia Foundation attorney - October 9, 2009

• He has given misleading information to journalists that was published in the mainstream press. - Lise Broer, Wikipedia administrator - February 28, 2007

• If you don't stop trolling, I am going to ban you myself. ...Greg, you flatly lied. That's the end of it for me. ...You owe me an apology. And you are on VERY VERY thin ice. I recommend that you stop editing Wikipedia, and shut down your company. ...I am going to think long and hard about whether I should write a public editorial on my blog denouncing your business and explaining to the world what is wrong with it. ...Just Go Away. - Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia Foundation - October 4-5, 2006

Yet, two years later, Wales did regret his previously-stated position.

Consulting and speaking

Kohs is available for speaking engagements and press interviews, regarding the promises and perils of community-edited spaces on the Internet. He also runs a low-profile, paid editing service that targets Wikipedia content.

Associated Press photo, 2007.

As a Director-level researcher at a Fortune 50 company, Kohs has seen it all in the fields of advertising and marketing communications. As someone who is also very knowledgeable about wiki communities, he can present to your group or help you complete a news story with anything you really need to know about wikis, Wikipedia, and the Wikimedia Foundation. Observing Wikipedia and other wikis since 2005 through the lens of business ethics, he'll pull no punches and will draw aside the curtain to reveal the manipulative wiki wizards who hide behind it. The story of MyWikiBiz was broadly publicized in over 150 mainstream media outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, MSNBC.com, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as television appearances on the G4TV network and on the syndicated news program Full Measure. Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain also extensively covered the MyWikiBiz phenomenon in his best-selling book, The Future of the Internet, and Kohs has spoken before Zittrain's class on Internet law at Harvard Law School.

As a citizen-journalist, Kohs regularly published investigative reports for years on Examiner.com. He is also completing work on an e-book to be titled Your Business and Wikipedia.

Kohs and his venture MyWikiBiz have a devoted interest in the success of the Semantic Web. He can communicate to complete novices the amazing advantages (and some disadvantages) of Semantic Web, or as it's also known -- Web 3.0.

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Kohs spoke about wiki implementation at the annual conference of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in July 2007, with his portion of the presentation available for download.

Greg Kohs’ presentation of wiki was both insightful and knowledgeable. I hope to have him return for further discussions on such an exciting emerging topic. -- Rebecca Morgan, Director of Communications, AACP

International Smart Tan Network

Also in 2007, he spoke to the main assembly of an annual conference of indoor tanning industry professionals, about survey research data related to teens and tanning.

As senior vice president of International Smart Tan Network, I've coordinated 19 international conventions for the owners and operators of professional indoor tanning facilities. Gregory Kohs has produced market research projects for me several times, and has presented material at our conferences. His thorough approach has always been a wonderful boon for my attendees — he goes beyond the surface to create material that is truly relevant to their concerns and presents it in a way that creates value both for my members and for me as a conference coordinator. I recommend Greg without hesitation to any conference coordinator. -- Joseph Levy, Senior Vice President, International Smart Tan Network

Cheltenham High School

In December 2011, Kohs was invited to speak before a student audience of teens enrolled in the gifted program and the journalism course at Cheltenham High School. His presentation is available for download, best viewed in "slideshow" mode.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and expertise with our students. We appreciated your time and worthwhile information. We will be sharing the PowerPoint with faculty who had hoped to participate in the discussion! -- Alison Shapiro, Gifted program teacher, Cheltenham High School

Rollins College

In October 2013, several sections of an undergraduate English writing course focusing on Wikipedia were treated to a special webinar that Kohs delivered, entitled The Real Wikipedia, best viewed in "slideshow" mode.

AREE: Show Guide cover

Gregory Kohs delivered a webinar for my freshman writing students at Rollins College in the fall of 2013. Kohs drew from his own experience with MyWikiBiz and the published work of others, and shared with us his current investigation of the control over their own Wikipedia entries that some companies exert -- control that directly violates Wikipedia's claim about neutrality. By outlining ways in which Wikipedia fails to abide by its own policies, Kohs helped students become more critical users of the online encyclopedia. Students appreciated the visit from someone with such wide-ranging and informed knowledge about Wikipedia, and both enjoyed and learned from the presentation. -- Dr. Patrick C. Fleming, Visiting Assistant Professor, Rollins College

Atlantic Region Energy Expo

In May 2015, the final Atlantic City installment of the annual Atlantic Region Energy Expo (AREE) was held. Mr. Kohs was selected to speak at a conference-closing session about Market Research Basics for Small Business, where company owners were exposed to various low-cost ways they can gather research info about customer satisfaction, brand image, and market share.

Gregory Kohs gave a splendid presentation at the 2015 Atlantic Region Energy Expo in Atlantic City, a conference gathering of about 2,400 industry professionals, of which I was the chairman. He crafted an informative program which focused on the small business owner, and especially our industry. It was great to have a guide educate us on how to achieve greater profitability on a limited budget. -- Trent Van Doren, Chairman, AREE 2015

Wikipedia expert Wikipedia consultant Wikipedia editing Wikipedia editor paid editor Wikipedia business public relations marketing research marketing research consultant Wikipedia consulting Editor for hire Your Business and Wikipedia

Personal Information

I love many, many things. My wife and daughter are the most important parts of my life; and life is enjoyed best when I am experiencing the things I love with them. This would include travel, skiing, sailing, music, and food -- especially stone crab claws!

I also enjoy participating in Texas hold'em poker tournaments. Strange thing is, I enjoy directing a poker tournament just about as much as playing in one.

Notes

Click to see full screen capture

• MSNBC gaffe: On March 22, 2007, MSNBC.com erroneously reported that Gregory Kohs was the "technology blogger" who Microsoft tried to pay to edit material on Wikipedia. Rick Jelliffe is correctly that blogger.

• Wikipedia article: At one time, Wikipedia supported an encyclopedic article about Kohs.

• Television appearances: Speaking about Wikipedia and the phenomenon of "paid editing" on G4TV and on Full Measure.

• Medical publication: Kohs co-authored a study report for the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Photo gallery

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Internal links

• Directory:Gregory J. Kohs is "owned" by User:MyWikiBiz.

• Gregory J. Kohs has contributed substantially to the following articles:
  • Naval architecture in the Industrial Age
  • Brandywine Springs
  • Consumer economy
  • Directory:Liz Cohen

External links

• GregoryKohs.com Home page (redirects to this page)
• Inside Market Research Industry blog
• MyWikiBiz.com Start-up venture

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