Do you like Polls?

[tragula]

I've noticed a drop off in the number of polls after some people criticized them.

I personally think they add a lot to a thread. They make it easy for someone to say "I agree" or "I disagree" with the topic without having to post. Especially for lurkers.

And they provide actual data on what a range of independent minded people think.

They are also easy to ignore, so I don't see what the down side is....

(I'm not talking about making threads that are just silly poll questions like "how many members have 11 toes". I'm talking about adding polls to real topics as a means of canvassing opinions.)

[Warrior413]

As a proud bearer of ten toes, I can say that I am indifferent to polls.

[Helios]

Yeah, I really am indifferent to them most of the time, unless it is something of interest, then I like them. Who the hell was bitching about the damn polls!! That is so SJ.

[mgb]

I think the drop in polling is because they don't pop up to the top of the forum anymore when someone votes. So if you want to vote on something you have to find it which might actually be a more accurate way to detect the usefulness of a poll, because now you are getting people that want to vote instead of people with nothing to do.

[songbird36]

The problem with the polls I've looked at is that quite often the options listed are inane and I would not want to vote for any of them.

Example - the kinky sex poll

lol

[waxwing]

I'm indifferent. I see the point of trying to gather data to try to reach a conclusion such as "the majority of INTPs..." but there are so many other factors that cannot be shown in a simple poll. I won't complain about polls, but I rarely choose one of the options. Then you've got the problem of the people who respond vs. those who don't and the results are always biased in some way.

[Geoff]

Why should I hate Poles? It's a perfectly good country...

Oh, I see.

You missed the chance to have an existentially challenging option of "I hate polls and never vote on them...'

-Geoff

[file cabinet]

I don't like having to choose.. and there isn't always a choice that I can vote for

[MasterMerk]

I don't really dig polls, to be honest. I prefer the more fleshed-out answer.

[christinel]

Yes! I absolutely love polls!! As much as I like the more detailed answers, I often want to get a sense of people's opinions on certain topics but do not have the time to read through everyone's posts. (Plus, many posts are actually off-topic.) I wish there is a specific section on INTP Central where we can reach all the polls ever made in the various sections of the forum.

The good thing about polls on discussion boards like these is that there is a place for longer answers if anyone wants to give them.