How accurate are internet polls?

[Enderw24]

The message I had entered was too short. I was pleased to lengthen my message to at least 2 characters.

[Machine Elf]

How accurate are internet polls? I'd say they're pretty near 100% accurate at recording the opinions of the participants. But they're hideously biased in terms of who the participants are, which means you can't count on them for much of anything.

[Dead Cat]

I voted for all of the last five options except the lying one, because I think they all apply.

[Munch]

I selected "Really darn accurate" and "not at all accurate". :)

[Noone Special]

I voted for all of the last five options except the lying one, because I think they all apply.I think you're me.

In fact, judging by the result so far, I think we're the majority....

But, I'm sure the results of this internet poll will be accurate! :D

[jjimm]

I clicked all the checkboxes! Because I could!

[thirdname]

You forgot to include the options "Baba Booey" and "Stephen Colbert."

[janeslogin]

I found this sometime ago and kept it around because it expresses what I have felt in my gut for several decades.

"There is often a vast gulf between how people say they behave and how they actually behave. ... The fibs might even be subconscious, with the subject simply saying what the surveyor wants to hear." - Steven D. Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago, along with former New York Times Magazine editor Stephen J. Dubner

[BobLibDem]

They're worthless. No control over sample = worthless poll.

[VarlosZ]

Well, if (for example) you only want to poll the set of SDMB posters who sometimes hang out in IMHO, then you can get a tolerably accurate result, I'm sure.

The problem is that many polls we see here are of a type which can't even accomplish that, for one of two reasons: they either invite unintentional misinformation ("What is your IQ?" "Are you a better than average driver?") or because the question asked will disproportionately encourage a certain segment of the population to volunteer an answer ("Have you ever ridden a horse?" "Are you a medical professional?" "What is your IQ?").

[Lanzy]

They are worthless and I do my best to keep them that way.