# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 156
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3102 "2023-03-30T23:04:50Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > @WildaBeast, would you care to explicate? I specified forced air in that option to differentiate between other kinds of resistive electric heaters. E.g. baseboard heaters also use electrical resistance, but they don’t blow hot air. As do electric space heaters, which I didn’t include because I assumed no one uses space heaters as their primary heat source. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3103 "2023-03-30T23:46:41Z")
I rent and I know the wall controller temperature control does make the room warmer when I turn it on (generally it is off from March through November), but there are no air vents, no baseboard heaters, nothing that gets measurably hotter. I speculate that there is resistive heating in the ceiling or floor, but who knows, it could be heated by the Placebo Effect. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3104 "2023-03-30T23:47:02Z")
We have a space heater downstairs, and my sister has a space heater in her bedroom (for the dog). But I don’t have one in my bedroom – I have a down duvet (which keeps me _too_ warm a lot of the time). ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3105 "2023-03-31T00:24:13Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Poll lacks an option for “I live in New Jersey and someone fills my tank while I sit in my car like a gentleman.” God I miss Jersey. Just kidding. That was a nice perk, though. > [@Loach](#): > > If a friend asks for a vote in a contest I vote for the friend. I don’t even look at any other contestants. If the website asks for too much like signing up for an account I don’t vote at all. If it’s a simple click I’ll give the friend as many clicks as possible. I vote for the friend because when I was in high school running for Secretary of National Honor Society (sigh) my friend and I agreed to vote for each other but I 100% voted for myself. At the last minute, I objectively assessed that I was the right candidate for the job. Then I won by a single vote. I still feel guilty. I will always vote for my friends from now on, I promise. Re: Santa. I put for religious reasons, but that’s only kinda true. I consider myself a Buddhist in the sense that I believe the core tenets of Buddhism are true (The Four Noble Truths.) I’m not a purist. I don’t have to have a Buddhist kid or whatever. I celebrate secular Christmas. I believed in Santa growing up and I wasn’t fussed when I found out he isn’t real. But for some reason it really bothers me to pretend Santa is a thing. For one thing I’m the worst liar you ever met. For another thing my son is young but he already has a very literal and concrete view of the world. Mentally I’m not sure he could take it (I’m already worried about the day he finds out dinosaurs don’t roam the earth.) He doesn’t even really understand stories relationally at this point. And we really wanted to de-emphasize gift giving at Christmas. We’re not going to ruin it for other kids or try to explain anything. Santa can be that guy at the family Christmas party or whatever. He’s real in that sense. But he’s going to be a thing the way Spiderman is a thing. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3106 "2023-03-31T00:30:39Z")
Where’s the option for hot water baseboard heat? I chose “natural gas” because that’s how our boiler is heated, but it’s not steam heat or electric baseboard heat. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3107 "2023-03-31T01:07:42Z")
We have heating oil, and it runs our steam radiators. So, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3108 "2023-03-31T01:11:55Z")
Yeah, the poll mixed “energy source” and “way heat is delivered” in a confusing way. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3109 "2023-03-31T02:00:12Z")
I have oil-fired steam radiators. I chose heating oil. 🤷 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3110 "2023-03-31T04:59:30Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > We have heating oil, and it runs our steam radiators. So, I don’t know. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I have oil-fired steam radiators. I chose heating oil. 🤷 I did say: > [@Polls only: No discussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/3058): > > Yes, I know if you have steam radiators the boiler will be fueled by one of those other fuels, but for purposes of this poll it counts as a different kind of heating system. I thought that made it clear that if you have steam radiators, you should choose that option, regardless of the fuel the boiler uses. ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3111 "2023-03-31T11:06:38Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > It could be renamed “public and private news”, or could be split into MPSIMS, breaking news, and ‘significant personal issues’ threads; or all sorts of various things could be done. But it’s terribly named for much of what actually goes under it. For me, MPSIMS has always been the heart of the Boards. It’s where I knew I could share joy, be comforted in sorrow, flirt without shame, be both meaningless and pointless, and just connect with people. I’ll admit to surprise to seeing breaking news in here when I started reading again, but that’s the only one that didn’t seem (to me) to fit. I think some of why the variety of topics hasn’t surprised me is that I rarely think of what the acronym means anymore. It’s just MPSIMS and MPSIMS is home. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3112 "2023-03-31T15:32:07Z")
Re: the question about hyperlinks to identify people in threads. I voted no, as I don’t need to follow outside links for every name. But I would definitely like _a little_ description. “Phish Drummer Johnny Bravo” or “TV actor Michael Smith,” or “Former NJ Congressman Blaine Tisch.” Something like that would be appreciated. I end up goggling a lot of names people seem to think I should already be familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3113 "2023-03-31T17:41:19Z")
Isn’t 20 Questions strictly a yes/no game? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3114 "2023-03-31T18:03:21Z")
That’s what I thought. I also thought that the classic categories were “animal, vegetable, or mineral.” Steve Buscemi sure isn’t a vegetable or a mineral. ---
**Author:** ![NinthAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ninthacolyte/32/13676_2.png) [@NinthAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinthAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3115 "2023-03-31T18:23:46Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Isn’t 20 Questions strictly a yes/no game? > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I also thought that the classic categories were “animal, vegetable, or mineral.” Steve Buscemi sure isn’t a vegetable or a mineral. I agree with both of you! I have seen it played where you get a special dispensation for the first question and are allowed to ask “Animal, vegetable, mineral, or other?” and get a non-yes/no response, but that’s not how I prefer to play it. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3116 "2023-03-31T18:54:10Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Isn’t 20 Questions strictly a yes/no game? If you play original rules, yes. I always found it boring that way, and tend to set up alternative rules with whoever I’m playing with, if they’ll let me. (Such as, you can also answer ‘sort of’, ‘not applicable’, and ‘not answerable in that form’; and the thing to be guessed can also be an abstract.) But that makes my answer to such questions rather dependent on who I’m playing with. And my answer to that one, under my rules, would depend on whether I thought the people I was playing with would get mad about “humans _are_ animals, damn it!” Under original rules, I think it’s got to be “animal”; because as others have said, the thing to be guessed has to be “animal, vegetable, or mineral”. I’m not sure what one’s supposed to do with fungi and viruses; not play them, maybe – I expect the game predates knowing that fungi aren’t really vegetable and probably predates even knowing that viruses exist. – yup. [the game dates to at least 1823](https://shannonselin.com/2016/08/20-questions-game/) and the discovery of even the existence of viruses to the 1890’'s. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3117 "2023-03-31T19:15:18Z")
Steam heat in our old house, and the energy largely comes, I know from annual reports from our utility company, the burning of coal. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > [MPSIMS] includes lots of things that are not mundane, not pointless, or are neither mundane nor pointless; and it bothers some of us to see threads about one’s parents dying, about school shootings, etc. forced under that heading. Or even ones about joyful marriages and major political successes. > > It could be renamed “public and private news”, or could be split into MPSIMS, breaking news, and ‘significant personal issues’ threads; or all sorts of various things could be done. But it’s terribly named for much of what actually goes under it… Fair point. With that in mind, I wouldn’t mind seeing it renamed, even though the initials are pretty well-rooted in the Doper ethos by now. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > …I vote for the friend because when I was in high school running for Secretary of National Honor Society (sigh) my friend and I agreed to vote for each other but I 100% voted for myself. At the last minute, I objectively assessed that I was the right candidate for the job. Then I won by a single vote. I still feel guilty. I will always vote for my friends from now on, I promise… In my, I think it was, four-grade class president election, I was running against some other boy. It wasn’t even a secret ballot, I think, but to be a nice guy I voted for him. I lost by… wait for it… a single vote. D’oh! > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > …I also thought that the classic categories were “animal, vegetable, or mineral.” Steve Buscemi sure isn’t a vegetable or a mineral. Exactly. He’s an animal, a mammal just like me. Well, maybe not _just_ like me… ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3118 "2023-03-31T20:27:08Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Fair point. With that in mind, I wouldn’t mind seeing it renamed, even though the initials are pretty well-rooted in the Doper ethos by now. Here you go: > [@MPSIMS has gotten a minor rename to “Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mpsims-will-be-getting-a-minor-rename-to-miscellaneous-and-personal-stuff-i-must-share/981943): > > The existing name is [Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-mundane-pointless-stuff-i-must-share-mpsims-category/911000) But the “Mundane Pointless” has been an issue with Breaking News and Death Notices of members being in this forum. The suggestion came from Irishman. The Mods and Ed agreed it was an excellent change and we like the fact the acronym remains the same. This thread is open for comment. ETA: The change should happen within the week, but maybe as soon as Sunday. I think that, after all these years, that problem at least may be finally solved. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3119 "2023-03-31T21:42:30Z")
I’m very happy with how fast this happened after all these years. I brought it up to the Modloop yesterday and got the go ahead to make the announcement today. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t even expecting it to be approved as I’ve seen changes shot down so often in the past. * * * Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised, the willingness to change seems much higher since the move to Discourse. Tags got approved fairly fast. I know they’re not embraced by all, but I think they’ve helped a lot, especially the special tags like Breaking-News and Ukraine-Invasion. The GQ to FQ change happened pretty fast also. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3120 "2023-03-31T21:54:58Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Tags got approved fairly fast. I know they’re not embraced by all, but I think they’ve helped a lot, especially the special tags like Breaking-News and Ukraine-Invasion. I have no idea how to use a “tag.” Perhaps I could embrace them later. It sounds like something they do on Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3121 "2023-03-31T22:03:24Z")
Different tags have different uses, but they mostly act as sub-forums. Do you want to see all the Ukraine Invasion threads, click on that tag. Need to check all the baseball threads, click tags, click baseball-mlb. Breaking News defines a special category of MPSIMS. etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=155) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=157)