# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 276
**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:** [January 30, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5502 "2025-01-30T18:45:37Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > For what it’s worth, that’s not what I at least have been requesting. But others apparently are. @pjd has specifically stated that if there isn’t an option that applies to them in every poll, they will select options at random (which really annoys me, as it feels almost like an act of vandalism to me). And earlier someone complained about not being able to vote in the “how much did people tip you when you worked as a server?” poll. That one clearly wasn’t asking for opinions, and was clearly only looking for responses from people who have worked as servers at some point. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5503 "2025-01-30T19:03:21Z")
Yeah, I see what you mean. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5504 "2025-01-30T19:24:20Z")
My brother in law has won two Emmys. They are local Emmys but they still count. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5505 "2025-01-30T19:29:35Z")
fwiw, if a poll doesn’t apply to me or have an other option i will usually just skip it. I just get contrary if it specifically tells me it’s not going to have an “other” option and to ignore it if it doesn’t apply to me. It would actually be quicker to just have an “other” option than to type all that in ! o&o ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5506 "2025-01-30T20:32:21Z")
I also skip polls that I don’t find appropriate, or, don’t feel comfortable answering even anonymously. A possible fix, you could always include a _second_ poll right before the first saying “I reviewed all options on the following poll but didn’t find an answer I like, so I vote ‘Present’” Sure, there may _still_ be someone who goes for the yuks, but even if it saves you a few clicks, it might be helpful. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5507 "2025-01-30T20:49:30Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > fwiw, if a poll doesn’t apply to me or have an other option i will usually just skip it. IIRC, a long time ago someone posted in this thread that they vowed to leave no poll unvoted, and that if there was no option they could vote for then they would pick one at random. I assumed that was you based on your more recent post, but if I got the wrong person I apologize. > [@pjd](#): > > I just get contrary if it specifically tells me it’s not going to have an “other” option and > to ignore it if it doesn’t apply to me. And I feel like I have to write that because of what I said above, that someone people seem to insist on voting in every poll no matter what. > [@pjd](#): > > It would actually be quicker to just have an “other” option than to type all that in ! We’ve been over this before. If my poll had an “other” option it would very likely be the top result; I’m pretty sure people who don’t use frequent flyer programs outnumber those who do. But I was interested in what people who actively participate in frequent flyer programs do with their miles, and knowing that the majority of people picked “other” because they don’t participate in frequent flyer programs is completely useless in answering that question. If I did include that option I would pretty much consider it a non-vote anyway, and would have to subtract them from the poll to get a result that’s actually relevant to my question. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5508 "2025-01-30T21:34:41Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I also skip polls that I don’t find appropriate, or, don’t feel comfortable answering even anonymously. & can I make a request that poll makers indicate if it’s a publicly answered poll (vs. the default anonymous). I’d rather not publicly share my controversial opinion that I do/not like \_\_\_\_. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5509 "2025-01-31T00:02:57Z")
It’s already possible to tell that a poll is public. See the part circled in red in the screenshot below: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54297756484_9ee8a11845_z.jpg "Screenshot 2025-01-30 155813") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/66423490@N08/54297756484/) ---
**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:** [January 31, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5510 "2025-01-31T21:39:25Z")
If I had 1449 threads come up as unread, my reaction would be “WTF?!”, because I do keep up fairly well on my unread threads and have never had a number show up at once that was even a tenth that large. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5511 "2025-01-31T22:19:18Z")
I never even look at the unread threads number. I scroll through the forums and read what catches my eye. I don’t care what comes up as unread. ETA- after figuring out where to look at it on my phone I now see I have over 1300 unread threads. Oh well. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5512 "2025-01-31T23:43:34Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > ETA- after figuring out where to look at it on my phone I now see I have over 1300 unread threads It occurs to me that that’s going to vary depending on what you have “unread” set to mean in your preferences. By default I think it includes any thread you looked at for more than a couple of minutes. I have mine set to include only threads I’ve posted in, as discourse doesn’t automatically mark those threads as the old boards did. So while I post a lot, that is going to be a whole lot fewer threads than the number I just glanced at briefly. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2025, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5513 "2025-02-01T03:58:50Z")
I made the Kessel run in a rice minute, otherwise I have no opinion on it. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5514 "2025-02-01T06:06:56Z")
Jasmine, Basmati or Wild? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5515 "2025-02-01T14:13:55Z")
Jasmine goes Wild for Basmati ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5516 "2025-02-01T14:37:08Z")
I like the new kinds in the small plastic containers-they say to vent the thing first, but I prefer to let it run sealed, waiting for the cool “pop!” to blow off the top, since trying to yank it off myself tends to be a bit tricky. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5517 "2025-02-01T16:43:08Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Jasmine goes Wild for Basmati This is the correct answer. Jasmine cooked first. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5518 "2025-02-01T20:39:33Z")
No one says “whirlybird” anymore? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5519 "2025-02-01T22:40:11Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > It’s already possible to tell that a poll is public. See the part circled in red in the screenshot below: Why are any of these polls public? ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5520 "2025-02-01T22:43:34Z")
Whirlybird. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5521 "2025-02-01T22:48:19Z")
On the old board we would play certain games using a public poll. Like the “College Football ‘Belt’”, where we would guess who would beat a certain team (the one that held the “belt”). I think the poll would close or be closed before that team’s first game so that no one could change their vote. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=275) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=277)