# Do you think we should have "public" polls? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 26, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644 "2009-09-26T13:48:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/21 "2009-09-27T03:55:48Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > My first paragraph of my first post was evidence. There was a poll that should have been private, the consequences of it not being that I could end up on some hate mail list or fund drive list. Fine – that was **a** poll. It doesn’t mean that **all** polls need to be private. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/22 "2009-09-27T04:49:42Z")
I think people will catch on eventually that making it a private poll will get more responses that are more honest too. For instance there would be a big difference in results for are you a dog beater if it’s private or public. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/23 "2009-09-27T05:19:54Z")
Anonymous posters using invented usenames needing to have even more anonymity in which there is not even a username? It opens the way to complete honesty without fear of reprisal, but also opens the way to complete dishonesty/trollerly. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/24 "2009-09-27T05:30:45Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > …There was a poll that should have been private… “Should have been” is your opinion. If you don’t like it don’t participate. Don’t restrict others freedoms. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/25 "2009-09-27T11:34:55Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Anonymous posters using invented usenames needing to have even more anonymity in which there is not even a username? It opens the way to complete honesty without fear of reprisal, but also opens the way to complete dishonesty/trollerly. The answers are on a list. They can only give the answers that are included on that list. Answering what you don’t like, but they do isn’t trolling. They can not just put in some sucky response by willing it. The preselected choices do stop trollish answers. They can put crap in the posts area, but then their name is on it again. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/26 "2009-09-27T14:18:12Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > I’ve edited the poll title, **Mad Hun** to match the thread. I also need to point out, you’ve made this poll one where names are show. So, if anyone “feels creepy” about it, they likely won’t vote at all. Consequently, biased results. Funny, I didn’t respond for that reason, but now that you say the count is invalid, then you should be against the name feature. Can you really have it both ways, that it’s not a valid poll but you should be entitled to see how everyone voted? And have that information permanent so Liberal can constantly refer to it and use it against your arguments forever: “Must you always take the Wiccan line on every topic?” > [@Muffin](#): > > If there were no polls, then the poster of an opinion in IMHO would be known. That is the same as a public poll. True, but when there are lots of shades of gray you can delineate a distinction. And also they are less searchable by people who want to hassle Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/27 "2009-09-27T18:44:11Z")
Another thing in favor of public polls: VB board polls doesn’t register IPs when people vote, only screen names. This means if someone were to create, say, five other screenames, they would be able to cast another vote on each of them. So if someone were willing, they could, possibly, effect a poll with numerous names in such a way that the voting would be skewed/broken/not reflect what the actual community is saying. …and if there’s anyone who thinks that there would NEVER be anyone who would do that or have that much time on their hands or go through that much effort just to see a certain option win…you’d be very, very surprised. I’ve been both an admin and mod on other boards and it’s happened quite often, actually. More than you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/28 "2009-09-27T21:20:46Z")
_No_ poll on a message board is “valid” in the sense that a randomized, controlled public opinion poll is. SDMB members are a self-selected group, and our opinions undoubtedly skew from the norm in most if not all of the various communities we live in. (There are certainly not nearly as many self-avowed atheists among the general population of the United States [as there are on this board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533099), which is only somewhat accounted for by the fact that this is not an Americans-only board.) But a poll in IMHO (or ATMB) isn’t even a representative sample of _members of this board_, since the people who bother to answer the poll are a self-selected sub-group of the membership. For something like a poll on [what types of pets we all have](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533480), I would guess that the poll likely under-represents the “nones”, since it stands to reason that many people who don’t have any pets will just not bother to answer, as opposed to the members representin’ for their kitties and doggies; the poll may or may not give a good idea of the relative proportion of cat-lovers and dog-lovers among the pet owners on the board, though I suppose there’s no particular reason _a priori_ to think either cat-lovers or dog-lovers would be more or less likely to answer polls about their pets. Obviously a poll which says “Would you refuse, as a matter of principle, to ever answer a public poll?” which is _itself a public poll_ would be paradoxical and absurd and should, strictly speaking, get 100% “Noes” even if half the membership really thinks “Yes”. _This_ poll doesn’t go quite that far, but it does kind of skew in that direction. For “Do you like kitties or doggies?” there’s no reason not to make it a public poll if that’s what everyone wants, and it would be silly to refuse to allow people to even have the option of making public polls about such things. For a poll about religion, although this is a place where many people feel pretty free to be outspoken about such things, a private poll is probably better. For something like “Have you ever been the victim of a sexual assault?”\*, a private poll would clearly be better–although you still wouldn’t really be getting any kind of valid result. \*I’m not actually saying it would necessarily be a good idea for anyone to actually start such a poll. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/29 "2009-09-28T01:16:03Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Another thing in favor of public polls: VB board polls doesn’t register IPs when people vote, only screen names. This means if someone were to create, say, five other screenames, they would be able to cast another vote on each of them. So if someone were willing, they could, possibly, effect a poll with numerous names in such a way that the voting would be skewed/broken/not reflect what the actual community is saying. > > …and if there’s anyone who thinks that there would NEVER be anyone who would do that or have that much time on their hands or go through that much effort just to see a certain option win…you’d be very, very surprised. I’ve been both an admin and mod on other boards and it’s happened quite often, actually. More than you’d think. You assign a poll way too much importance. What the consequences of someone going to that extreme? Do we get the wrong person elected to be ruler of the Straight Dope? I don’t think so. This is not an election service, just a poll. Seeing the 5 names on the poll are not going to out this offender either. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/30 "2009-09-28T03:33:03Z")
What’s “the Wiccan line”? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/31 "2009-09-28T21:44:10Z")
Can’t we expand polling to Cafe Society as well? ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/32 "2009-10-07T18:02:00Z")
Arggh! Another trick “poll” ["How Old Are You? "](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535035) that shows who picked which answer. I stumbled into it without thinking. If I wanted to have my age where people could look it up and mock me, I’d have put it in my profile. Why are these even permitted? What use is that to everyone? Just gives me the creeps. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/33 "2009-10-07T18:48:17Z")
The poll even says at the beginning, “Be advised that this is a public poll: other users can see the choice(s) you selected.” They’re not tricking you, they’re telling you up front. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/34 "2009-10-07T20:10:39Z")
In fine print. But that’s not the point, is it? The point is that I think it’s never for a good reason and always for a spurious one. Think Curtis LeMay. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/35 "2009-10-07T20:13:39Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > … it’s easier to just ask people to speak up and identify themselves. You don’t really need to know percentage of answers for that. Occasionally I’ll look at Public Profiles and I’ve noticed lots of folk’s will give their month and day but not their year. We’ve had a couple of “What year were you born?” type threads where the point was to get percentages. If your not willing to put it your Public Profile are you likely to post it in a poll/thread? I’d like to see the Board’s culture adopt a private unless there’s some reason for public one, just to encourage folks to participate in polls. Then, if you really want to give a public answer just post in the thread too. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/36 "2009-10-07T21:36:06Z")
> [@TheMadHun](#): > > In fine print. But that’s not the point, is it? The point is that I think it’s never for a good reason and always for a spurious one. Think Curtis LeMay. It’s not in print any smaller than the text of the poll. As for whether it’s for a good reason or not, shouldn’t that be up to the maker of the poll? What are you afraid of, that somebody’s going to carpet bomb your city? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644/37 "2009-10-08T01:24:46Z")
The mods think the private/public decision is best left up to the person starting the poll. The mods have been discussing a number of scenarios regarding polls. We’d really like as few policies as possible. There’s a lot of stuff we could set policy about – having reasonable choices that reflect the range, expressing the question to avoid bias, avoiding sarcastic responses, etc. Our bottom line: we don’t want to make more rules. If you don’t like a poll being public, don’t participate. If you don’t like the choices, don’t participate. If you don’t like the way the question is phrased, don’t respond. All these polls are voluntary, with a biased sample anyhow, so there’s certainly no statistical validity. If you want to express your unhappiness with the poll, you can post. Or not. If you want to make a choice not in the selection, post. In short, our attitude towards polls is the same as our attitude towards everything else: we don’t want lots of rules, we want to give people as much freedom of expression as possible (while at the same time protecting others from someone being too much of a jerk.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-should-have-public-polls/511644.md?page=1)