# How accurate are internet polls? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771 "2009-11-16T13:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/1 "2009-11-16T13:32:35Z")
The message I had entered was too short. I was pleased to lengthen my message to at least 2 characters. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/2 "2009-11-16T13:39:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/3 "2009-11-16T13:49:51Z")
I voted for all of the last five options except the lying one, because I think they all apply. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/4 "2009-11-16T14:45:13Z")
I selected “Really darn accurate” and “not at all accurate”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/5 "2009-11-16T14:49:44Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > 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! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/6 "2009-11-16T14:54:37Z")
I clicked all the checkboxes! Because I could! ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/7 "2009-11-16T15:28:27Z")
You forgot to include the options “Baba Booey” and “Stephen Colbert.” ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/8 "2009-11-16T19:19:58Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/9 "2009-11-16T19:52:13Z")
They’re worthless. No control over sample = worthless poll. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/10 "2009-11-16T20:06:07Z")
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?”). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-accurate-are-internet-polls/517771/11 "2009-11-16T21:04:55Z")
They are worthless and I do my best to keep them that way.