# I challenge the Dope to answer this poll with the required percentages **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534 "2013-02-07T01:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/121 "2013-02-14T16:58:34Z")
I wouldn’t mind redoing this with a blind poll and a transparent poll. ---
**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:** [February 14, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/122 "2013-02-14T17:07:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yes, this poll is obviously unimportant. But I don’t get the attitude that unimportant means it’s okay to mess up. I’m not being emotional here, I just don’t get it. I don’t get the mischievous impulse that so many people seem to have. > . I voted after looking, and voted in a category that needed a vote. _However_, when things are unimportant sometimes it _ **is** _ necessary to try to mess things up to illustrate a point. ( i.e., lighten up, this isn’t important. ) I find the reactions to our inability to do this experiment much more interesting than either a) doing it right, or b) being unable to do it right. People get invested in an outcome simply because they decided to care. Turn on a sports game where you have no feelings towards either team. You honestly don’t care which team prevails. However, almost all of us will soon pick a team and start rooting for them. By the end of the game, we’re genuinely happy or frustrated with the outcome. 30 minutes later, we have completely moved on. Some people wanted this poll to work out. Others apparently find it amusing that it won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/123 "2013-02-14T17:42:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > If you were honestly voting blind, you should vote for the fifty percent group because that’s where the most votes should be needed. The only people who should have honestly voted blind for five percent are those who went to the trouble of generating a random number and followed its result. Or our thoughts were, “many people will pick 50% and I’ll bet li’l ole 5% needs a few votes.” Click. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/124 "2013-02-14T18:12:19Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > … > Some people wanted this poll to work out. Others apparently find it amusing that it won’t. To the degree that any voted as you supposed, to intentionally make achieving the inconsequential goal that others had set out to accomplish unachievable because doing so amused them, specifically because others had decided to see if they could … yes it is an interesting result and informs some about the nature of some on this board, and likely in other groups as well. Is it fair to state the behavior you describe as follows: “some people think that if others think something matters, even slightly, that they personally do not think matters, then a correct behavior is to screw with it, and thereby impose their view on the group as a whole”? If not how would you describe it? ---
**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:** [February 14, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/125 "2013-02-14T18:25:53Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Is it fair to state the behavior you describe as follows: “some people think that if others think something matters, even slightly, that they personally do not think matters, then a correct behavior is to screw with it, and thereby impose their view on the group as a whole”? If not how would you describe it? The question in the OP basically was “can we do this?” The answer “no” is just as acceptable as the answer “yes.” Look, I’ve checked back many times, each time hoping just a little bit that the numbers would match up, or at least close the gap so that it might be possible. I’m on board with effort. To answer your question, I do think it is acceptable to screw with things a bit, in a “question authority” kind of way when the stakes are zero and you’re not really hurting anyone in the slightest. I didn’t have the urge in this case, but I don’t condemn those who did. If the OP made clear that this was a significant effort that he or she felt strongly about and was enlisting our community to assist, then sabotaging would be more of a dickish move. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/126 "2013-02-14T18:41:44Z")
If the answer is no then it is interesting to understand why the answer is no. Why does a group of mostly moderately intelligent people fail at such a simple game? Do you think that people do better when the stakes are more than just a cooperation game? Would a group of less intelligent people do better, do you think? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/127 "2013-02-14T19:11:29Z")
I can say with absolute certainty that with a more defined OP, we would have done better. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/128 "2013-02-14T19:31:32Z")
[Is this defined enough for you?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=682340) ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/129 "2013-02-14T21:09:59Z")
[QUOTE=Procrustus] {snip} People get invested in an outcome simply because they decided to care. {snip} Some people wanted this poll to work out. Others apparently find it amusing that it won’t. [/QUOTE] I agree, in principle, with the first statement. However, IMO, no no one cares about the outcome of this poll. Else, someone would have commented on this: > [@Toucanna](#): > > Unless y’all can convince me otherwise, I’m going to vote for “15%”. I’ll check back later to see what y’all advise. I was willing to vote whichever way would contribute to getting the percentages to match the options. In the nearly three days since I posted the above, not a single participant has suggested which way I should vote. My feelings aren’t hurt. I just can’t take seriously others’ complaints about voters who are skewing the results because they did not read, or understand or follow the guidelines in the OP. I’ve decided not to vote because I do not want to skew whatever results participants are now seeking. Peace out! ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/130 "2013-02-15T00:09:37Z")
The only advice that would have mattered is “Don’t vote for 5%”. Which had already been mentioned several times by then. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/131 "2013-02-27T17:11:52Z")
Well to fix this now we’d have to have have the following additional votes 5% - Leave Alone at 30 10% - 20 more votes to bring it to 60 15% - 28 more votes to bring it to 90 20% - 38 more votes to bring it to 120 50% - 92 more votes to bring it to 300 I think I have that right. Calling all dopers; we need 178 of you to come in here and do EXACTLY what I say! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/132 "2013-02-28T13:22:07Z")
Okay, but if you start asking for my bank info, I’m out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534/133 "2013-02-28T21:07:48Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Well to fix this now we’d have to have have the following additional votes > 5% - Leave Alone at 30 > 10% - 20 more votes to bring it to 60 > 15% - 28 more votes to bring it to 90 > 20% - 38 more votes to bring it to 120 > 50% - 92 more votes to bring it to 300 > > I think I have that right. Calling all dopers; we need 178 of you to come in here and do EXACTLY what I say! 🙂 Now needed: 5% - Leave alone at 31 10% - 21 more votes to bring it to 62 15% - 30 more votes to bring it to 93 20% - 41 more votes to bring it to 124 50% - 97 more votes to bring it to 310 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-challenge-the-dope-to-answer-this-poll-with-the-required-percentages/649534.md?page=6)