# Ignore this. Maybe. (About public polls) **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 23, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669 "2009-11-23T18:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/1 "2009-11-23T18:34:05Z")
How public is the publicness of public polls? ---
**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:** [November 23, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/2 "2009-11-23T19:45:19Z")
I always look at the poll results to see if it lists user names before I submit it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/3 "2009-11-23T19:50:14Z")
There’s that. I’m going to start making sure I pay attention for the warning before answering, because some people have no beef with asking personal shit without mentioning in the OP that the poll is public. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/4 "2009-11-23T20:50:20Z")
I kinda wish there were no public option for polls. Also think the results would probably be more accurate. I know I generally won’t answer a public poll on some subjects, but I might if it were a private poll. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/5 "2009-11-24T05:46:48Z")
on that note, how private are private polls? surely they track you somehow since you can’t poll twice. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/6 "2009-11-24T06:14:22Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > on that note, how private are private polls? surely they track you somehow since you can’t poll twice. Surely a cookie. ---
**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:** [November 24, 2009, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/7 "2009-11-24T08:45:29Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > on that note, how private are private polls? surely they track you somehow since you can’t poll twice. The posters on this board can’t track you. I really don’t care if the board administrator could research and figure it out. It’s the general population of the internet that people want some privacy from. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignore-this-maybe-about-public-polls/518669/8 "2009-11-24T11:08:44Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Surely a cookie. My understanding is that vBulletin stores that information in the database, not in a cookie. The database keeps track of which polls you have answered, and your answer choice (if you look at the poll results in a poll to which you’ve responded, you will see your answer choice in italics in the list of answers). > [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > The posters on this board can’t track you. I really don’t care if the board administrator could research and figure it out. It’s the general population of the internet that people want some privacy from. To add to your response, neither the OP nor the mods and admins of these boards can track your answer to a private poll. But you should be informed that this information is stored in the database, even though it is not accessible by anyone else. As with everything on the Internet, assess your privacy thresholds and respond to polls based on your comfort levels and this knowledge. - **xash** Administrator