# Jonathan Chance, what's with the defensiveness over some polls? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 15, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634 "2019-02-15T20:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/21 "2019-02-15T22:41:55Z")
You could argue that Bucky was threadshitting with “who cares”. But why not warn/note him specifically in that thread instead of telling everyone in every thread that the whole topic was out of bounds? For example, in this thread, jsc and I were having a discussion on the seeding which I wouldn’t call “bitching” in any sense of the word: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870829](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870829) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/22 "2019-02-15T22:43:20Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > The post in question, though, goes on to be entirely a complaint about the seeding. The phrase is not automatically a threadshit. This. And it’s ridiculous to be upset about similar posts being made in all 9 threads because maybe 9 similar responses are a bit over the top, but the same argument could be made about 9 similar OPs… ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/23 "2019-02-15T22:44:33Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Can we bitch about the seedings in an actual March Madness thread? Or is bitching about tournament seeding off limits in general now? Because it seems complaining/debating about the seeds is pretty much part of a tournament’s discussion, even if it is seen by some as “bitching.” I actually suggested such would be a good idea to jsc in a PM. I still think it would be. I’d also use that to help him better handle seeding in the future if you truly want to have input and make the process better. I think there could be a series of these moving forward so we can track how the SDMB supports various candidates over time. They’re all - or most - going to be in the race through Christmas at least. So might as well see how it changes over time. So go ahead and provide input there. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870828](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870828) ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/24 "2019-02-15T23:09:31Z")
Mid-thread rule-making and subsequent warnings is just lazy moderation. Never seen it on other boards. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/25 "2019-02-15T23:48:34Z")
There are other boards? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/26 "2019-02-16T01:47:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > People have complained about poll selections since polls were invented, and certainly since the SDMB has allowed them. Have these complaints been moderated in the past? How funny that you should ask :). As a matter of fact, while there have been the occasional poll selection mod-complaines, only one ex-mod was pissier than hell about polls. Either the posters didn’t accept the basic premises of the poll and would quibble/kibbutz/discuss (and on a DISCUSSION BOARD of all things) and he’d yell/note/warn them, or the poll itself didn’t show enough gravitas for something as sooper-serious as a internet poll and he’d close the poll and/or yell/note/warn the poll-poster. Or, my personal favorite, he closed a poll with “too many options” because it was too hard and made his haid hurt or something, Or \< gasp \> someone would share their opinions and reasoning in a poll and he’d go psycho and give mass warnings (IIRC, one thread had at least 4 warnings–official warnings, mind you. I believe Ed had to get involved in that particular piece of mod-stupidity) He was so bad at modding that he even contradicted himself across four days, in one case saying the OP has absolute control over the type of responses he/she gets (discussion/no discussion) and in a different thread, said nope, the OP takes what he/she gets. So…yeah, the vast moderation of polls came from terrible policies that only one very bad ex-mod made up based on his whim-du-jour, and I’m saddened to see JC, an otherwise good mod follow in the footsteps of the ex-mod. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14098315](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14098315) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14097195](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14097195) > **[What do you think about the Republican Party?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=619313)** > > In keeping with the precedent that the OP has absolute control of his topic, I insist that there be no commentary whatsoever in this thread. Just vote from the options listed. Poll coming > **[Modding for content](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=592567)** > > Why do it? Mods–why close down a thread or admonish posters for a post simply because you don’t like the content of the thread or post? Here’s the latest example: Which Of These Points of Divergences Would Have Produced The Best World - In My... For just a teeny-tiny sample of the…\…unique moderation style of this single ex-moderator that no other moderator has duplicated. Like most of the “rules” this ex-moderator made, once he was no longer a mod, his decisions have long since been forgotten except to deride them. I’m glad you asked about this! It was fun answering and I hope you enjoyed the homework I did for you as much as I enjoyed doing your own homework for you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/27 "2019-02-16T03:13:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Either the posters didn’t accept the basic premises of the poll and would quibble/kibbutz/discuss (and on a DISCUSSION BOARD of all things) Wow. They’d schlep to Israel just because of a faulty poll? Now that’s what I call a hissy fit. Then again, at least it was productive. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/28 "2019-02-16T13:19:44Z")
So there’s a mod note, a poster obviously disregards this, and a warning is issued. Not sure why that would be any issue. If the mod note were inappropriate, this subforum woulda been the place to discuss that. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/29 "2019-02-17T17:58:32Z")
On a slightly related note, Jonathan, you suggested doing one of these every quarter. If that’s gonna happen, could it pretty please be a single thread with a poll where you can select multiple options? I have no interest in brackets/tournaments, and think it feeds into the worst sort of political thinking, where politics is treated like a team sport instead of as a discussion of policy. But I get that other folks enjoy this sort of thing. Currently this nonsense is taking up half of the top dozen threads in Elections. It’s clutter. If it were a single thread (ideally in the Thread Games forum, which is what it is after all), I wouldn’t mind; but I like the elections forum, and don’t like having a bunch of “POLITICS IS SPORTS” threads filling it up. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/30 "2019-02-17T18:14:33Z")
I agree that it is clutter. I thought that it was considered poor form for one poster to start so many threads on basically one subject all at once like that. Plus it makes it much more difficult to see other threads. It’s a mess and too early. There’s way too many potential candidates at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/31 "2019-02-17T18:39:26Z")
My 2 pennies: A few years ago, I did some March Madness-style threads (on Beatles songs, sitcoms, etc). I didn’t use the poll feature. Just put the brackets/match-ups and people typically copied-and-pasted the bracket and for each match-up, chose which one they preferred. I tallied the votes, and the winner from each pairing moved on to the next round. This way, there’s a thread for each round, but not for each match-up. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/32 "2019-02-17T18:44:47Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > There are other boards? > > 😉 Yes, but they suck. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/33 "2019-02-17T20:06:43Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I agree that it is clutter. I thought that it was considered poor form for one poster to start so many threads on basically one subject all at once like that. Plus it makes it much more difficult to see other threads. It’s a mess and too early. There’s way too many potential candidates at this point. Yeah the clutter jammed up Elections bad. Not nice. ---
**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 18, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/34 "2019-02-18T01:07:53Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Well for what it’s worth, seeing the same copypasta from you in every thread within the first 5 posts turned me off from posting in them and ruined\* my enjoyment of them. > > \*No flowers are necessary. I shall soldier on. Seconded. Moreover at first many of them did not include any notation that he was speaking _ex moderatra_ and not just as a threadshitter complaining. Over and over again. This was a clear example of the alleged treatment being much worse than the disease it was allegedly aimed at treating or preventing. And a warning for a post that could have easily been a cross post? Way over the top (IMHO). Personally I was more wondering about having so many threads taking over Elections and changing it into a forum for that particular game being a bit questionable. It was enough that one poster initially put an Elections thread into GD to avoid being overrun by the variations of the game threads. These are not threads I would hold and say they give me joy. Not my call though. In any case discussing the rules of the game is _not_ threadshitting and anyone who doesn’t want to read those posts can skip 'em. _Minimally_ such a discussion should be allowed in [the intro to the game thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870828). Possibly that thread should be stickied for the duration of the game and the op of each match-up directing posters to that thread (with link of course) for an explanation of the rules and for any discussion of the rules. But again, the directive was much much more annoying than any discussions about the nature of the seedings were or likely would have been. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/35 "2019-02-18T13:50:57Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Currently this nonsense is taking up half of the top dozen threads in Elections. It’s clutter. If it were a single thread (ideally in the Thread Games forum, which is what it is after all), I wouldn’t mind; but I like the elections forum, and don’t like having a bunch of “POLITICS IS SPORTS” threads filling it up. This please. Fifthed, I think. I was enjoying some threads in the Elections forum when that bunch of threads obscured them. It would be nice to have the poll threads in the Thread Games Forum. As to the moderation, I agree with it. Having started several polls with people complaining about the conception of the set up, it’s nice that people are getting reminded not to constantly do that. It serves no useful purpose and is just a drag on the thread. ETA: I’m not sure it needed to be a warning, but the reminder was good. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634/36 "2019-02-18T17:32:01Z")
jsc is now talking about making an additional four threads for the next round. Could we instead have a single thread for this next round? Even with one thread for each round, it’ll mean five threads for this game, once a quarter; seems better suited for thread games than for Elections, for my money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chance-whats-with-the-defensiveness-over-some-polls/829634.md?page=1)