# Poll: Should the Polling Function Be Turned On? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211 "2009-09-07T22:45:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/1 "2009-09-07T22:45:11Z")
Should the polling function be turned on? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/2 "2009-09-08T00:13:22Z")
As long as it doesn’t create administrative overhead or a burden on the infrastructure. We already have polling going on so, barring the conditions in the previous sentence, there’s no reason I can think of why it shouldn’t be turned on. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/3 "2009-09-08T00:20:30Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Should the polling function be turned on? I predict one of the following (usual) responses from the PTB: [ol] [li]It’s a huge amount of work to make the changes to enable it[/li][li]It’s a huge burden on the servers[/li][li]It will make the mods’ job much much harder[/li][li]It goes against the culture of this place, and it will make it unrecognizable[/li][li]It will cause the end of the universe[/li][/ol] Should we take bets on which one it will be? ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/4 "2009-09-08T00:24:29Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > I predict one of the following (usual) responses from the PTB: > [ol] > [li]It’s a huge amount of work to make the changes to enable it[/li][li]It’s a huge burden on the servers[/li][li]It will make the mods’ job much much harder[/li][li]It goes against the culture of this place, and it will make it unrecognizable[/li][li]It will cause the end of the universe[/li][/ol] > Should we take bets on which one it will be? Too close to call. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/5 "2009-09-08T00:24:59Z")
Yes, it should. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/6 "2009-09-08T00:25:53Z")
#1 & 2 are still the most likely. #3 is unlikely. Moderators already have to manage the existing polling threads. Enabling the polling feature shouldn’t change the moderating burden. #4 makes no sense. As I pointed out, manual polling is permitted so why not enable the mechanism that helps streamline the process? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/7 "2009-09-08T00:29:26Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > [li]It’s a huge burden on the servers[/li] This would be my concern. If turning on polling doesn’t make the board response even worse than it already is, I say, Yes, turn it on. The other items in your list I don’t think are really issues. (Except for the end of the universe one - is the Large Hadron Collider still down? I’d worry about the interaction between that and the board.) ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/8 "2009-09-08T00:56:51Z")
Yes please. Every other vBulletin board I visit has it turned on, and it’s useful. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/9 "2009-09-08T00:58:37Z")
We’re talking about a message board where much of the staff and userbase are against adding _new smileys_. Think we’ll get polling? I’d respond with the LOL smiley, but there isn’t any. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/10 "2009-09-08T01:59:02Z")
I support the polling feature but oppose new smileys. So there. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-the-polling-function-be-turned-on/509211/11 "2009-09-08T02:59:29Z")
Polls belong in IMHO . . . not here.