# Should public polls be banned? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 1, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433 "2018-05-01T20:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/1 "2018-05-01T20:46:22Z")
I don’t like public polls on this forum. They do not give any option for a private response, while a private poll still has the option of a public response by posting to the thread. I think polls would be more informative if they were all private, because of increased participation. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/2 "2018-05-01T21:14:50Z")
If you don’t like them, then just don’t participate in them. Why should they be banned just because they’re not your cup of tea? If you think that a private poll would garner better responses, then try making one each time you see a public poll, and let’s find out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/3 "2018-05-01T21:15:17Z")
I think that, in many cases, private polls are preferable for the reasons you state, but that there are plenty of other polls for which it doesn’t matter, and so it makes no sense to make a rule about this. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/4 "2018-05-01T23:00:26Z")
I thought for sure when I opened this thread it would be a public poll! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/5 "2018-05-01T23:06:50Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I think polls would be more informative if they were all private, because of increased participation. How many people would decline to participate in a poll about whether or not hot dogs are sandwiches, or whether or not they liked the latest episode of _The Walking Dead_, just because it was a public poll? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/6 "2018-05-01T23:16:18Z")
How do I know if the poll is public or private? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/7 "2018-05-01T23:19:26Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > How do I know if the poll is public or private? Well, you can click on “View Results” before answering the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/8 "2018-05-01T23:19:32Z")
If you don’t like something, ignore it. Don’t like public polls? Ignore them, or start your own private poll asking the same question. No reason to ban something from everyone just because you don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/9 "2018-05-01T23:24:18Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How many people would decline to participate in a poll about whether or not hot dogs are sandwiches, or whether or not they liked the latest episode of _The Walking Dead_, just because it was a public poll? I don’t think I’d want to be “on the record” in regard to hot dogs. I might decide to run for political office one of these days. I’m generally averse to public polls, but they do have their occasional uses. For example, we can find out who likes zombie jokes. That makes it easier to shame and ostracize those people. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/10 "2018-05-01T23:58:27Z")
i disagree completely. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/11 "2018-05-02T00:56:12Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > I thought for sure when I opened this thread it would be a public poll! It was oh so tempting to make it public. 😃 > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How many people would decline to participate in a poll about whether or not hot dogs are sandwiches, or whether or not they liked the latest episode of _The Walking Dead_, just because it was a public poll? As of this post, 6 of the 17 respondents to the poll do not respond to public polls. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/12 "2018-05-02T01:16:04Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > I’m generally averse to public polls, but they do have their occasional uses. For example, we can find out who likes zombie jokes. That makes it easier to shame and ostracize those people. It is useful for awards voting (Oscars, various sports HoF’s, or even elections, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/13 "2018-05-02T01:32:28Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > How do I know if the poll is public or private? Public polls say “public” above the list of choices (unless I’m being whooshed). Example here: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853948](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853948) ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/14 "2018-05-02T02:01:01Z")
I don’t care much either way but in general I only believe that polls about polls should be banned. I would also put a tax on all people who stand in water. Notice the subtle way I slipped that one in? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/15 "2018-05-02T02:31:29Z")
I’ve seen people in other threads who say they have a blanket rule that they never vote in public polls under any circumstance. I don’t understand; what’s the point? How is voting in a public poll inherently different than posting in a thread and saying “I, too, believe a hot dog is a sandwich?” ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/16 "2018-05-02T03:13:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’ve seen people in other threads who say they have a blanket rule that they never vote in public polls under any circumstance. I don’t understand; what’s the point? How is voting in a public poll inherently different than posting in a thread and saying “I, too, believe a hot dog is a sandwich?” The point is that voting in a private poll is not like posting in a thread. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/17 "2018-05-02T03:16:04Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > It was oh so tempting to make it public. 😃 > As of this post, 6 of the 17 respondents to the poll do not respond to public polls. I’ll bet you’re _dying_ to know who. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/18 "2018-05-02T03:57:07Z")
Personally, I think the _private_ polls should be banned. Particularly for the contentious issues. It’s not like they’re scientific. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/19 "2018-05-02T04:31:53Z")
Ohh. _Public_. Never mind. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433/20 "2018-05-02T11:44:18Z")
Too much pee in public pools, so I stay out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-public-polls-be-banned/813433.md?page=2)