# Testing public poll option **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 7, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014 "2014-11-07T20:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [November 7, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/1 "2014-11-07T20:55:06Z")
Where does it state public? 'Cause I missed that on the last poll I voted on. ETA: Yeah, it’s there if you look for it, but… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/2 "2014-11-07T21:08:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Where does it state public? 'Cause I missed that on the last poll I voted on. > > ETA: Yeah, it’s there if you look for it, but… “If you look for it?” It’s directly above the poll options, for Athena’s sake! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/3 "2014-11-07T22:19:55Z")
Wait. First off, I didn’t know what you were talking about. So there’s that anecdotal datum. I then went to “see poll results” (or whatever), and I saw the usernames of those who voted for each choice. Whoa, so that’s what a public poll is… I never even knew that was possible (maybe it’ s’more popular in other forums), and for sure I say, hell yes, the alert is not prominent OR ClEAR enough – “public vote” means nothing, so I rocked the vote and punched in my ticket. Now I only see results in aggregate. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/4 "2014-11-08T00:53:31Z")
I wasn’t sure what to vote for, since both options are questions…but I’ve never created a poll, which means I haven’t seen the option in question. Also, spaghetti. Because. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/5 "2014-11-08T01:02:41Z")
I voted for “D- Eggplant parmesan.” But I didn’t want the public to see what I voted for. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/6 "2014-11-08T02:12:41Z")
Can’t both options be true? ---
**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:** [November 8, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/7 "2014-11-08T02:34:52Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Can’t both options be true? 😕 How can easily see it, and easily miss it both be true? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/8 "2014-11-08T02:35:36Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I voted for “D- Eggplant parmesan.” > > But I didn’t want the public to see what I voted for. Good thing you know how to keep a secret! ---
**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:** [November 8, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/9 "2014-11-08T02:58:46Z")
Public polls should bore a great red label warning lark’s vomit! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/10 "2014-11-09T03:33:57Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 😕 > How can easily see it, and easily miss it both be true? Because there are bound to be some who go: “:smack: It was right in front of me!” ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/11 "2014-11-10T16:06:59Z")
The choices were difficult, confusing, and frightening. I panicked. Choosing the path least chosen, I hope to remain unnoticed. * * * In all seriousness, no, I have never failed to noticed that a poll was public before voting in it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/12 "2014-11-10T16:41:49Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Public polls should bore a great red label warning lark’s vomit! [pedantic jackass] “Bear.” [/pedantic jackass] There is a warning label, right in front of you when you’re about to vote. And since people frequently vote in polls (especially when it’s a simple question) without reading the OP, I don’t see much of a point in putting the warning there. And, as I mentioned in the thread you’re bitching about, it’s possible to forget to add the poll option when writing the OP and to have to come back later to add it; that’s more or less what happened in the thread you’re bitching about. One thing always puzzles me. While I agree that private polls are best for some subjects – anything of a sexual nature, and many things asking for real-life information – it seems queer when people complain about a poll being public, while at the same time answering the poll question in their thread response. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/13 "2014-11-10T20:32:57Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I voted for “D- Eggplant parmesan.” > > But I didn’t want the public to see what I voted for. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > … > One thing always puzzles me. While I agree that private polls are best for some subjects – anything of a sexual nature, and many things asking for real-life information – it seems queer when people complain about a poll being public, while at the same time answering the poll question in their thread response. What’s up with that? You calling **Happy Lendervedder** queer? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/14 "2014-11-10T20:37:56Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > You calling **Happy Lendervedder** queer? I explained my reason for the use of the word in the Reason for Edit field. But you know that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/15 "2014-11-11T03:10:48Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > One thing always puzzles me. While I agree that private polls are best for some subjects – anything of a sexual nature, and many things asking for real-life information – it seems queer when people complain about a poll being public, while at the same time answering the poll question in their thread response. What’s up with that? This question recurs sporadically. And as I’ve answered before, for me it’s because if I accidentally answer incorrectly or change my mind and opinion later on, I’m locked forever into that choice. No one’s going to look through the thread posts just to see if by chance there was one by me explaining why my choice was not valid after all. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/16 "2014-11-11T11:06:07Z")
I may not see it right away, but if it’s anything I might feel bad about posting about in public, I always check to make sure it’s not there. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/17 "2014-11-11T17:58:11Z")
I’ve never failed to see it. I will add, though, that if you’re logged out when you first open the poll thread, it doesn’t tell you it’s a public poll. It just says you can’t vote on it. After you log in, which of course you have to do to be able to vote, it’s right there. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/18 "2014-11-14T19:14:50Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > One thing always puzzles me. While I agree that private polls are best for some subjects – anything of a sexual nature, and many things asking for real-life information – it seems queer when people complain about a poll being public, while at the same time answering the poll question in their thread response. What’s up with that? Actually, that’s exactly what’s weird with _public_ polls. Why should a poll be public, when anyone who wants to talk about their vote can easily do so in the thread itself? With a private poll, voters can decide for themselves whether or not to reveal their vote. Of course, my behavior likely deviates from the norm. I almost never vote in public polls, regardless of topic. I’ll vote in a private poll if the topic is not sensitive. And I never vote in polls about sensitive issues, simply because the board is recording my vote and linking it to my user account, even if no one other than the admin can see it. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/19 "2014-11-16T02:06:55Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > … simply because the board is recording my vote and linking it to my user account, even if no one other than the admin can see it. I thought even Admins could not see it? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014/20 "2014-11-17T04:16:16Z")
Moderators (and, by extension, Administrators as well) can edit polls. (Though we prefer not to get involved; if your poll needs editing we may just close it and tell you to start another). One of the edit functions is turning a poll from private to public (or vice versa). So I would think if we could edit we could also read a private poll. (During the time it was public so could everybody else.) But we do prefer not to be overly involved in this function. I think you are confusing polls with the Private Messaging function. Neither moderators nor administrators can read the text in private messages not sent directly to us. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-public-poll-option/704014.md?page=2)