SFO Archive Forums - Iplay2win's tips for non-stupid polls (v. 1.0)

Here is an example of a stupid poll:

Quote:

Q: Who's the best band ever?
A1: Evanesence
A2: Spice Girls
A3: AC/DC
A4: Eminem
A5: Other

This poll is stupid because:
- There are far too many possible answers to the question to have in a poll. Even if you include an "other" option, the majority of voters will be voting "other". This is not a good thing.
- The 4 (not counting "other") options cannot be compared to one another, they're too different.

Here is another stupid poll:

Quote:

Q: Who's going to win the next US election?
A1: bush all the way, he rocks!
A2: Kerry because I'm a whiny liberal #####!
A3: Nader because I'm even whinier than the guy who voted for Kerry!

This poll is stupid because:
- The poll insults people who disagree with the author of the poll and biases them to agree with the author.
- In this case, there aren't too many options to have a poll, but you should still include an "other" option, because people like Uber (who is voting Libertarian) will (legitimately) complain if you force them into a box you don't want to put them into.
- The author is also assuming that everybody who votes for bush think that "He rocks". Some will just view him as the lesser of two evils, and aren't particularly excited about having very little choice other than voting for him for that reason. Either provide more options for each candidate, or don't provide any and cut off the "all the way, he rocks!"

Here is the final stupid poll:

Quote:

Q: SHULD PMSSY_ADMIN B BAN.NED 4 BEING A STOOPID MOORN?
A1: YESYESYSYESYES!!!!!!!!1111111!!!!!!!!11111one11111 1!!!!!!1111111
A2: YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!11!!!!1 11!!!!!!!!!!!!
A3: YYYEEESSS!!!111!!!111!!!111!!!111!!!111!!!111!!!11 1!!!111!!!111!
A4: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A5: DUH, YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
A6: HE SHLD GET HIS AZZ KICKD!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This poll is stupid because:
- The question suggests the answer... By calling PMSSY_ADMIN a "stoopid moorn" in the question, you're leading the voter to choose one answer over another.
- There is no "no" answer. Also, what about the people who just think they deserve a warning or two?
- Polls are not the place to be exuberant with your punctuation. Neither is anywhere else on the forum, but polls especially.
- Polls are also where you should be extra-careful with your spelling and grammar, since, while people browsing a topic you've posted in may not see a post you make, if they go into a topic with a poll, they will see the poll. Mistakes here are asking from flames from certain members (eyes Jill and Jordan)
- Generally, the staff will take responsibility for "Should we do to ____?" polls. Do not take it upon yourself to create one unless you've spoken to a staff member about it and they've told you to create one. This isn't 100% necessary, it's just common courtesy, and sometimes the staff member will agree with you and just ban them, taking a few hours off the wait.

To close, a non-stupid poll:

Quote:

Q: What's your favourite high school subject?
A1: English (or another language)
A2: Math
A3: Science
A4: Music/Art/Drama/Dance/etc.
A5: History/Civics/Current Events
A6: Phys. Ed/Outdoor Ed.
A7: Lunch
A8: Other
A9: Don't have a favourite

This poll is non-stupid because:
- Iplay2win wrote it, and, after all, Iplay2win's perfect in every way, just ask Nferno666 :) The answers don't force people into boxes... All the popular answers are up there, and just in case, there's an "other" option if you missed something, and a "I dunno" for the slackers.
- The question and responses are all short and the spelling and grammar are reasonably correct.

Hopefully everybody's learned something from this. Read pages 221-226 for homework and answer the questions, next day we're doing "editing your posts without looking like a dumbass", and this will be on the exam.