Poll suggestion

**embellisher** · #1 09-03-2002, 04:02 PM

Paul,

Based on an idea in this thread, I wonder if it would be possible to have the date and time of the last post in a poll thread to reflect the actual date and time of the last post, instead of it showing the date and time that the thread was bounced back to the top by somebody voting in the poll.

Several times recently, we have had new users go through Miscellaneous, Basses, and Off Topic and vote a bunch of polls back to the top of the Forum. This is annoying to members, as has been voiced by Bruce Lindfield numerous times.

It is also very annoying and time comsuming when Moderating a Forum. A few days ago, I had spent an hour going through Miscellaneous and reading all of the new posts, and then spent about an hour reading other Forums. I marked everything read and then went back to Miscellaneous, and there were 16 threads showing to have new messages. They were all polls that somebody had voted back to the top, and I didn't realize it until I had clicked several of them.

Anyway, is this possible?

**paul** · #2 09-03-2002, 06:26 PM

I'd be a bit difficult to find the "bug" in the forum code that's responsible for the "last post" date reflecting the "last vote" instead... It would, however, be very easy to change the poll system so that a new vote has no effect on the threads' "last updated" status (a vote would not bump a thread to the top of the threadlist, only a new post would).

The downside is that a poll that receives a lot of activity (voting) and no posts gets buried. I could go either way on this - thoughts?

Bruce Lindfield · #3 09-06-2002, 10:00 AM

Well, I think as has been mentioned my opinion is well-known! Just to say that is has been very annoying today with polls. So you start a sort of conversation with somebody in the body of the thread and feel obliged to keep up with it - come back to people who reply to you, for example.

But then you see the thread marked as "unread" with the icon in the new posts since last - open it read through - and then find there are no more replies - just that somebody must have voted again!

I think this is the major irritation with polls and it would be quite easy to ignore them (if you weren't interested in the poll outcome), if they didn't keep bouncing to the top every time someone votes.

As it takes very little thought or effort to tick a box, the polls tend to dominate the new threads lists out of proportion, as they will always come up to the top more often than an involved thread where people have to actually think about what they are saying and take time to write stuff.

I believe that we should be encouraging the more thoughtful approach and not the tick a box/list mentality, which gets very boring when you have seen more or less the same thing five times in a few months!

I mean is this TalkBass or ListBass, PollBass or whatever - I come here for a conversation, not to just tick a box!

Bruce Lindfield · #4 09-08-2002, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AcousticBass
So, maybe you could answer Paul's question instead of throwing your opinion around,

Well we were aked for opinions - only allowed if they agree with yours??!

Secondly, if you had bothered to read my post instead of just reacting angrily, you would have seen that this was my answer to Paul :

"As it takes very little thought or effort to tick a box, the polls tend to dominate the new threads lists out of proportion, as they will always come up to the top more often than an involved thread where people have to actually think about what they are saying and take time to write stuff.

I believe that we should be encouraging the more thoughtful approach and not the tick a box/list mentality"

ChaosGwar · #5 09-21-2002, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by paul
to change the poll system so that a new vote has no effect on the threads' "last updated" status (a vote would not bump a thread to the top of the threadlist, only a new post would).

I like the idea. As I peruse the thread titles, I also check the most recent activity. I see something new in a thread I've been following, I'll click on it. a lot of times it has had no new activity, other than the poll, which 9 times out of 10 I couldn't care less about.

Quote:

The downside is that a poll that receives a lot of activity (voting) and no posts gets buried. I could go either way on this - thoughts?

I don't know about everyone else, but I typically post after I vote, explaining why I voted the eway I did. It seems like a lot of us do that. I don't really see a lot of threads getting burried because no one is posting, but people are still voting. I'd think if it is a really intriguing topic that it will draw in posts, as well as votes.

My .02

Bruce Lindfield · #6 09-23-2002, 02:52 AM

Oooeer.... another well-considered reply - when is acoustic bass going to come back and say - you can only say Yes or No!!

You're making it too "complicated" !

**embellisher** · #7 09-23-2002, 01:00 PM

Paul, I just had another idea.

Is it possible to have a poll be bumped up by posts or new votes, for say, the first 10 days, but after that it can only be bumped up by new posts?

That may be too difficult or even impossible programming wise, but I am unsure what options the forum software has.

cassanova · #8 09-26-2002, 08:17 AM

what i do with polls in the forums, is close the poll part of it when its a a month old or older. This keeps it from being bumped back to the top just because some kid wants to just vote in it and not post. Or the mods can put an experation date on the poll if they so choose. I usually do one of the two.

**paul** · #9 09-26-2002, 11:12 AM

You know, I completely forgot about those features, Cassanova - thanks for reminding me! So, mods, what do you think? Would you be willing to place expiration dates on polls as you see fit? To try it out just open the poll and click the "edit poll" link right under the poll. From there you can set a time-out date (based on # of days since the threads inception date) or instantly close the poll portion of the thread (leaving the thread open for posting).

I think this could be a good comprimise...

Bruce Lindfield · #10 09-27-2002, 02:13 AM

Sounds like a very good idea - but maybe the "sillier" the poll, the shorter should be the deadline?

Brooks · #11 09-27-2002, 02:40 AM

or maybe all the polls could be kept in their own forum... a Polls Forum? That way, if you are not interested in polls...don't go there.

cassanova · #12 10-31-2002, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
Sounds like a very good idea - but maybe the "sillier" the poll, the shorter should be the deadline?

I dont have a problem with that.

spectorman · #13 12-15-2002, 06:01 AM

Top idea Brooks.