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[on:]

About every day someone posts a poll (usually with meaningless answers like 1/1 or ?/?) when clearly they intend to start a new topic.

Possibly apart from this current thread, I don't think I have seen polls put to good use.

Having "new topic" and "post new poll" side-by-side just seems to confuse people. Remember not everyone here has English as a first language, and "post new poll" may appear to them to be "post new question".

Also when you click "Post new poll" the page then starts:

Arduino Forum :: Community :: Website and Forum :: Start new topic

... which is identical to what you see when you click "New Topic".

I suggest the "poll" feature be disabled, at least if possible in sections like "Programming Questions". That is hardly the place for a poll.

[Reply #1 on:]

Yes, I haven't seen a reasonable one yet (except this one of course ).

_____
Rob

[Reply #2 on:]

I'm a big opponent of useless polls. I think the solution is to keep the poll option, but change how it is accessed. The post new poll button should be removed. Then, under Additional Options (hidden by default, at least for me), add an option to make the post a poll.

Unless there was a real need for a poll, and I don't think this one qualifies, the poster wouldn't make a post a poll.

Even this post is designed, as I read it, to generate a dialog, not simply let people vote mindlessly.

[Reply #3 on:]

If we get rid of polls, then in the future someone thinks we should reinstate them, how will we decide? 

[Reply #4 on:]

"We" decide didly squat. There probably is only one person who can do this, and he will listen carefully to the advice of the owners of the Forum (the ones paying for the hardware)

Still, everyone is entitled to an opinion. Which is what polls are good for.

Although there possibly already are "too many" topic areas, I think one dedicated to polls might be usefull. Otherwise I like the idea of limiting it to - say - the topicareas in Community. The last one would be as PaulS suggested - "hiding" it under Additional Options. Totally removing them is not a good idea.

My $0.02s worth

[Reply #5 on:]

LOL. Someone has changed my answers from "Yes" and "No". A moderator perhaps?

Meanwhile we keep getting useless "polls" being started.

It would be nice if the administrators of the forum took a little bit of notice, and at least responded to what seems a reasonable request.

[Reply #6 on:]

your poll now shows
- Yes
- Absolutely
as the only choices

I've seen an entire topic disappear without rhyme or reason
are we subject to a hack attack?

[Reply #7 on:]

It would be nice if the administrators of the forum took a little bit of notice, and at least responded to what seems a reasonable request.

The moderators do their best, but don't have the powers to change that aspect of the forum, though they can change the options and votes in polls   

Your requests need to be directed to those higher up the food chain.

[Reply #8 on:]

Maybe it is just the particular sub-forums I frequent... about 6... but I can't remember EVER having been annoyed by coming across something that wasted my time.

While they don't get much use... I don't think they get much ABuse, either. I have once or twice started a poll, and was grateful for the chance to do so.

Maybe "the way forward" is to make it harder for someone to start a poll when, presumably, they are trying to start a topic? Then the (maybe sometimes useful) "baby" won't be "thrown out with the bathwater"?

If there is NO way to start a poll, then there is no chance of people beginning to use them well.

The lack of response to the poll associated with this thread makes me think that perhaps the issue doesn't vex many people.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Reply #9 on:]

The moderators do their best, but don't have the powers to change that aspect of the forum, though they can change the options and votes in polls   

I wasn't referring to you, AWOL, or the other moderators. They seem to post frequently and respond rapidly.

[Reply #10 on:]

It seems to me that if polls were disabled unless your post count was above 1, this issue would be addressed.

[Reply #11 on:]

Sadly not.
Why, only yesterday I had to deal with such a case.

[Reply #12 on:]

It seems to me that if polls were disabled unless your post count was above 1, this issue would be addressed.

How about 100?