I love LT polls as a quick way of sharing opinions and as a voice for the more silent forum majority
However, a few poll questions were tricky to interpret (double negations, etc.) and several had a narrow range of options or didn't including my favorite one: I don't care! (or "I don't have an opinion." to avoid a loaded or leading response option ).
So, can or should we improve on polling practices and what would be a good poll design?
For this poll, I picked Survey Design Best Practices from SurveyMonkey and expanded on them a bit.
Poll away!
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:38 am
#3
Re: Better LT Polls?
Including a "I don't care" option is pointless since it doesn't matter. All the people who are not interested in PC games, or don't own a PC would choose that option if they had a PC. So, if you think about it, "I don't care" should always be the majority regardless of the question.lobosan wrote:I love LT polls as a quick way of sharing opinions and as a voice for the more silent forum majority
However, a few poll questions were tricky to interpret (double negations, etc.) and several had a narrow range of options or didn't including my favorite one: I don't care! (or "I don't have an opinion." to avoid a loaded or leading response option ).
So, can or should we improve on polling practices and what would be a good poll design?
For this poll, I picked Survey Design Best Practices from SurveyMonkey and expanded on them a bit.
Poll away!
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:02 am
#4
Re: Better LT Polls?
Actually, I've just been thinking about it and I think an "I don't care" can have value in a poll; in the case that relatively few votes are cast on other options, it would help distinguish between the case of few people having actually seen the poll in the first place in order to vote (in which case the majority might have a very strong opinion on the matter but just not seen the poll to vote), and the case in which the majority really just don't care that much either way.BFett wrote:Including a "I don't care" option is pointless since it doesn't matter. All the people who are not interested in PC games, or don't own a PC would choose that option if they had a PC. So, if you think about it, "I don't care" should always be the majority regardless of the question.
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 1:59 pm
#7
Re: Better LT Polls?
This is exactly why having an "I don't care" choice in a poll is useful, and it's exactly why politicians don't want one. If apathy counted as a vote, nobody would ever be elected.ThymineC wrote: Actually, I've just been thinking about it and I think an "I don't care" can have value in a poll; in the case that relatively few votes are cast on other options, it would help distinguish between the case of few people having actually seen the poll in the first place in order to vote (in which case the majority might have a very strong opinion on the matter but just not seen the poll to vote), and the case in which the majority really just don't care that much either way.
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:43 pm
#8
Re: Better LT Polls?
Well, they could still go by plurality if not majority, but yeah.Grumblesaur wrote:This is exactly why having an "I don't care" choice in a poll is useful, and it's exactly why politicians don't want one. If apathy counted as a vote, nobody would ever be elected.ThymineC wrote: Actually, I've just been thinking about it and I think an "I don't care" can have value in a poll; in the case that relatively few votes are cast on other options, it would help distinguish between the case of few people having actually seen the poll in the first place in order to vote (in which case the majority might have a very strong opinion on the matter but just not seen the poll to vote), and the case in which the majority really just don't care that much either way.
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:50 pm
#9
Re: Better LT Polls?
"None of the above" is a valid option in any decent poll.
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:24 pm
#10
Re: Better LT Polls?
To me it's a bit of a paradox. If you don't care then why are you voting in the first place? Because voting means that you care.
Post
Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:32 pm
#11
I don't care means "I don't care about the poll being discussed." which is useful information and is sharing your opinion. It doesn't mean you don't care about your opinion.
Re: Better LT Polls?
Because knowing someone doesn't care is important. Otherwise you don't know if someone doesn't think the poll matters to them, or if they weren't aware of the poll.BFett wrote:To me it's a bit of a paradox. If you don't care then why are you voting in the first place? Because voting means that you care.
I don't care means "I don't care about the poll being discussed." which is useful information and is sharing your opinion. It doesn't mean you don't care about your opinion.
woops, my bad, everything & anything actually means specific and conformed
Post
Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:47 pm
#12
Anyways, I'll probably stop leaving replays to this topic since it's quickly becoming pointless.
Re: Better LT Polls?
Why would anyone vote "I don't care" on a poll that they don't care about? It doesn't make any sense!Katawa wrote:Because knowing someone doesn't care is important. Otherwise you don't know if someone doesn't think the poll matters to them, or if they weren't aware of the poll.BFett wrote:To me it's a bit of a paradox. If you don't care then why are you voting in the first place? Because voting means that you care.
I don't care means "I don't care about the poll being discussed." which is useful information and is sharing your opinion. It doesn't mean you don't care about your opinion.
Anyways, I'll probably stop leaving replays to this topic since it's quickly becoming pointless.
Post
Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:39 pm
#13
Re: Better LT Polls?
It makes perfect sense. Katawa explains it well enough. They can not care about the topic itself, but care about expressing their apathy. It's like trying to convey the idea, "Why is this really important? We should probably focus on more pressing matters than this."BFett wrote:Why would anyone vote "I don't care" on a poll that they don't care about? It doesn't make any sense!Katawa wrote:Because knowing someone doesn't care is important. Otherwise you don't know if someone doesn't think the poll matters to them, or if they weren't aware of the poll.BFett wrote:To me it's a bit of a paradox. If you don't care then why are you voting in the first place? Because voting means that you care.
I don't care means "I don't care about the poll being discussed." which is useful information and is sharing your opinion. It doesn't mean you don't care about your opinion.