Poll: Do polls have too many options?

[Zamn]

This is something that really annoys me, people making posts with polls and then including far too many options. I find there are two main types of over-polling. I like to call them innocent over-polling and dickwad over-polling.

The innocent over-poller poses a question and then offers a poll option for every possible response he can think of. He is trying to enhance his poll but it in fact renders the poll useless because you end up with too wide a spread of results to draw any conclusions. It is not necessary to go into the finer details of why you voted or did not vote a particular way on the poll. That is what the thread is for.

The dickwad over-poller gratuitously puts too many options on his poll, because he is a dickwad. This is likely due to either an obsessive-compulsive drive to fill every single option box when creating the poll, or, more likely by the belief that random = funny, and people will laugh if they are allowed vote 'Cheese' when asked to state their opinion on the death penalty. They won't.

Bottom line: Do not put more options on your poll than absolutely necessary

 

[Srkkl]

Yes, I agree they do.

 

[Handofpwn]

I enjoy the occasional whimsical poll option.

 

[New Troll]

The more options, the more likely to get close to how I wish to answer.

 

[TheLastCylon]

I really don't care how many poll options there is. The people who seriously care about the issue being polled will obviously vote for one of the serious answers.

 

[Metric Monkey]

I'm fine with many options, but I hate those "I like fucking with data" options.

 

[Julianking93]

I agree, but I sometimes like a bunch of options.

 

[The Political Gamer]

Yes BUT TF2 class threads, 8 poll options, come one just one more.

 

[Pendragon9]

Anything with more than one choice is too much for me. HYPOCRITE!

Nah, but seriously, I don't like those kinds of polls. That's why I rely on the comments to do the talking.

 

[tibnik]

This poll needs a "sometimes" option.

I second this. I have look at alot of polls with only a couple answers, and none of them quite work for my opinion, using the "include a sometimes option" as an example, one to few.

 

[VoidProphet]

This poll needs a "sometimes" option.

I second this. I have look at alot of polls with only a couple answers, and none of them quite work for my opinion, using the "include a sometimes option" as an example, one to few.

Ironically, this.

 

[lava_lamp]

this poll needs more options....

 

[Kinguendo]

Ooooookay, kinda angry about something kinda small here... also, where is the "some do whereas others don't" option? It isnt really fair to bungle them all together.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Polls are an arbitrary addition to threads commonly, undermining the premise and discussion of threads, or being the central focus and heavily constraining the conversation.

 

[Crimsane]

You know you have too many polls when there are polls about polls.

 

[m_jim]

I believe that polls have too many options, and we need to stop that because the internet is serious business.

(I actually clicked on this because I thought that there would be 17 options in this poll)

 

[sky14kemea]

more likely by the belief that random = funny, and people will laugh if they are allowed vote 'Cheese' when asked to state their opinion on the death penalty. They won't.

i have the worst feeling you mean me.... because i had a poll with the option "Mmmm cheese..."?

to be fair, my poll was for UK escapists only, so i added an option for anyone else to use if the thread didnt involve them

your taking this waaay too seriously, if its a serious thread then sure, i agree that adding extra options is silly, but if its just for fun then why not?

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

I think the worst thing is when people ask pose a question "Which is better A or B?" and then provide you with the option "both" does this not defeat the purpose of the pole?

 

[c0rtha]

not another useles thread about polls

 

[Disaster Button]

This poll needs more options.

What about depends? or sometimes? I think you need to go away and tihnk about this.