Poll: The 'mandatory' third poll option.

[Icecoldcynic]

Now this doesn't necessarily only apply to polls with 2 clear options, it actually applies to almost every poll thread made here on the escapist. I am of course talking about the 'mandatory' final poll option. It's always something ridiculous, stupid, and completely unrelated to the actual poll, and yet almost every poll includes it. Why is that? All it does is skew results, and for every person who votes for it, they unbalance the vote that SHOULD have gone to one of the ACTUAL options.

It just seems to me that it's a common and yet entirely useless practice. Anyone feel like explaining why it's done, or sharing their thoughts?

 

[BonsaiK]

People like to be funny, they think it's clever. That's the only real reason.

Sometimes it can actually be funny, but like any overused joke, it gets old quickly.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

It seems that a third option is fashioned like that so as to prevent the thread from being locked for being a "Versus Thread."

 

[Totenkopf]

How can it unbalance the vote when you can still see which "real" option has won the poll?

 

[BonsaiK]

It seems that a third option is fashioned like that so as to prevent the thread from being locked for being a "Versus Thread."

Interesting theory, however it doesn't work that way in practice, I've seen mods lock three-option vs threads often.

 

[BonsaiK]

How can it unbalance the vote when you can still see which "real" option has won the poll?

Because people who would have voted for one of the "real" options often vote for the smartass third option instead because they think it's funny or whatever. This skews the results.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

How can it unbalance the vote when you can still see which "real" option has won the poll?

Because in most cases, a person has an opinion on the matter, but then spots the 'funny' joke option, and chooses that, rather than actually voting.

 

[Cowabungaa]

It's part of The Escapist's culture. For example, on a different forum we had the habit of quoting people saying HARHAR THIS IS YOU and then post a picture about said person in relation to the topic at hand.

For example, there was one topic that derailed into a talk about ancient OS' or something, at least old computer stuff. So I quoted this one guy making a very detailed post full with difficult computer talk, saying:

HARHAR THIS IS YOU:

I won the Post of the Week with that.

And so, we on The Escapist, have our own culture, and adding a ridiculous third poll option is part of that culture.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Watermelon.

OT: I don't get why people do it, either. Perhaps to be funny, or cool, or to draw attention to themselves/their thread. As [user]BonsaiK[/user] said, it CAN be funny, but they usually aren't.

People do stupid things all the time. Why should the forums be any different?

 

[Cowabungaa]

Kind of like the people who say "You are/aren't a ninja" to me.

Then again, you're asking for it. Quite literally at that. Should've thought that nickname through son! And yes, you are a ninja.

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

It messes up the polls so bad. I don't think I've ever seen a poll where the third option wasn't winning.

 

[Totenkopf]

Because people who would have voted for one of the "real" options often vote for the smartass third option instead because they think it's funny or whatever. This skews the results.

Because in most cases, a person has an opinion on the matter, but then spots the 'funny' joke option, and chooses that, rather than actually voting.

Ah, just didn't see that in the first place, thanks.

 

[Spinozaad]

"Yes.
No.
Other."

That's why.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

It seems that a third option is fashioned like that so as to prevent the thread from being locked for being a "Versus Thread."

Interesting theory, however it doesn't work that way in practice, I've seen mods lock three-option vs threads often.

I never said it worked, but that perhaps it was fashioned with that in mind. Or the pollster tried to be a smartass. And failed.

 

[halfeclipse]

You'll notice this forum lacks a null vote option. No doubt a lot of them are there because "LAWL THUS BE FUNNY EVERYONE LOOK AT ME DUR HUR HUR HUR!" however on several other forums with out a null vote option the pointless choice is oft used as a null option, and I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case here.

 

[oppp7]

Whenever I make a poll I always feel like I need a 3rd option other than yes or no. For larger polls an other option would work. The closest to a random option I've ever made was asking what the topic was, and could have been someone's opinion.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

It's an overused joke that isn't funny and people continue to use it and think they're original when they aren't in any way. Kind of like the people who say "You are/aren't a ninja" to me.

I'm against it.

Dear God, you changed avatars. I didn't notice it until now.

Got tired of Sammy Uzumaki? I can't imagine anyone else did (not sarcasm).

 

[MrGFunk]

Everyone fucking does it, and I don't get it. I've never included an unnecessary poll option, and I don't think that anyone should. It's a very annoying practice, and it splits up the proper answers.

I don't do this either. To give someone a random joke answer means the whole poll is flawed.

 

[Mozared]

It needs to be there as a failsafe, gentle and easy way for me to troll people. 'Nuff said.