Great Western Coffee Shop

A poll to ask whether you have run polls here on the Coffee Shop.  Of course, I could look through the logs and find out who has done so, but I want to ask the rest of you why there are so few, and to share with you my personal thoughts which I have just listed down into some sort of order.   The outcome of the poll may help the team here unlock some doors if indeed it turns out that people want to post polls but have been put off for some reason.

Polls on the Great Western Coffee Shop - my personal checklist

Before you start
1. Be very clear on the question
2. Avoid a loaded question
3. Make sure the thread topic fits well with the question

Setting up the poll
4. Make sure that the answers offered fit the question
5. Make sure you provide all the answers people might want to give and in logical order
6. If you are asking for one vote, make sure that potential answers do not overlap
7. Do you need a "none of the above" or "other" option?
8. How many votes do you need to allow people?
9. When is the closing date?

Background information
10. How are you motivating people to answer
11. Tell people WHY you are doing the survey
12. Explain the background to the poll and give people links they can read up on

Launch and early participation
13. Do not tell people what you want/expect/hope for as an outcome
14. Do not tell people how you yourself will vote at the start
15. Invite people to vote

During the poll
16. Follow up during the period the poll is open (not revealing the outcome so far!)
17. Never (well - hardly ever) reset counter or change options while the poll is open
18. Don't close the poll early, nor extend its running time

After the poll is over
19. Summarise promptly when the poll is closed
20. Thank people for voting and their inputs
21. Come back at a later date and say what you have done with the data

All just personal thoughts. 

Please feel free to ask questions / for detail on any of the above - I am happy to write them up but really it's a common sense check list (at least it's all common sense once pointed out!)

Please take a look and feel free with this poll to comment / judge me against my own guidelines  ;D ;D and I know that someone will add "keep it positive" which all those "no because" options fail to do!

Why are there up to 10 votes available for 12 choices? :o

Because you could want to vote "No" for all of the no reasons ... a pretty horrendous response, but I don't want to apply an artificial limit, while avoiding someone choosing all 12 options!

And a corollary (write in question) please - for those who do have experience with running a poll here - please follow up with experiences / comments and a note of what you might like to see in the future.

For those who do not have experience of running a poll here and have not yet voted, please do so.  Whilst that's a bit of a negative vote, it will really help inform us as we move forward in the Spring.   Poll at http://www.passenger.chat/24811 .

Thanks to all who have voted so far - you are starting to help form a picture for us!

I don't think I have... I don't think anything's entered my mind to ask members, but that doesn't mean it never will..!

According to your general stats you have started one.  ;)

I've voted "No, for some other reason". My other reason is that I've not so far, but might in future, had anything to ask that would seem to me to be best answered in this way. I hope the difference between this and "No, because I have nothing useful to ask" is clear.

I'd add that I also had to actually check my stats to confirm that I never have started one.

http://www.passenger.chat/15338  ;D

...very much on grahame's suggestion  ;D

So I did. Goodness me.

Your last opportunity today to answer our "Poll of polls" - closes just before 6 p.m.and remember the clocks have gone forward. Some interesting lessons to be read into early returns and I'll summarise tomorrow

Here the poll results - "Have you posted a poll here?"

Yes, I have and would again - 8 (22.2%)
Yes, I have but I won't again (please post why) - 0 (0%)
No, because I have nothing useful to ask - 16 (44.4%)
No, because I didn't know I could - 1 (2.8%)
No, because I'm not familiar with how to do it - 4 (11.1%)
No, because it's not flexible enough - 0 (0%)
No, because it doesn't reach the audience I want - 0 (0%)
No, because I don't have the time to manage a poll - 1 (2.8%)
No, because it's not in my character to start something like that - 4 (11.1%)
No, because my employer lets me contribute but not start things - 0 (0%)
No, because I fear showing up a lack on knowledge - 0 (0%)
No, for some other reason the poll setter hasn't thought of! (tell me why!) - 2 (5.6%)

I was wondering as I wrote and set this poll whether there was something we could or should do to remove any roadblock (or are those railblocks) that are stopping people post polls.  At the same time, to go through my checklist to help others and to clarify one or two things for myself.   So - summary time.

27 different people voted - multiple votes allowed; total votes 36.

Now ... 8 said "I have" and 16 "I have nothing useful ask" - which leaves by my calculation just 3 saying only "no" for another reason.  "I'm not familiar with how to do it" suggests we could help be providing a bit more documentation for four people - but at least one has another "nothing useful to ask" as a reason so that would be documentation for a pretty niche group of no more than 3.   I will write documention if anyone asks happily, but no point in just writing for the sake of it.

I am gobsmacked that no-one voted "No, because it's not flexible enough".  Had there been an option "Yes - but I would do the occasional extra if it was more flexible" I would have personally voted for it; I have been doing some playing with LimeSurvey - which turns out to be as feature-rich as the forum software.  In view of the zero vote in that area, I will continue to experiment but - now - only for my own use and that of others who ask (and would be welcome) rather than as a general facility.

I would like to enourage members who think they have nothing useful to ask to think if that is really the case or, perhaps, the do have the occasional thing they wonder. But at the same time, yes, thank them for using their discression.

And finally, thank you everyone for contributing to this thread.  Happy polling, and happy posting.