Anyone overwhelmed by the new Wooden Coaster Poll?

It's not bad. I've done this poll every year for a while now, and every year it gets more difficult to decide how to rank them (up to 57 woodies this year!), but filling out the poll isn't all that difficult.

How I do it:

1. Delete all the coasters I haven't been on.

2. Shuffle the remaining coasters around until it represents how I want to rank them.

3. Assign actual numbers.

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--Oat Boy
My page

It may be fairly accurate, but its complicated looks scare away potential voters. It could be that they don't have time, they think it's too complicated, or they just don't care enough to take the time. with a simple ballot vote, it's much easier to vote. He could have a much more extensive ballot than just what's your favorite coaster? (click the coaster) He could have you fill out a bubble ballot of how many you have ridden, how many on the ballot that you haven't ridden, what you rank them, etc.

He sure could make it more user friendly. I'll tell you right now that if this poll was used in Florida back in 2000, there still wouldn't be a president.

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LocoBazooka--Sevendust, Nonpoint, Stereo Vent, Mushroomhead
Korn Tour (With no name)--Korn, Puddle of Mudd, Deadsy

There's another piece to this many folks are missing. This poll has been around, what 9 or 10 years? The algorithm was developed to read and calculate data in a certain fashion. Sure a more GUI interface for the user would be "pretty", but then the "science" behind the poll would need to be recreated. Once you rebuild a poll, the methodology changes, and you lose the ability to truly compare year to year.

I find ranking the lower ranking coasters in your list to be easier done if you go from worst to first.

I mean count how many coasters you've ridden and then start with the least enjoyable and work up. :)

Chuck, who would ride his least favorite coaster at this moment without a complaint!

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Charles Nungester.
Is it about coasters or friends? I say both!

I was overwhelmed my first year doing the poll, but being the math major I am, it took about 16 hours to develop a system, then rank, then over rank, then analyze......it became easy, then.... ; )

Really, I just broke them down into 5 categories: Awesome, outstanding, Above Average, OK & Kiddie coasters. When they are in that format, it was easy to rank what I have ridden and how I feel about them. Everyone will have their own method, but after you complete it for the first time, it will become easier.

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There's nothing like a woodie...

The good thing about doing Mitch's poll is that if you save a copy of your ballot from this year, you only need to add the new woodies you rode when you do the ballot next year, and then re-rank where necessary.

To anyone complaining its "too much work": its called life...get used to it.

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Coaster & Amusement Park Christmas cards, clothing, gifts, and stocking suffers, now available here.

I didn't think this was a big deal. I found it helpful to use pen and paper. I put coasters into four categories, I didn't title the categories but they were basically: love, like, neutral, and dislike. Then I ranked them within the categories by asking myself, "which of these would I most like to build in my backyard?" After that, just rank them individually 1 through whatever. It worked for me. It also helps not to take the whole process too seriously. :)

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Santa Claus rocks my world

I tried to respond to this poll,but my lack of computer skills prevented me from doing so.I do not know how to cut and paste.It seems there is never a teenager around when you need one!

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Lets' save the Vancouver PNE Coaster before its'too late!

Ronald: To cut and paste on most computers, you just need to highlight whatever text you want to cut or copy with the mouse, then hit the right button on the mouse. A little menu should pop up with the option to "copy" or "cut". Select which one you want from the menu. Then, go to where you want to paste it. Click once with the left mouse button to put your cursor exactly where you want the text to appear, and then right click again. Choose "paste", and your text should appear. You can also cut and paste stuff by highlighting text and using the "cut" and "paste" commands under the "edit' header at the top of most Windows applications.

Hope this helps!

Bass - often acts like a teenager

*** This post was edited by BaSSiStiSt on 11/12/2002. ***

Bass says:

"You can also cut and paste stuff by highlighting text and using the "cut" and "paste" commands under the "edit' header at the top of most Windows applications."

For PC users that's CTRL-X to cut, CTRL-C to copy, and CTRL-V to paste.

Moosh - often has to witness Bass acting like a teenager ;-)

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Coaster & Amusement Park Christmas cards, clothing, gifts, and stocking stuffers, now available here.

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 11/12/2002. ***

Butthead says "Ahhh..., this is like confusing and stuff." I agree that it's not so much the directions, but the crude way it's layed out. I don't know why anybody takes the time to fill it out anyway. I really don't care what the #12 wooden coaster is. It's such a subjective thing.
I mean, their are people who actually like getting beat up by Hercules.
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Dude, you're getting an Intamin!

*** This post was edited by Intamin Fan on 11/12/2002. ***

And for Mac users, it's the same, only use the Apple key instead of CTRL.

I found the poll relatively simple. I only have 21 woodies, so it's not as hard for me as it might be for others. I think the problem is that people look at it and become visually intimidated before they even read the directions-that's what I did last year. Just try it, kids.

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http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com

Simple method:

1] figure out how you want to rank. You can rank in order [#1, #2, #3 etc] or you can assign coasters to groups [#1 = your favorites, #2 = good coasters, #3 = will ride if I get a chance, #4 = piece of crap, and so on].

2] Once you figure out how you want to rank, copy and paste just the ballot into an email and cc yourself.

3] Remove any coaster from the list you have never ridden.

4] Rank by cutting and pasting coasters into the appropriate order. Remember to change the value of each field in each line per Mitch's instructions.

5] Send

6] next year, open up saved ballot, insert new woodies ridden, resend.

How much more simpler can it be?

Moosh

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Coaster & Amusement Park Christmas cards, clothing, gifts, and stocking stuffers, now available here.

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 11/13/2002. ***