Polls...

I know CB and PB don't particularly like top 10 (insert anything here) polls because people don't tend to read other people's responses. But I was wondering if adding a polling feature to the site would be a good idea. I've participated in other forums that allow it (it was a RENT the Musical forum) where the poster can have the community vote on a certain topic. It wouldn't quite be a top 10 list unless the OP gave the responses for the community to vote on. But I think it would help in the case of someone asking, "Should I go to Kings Island or Cedar Point?" No actual response would be needed other than clicking on your choice.

That's a feature of certain forums (vBulletin and phpBB, among others). I've thought about it on occasion. I dunno, I won't deny that they're interesting some of the time, but I'm not sure how much discussion value they add.

Make a better pitch. :)

Maybe ration users ability to post polls? Limit a user to be able to only post a poll every X posts that have received at least one vote up?

Maybe you should do a poll to see if people want polls, Jeff?

I think having polls on this site woud be a good idea. That way, we could build up a favorite coaster count, without actually have to have a debate about it. Just point and click. You could also include a comment box with a poll, so people can add things that are not on the list.

I currently have a poll going on another website, on the subject of Michigan's Adventure serving beer, and the replies are a bout 60/40 leaning against it being a bad idea. Though those who are in favor of it, have drank beer at other parks and don't see a problem, while another lives near a park that serves beer, and says it is a problem. More so with people getting drunk and fighting, and not so much accidents.

But, the site I have my poll on is not a coaster enthusiast site. I have 44 polls there. But, will not comment on the site, as it is for a target audience that people here would not be interested in. And, it has a lot more members than coasterbuzz.

I wasn't really that interested in your opinion, to be honest, especially since you had to work in the beer nonsense.

It would be much more interesting than a vs topic, for example, and yet would feed people's desire for such topics. The whole reason certain topics are not allowed here is because they don't contribute to valuable conversation, but sometime I would like to know how people feel about those things.

It might be cool to work in a poll feature to CoasterBuzz.

Jeff said:

Make a better pitch. :)

Timber-Rider said...well, anything.

If no one responded at all, it would have been a better pitch.

I get my poll fun from CoasterForce. One of their sections is Polls and Opinions. Arguing about coasters is just as fun as arguing about sports except that there is no talk shows about it.

I started a topic about your top 3 Cedar Point coasters. Looks like Millennium has a 3% lead.

http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=36124

That's actually the perfect illustration of why I would hate to see a polling feature added to CoasterBuzz. :-)

I represent just one person's opinion, obviously, but I don't think debating the best coasters is at all interesting. And I have to wonder, if these already exist in other coaster outlets on the internet, why do we need them here? Our niche is different and always has been.

If you ask me, I think some of the contention we've had on the site lately has stemmed from folks coming here from other places and expecting CBuzz to be just like what they experience elsewhere. Why should it be?

I think it's ok to go to those other places for the things you enjoy there and come here for the things CBuzz offers...which traditionally has been a slightly more business and news-centric perspective of the industry.

But whatever... Storm Runner RULZ!!!!11!!! ;-)

SkyRush is better. ;)

Honestly, I enjoy a good debate as much as the next person, but when I observe the conversations here, I feel like the overall quality would go into a nose-dive if we started hashing out what's better. It's like arguing over which sports team is better. You aren't going to convince a diehard Eagles fan that the Cowboys are better or vice-versa, and there's no entertainment value in watching that kind of debate.

Quick aside, but I find it amusing that some people consider a love of coasters to be nerdy, but somehow knowing all the stats of a sports team and every player on it isn't. Honestly, I can't sit through an episode of SportsCenter without wanting to bang my head against a wall.

I'm one of those stats guys: With roller coasters, and with sports.

I rarely ever look at the results on a forum poll and just scroll down to read the discussion that follows. And that rarely ever offers anything that interesting.

I agree. I think our niche here has always been one of the "casual" enthusiast, or at the very least, enthusiast who sees that there are other things in life. I think that's why we are able to have some decent sidebars on business, religion and politics from time to time. I'm ok with that.

I could see it working and not devolving is if it was strictly polls. Like, you couldn't comment on stuff, only vote and see results.

It may have the added benefit of clearing the main discussion boards of these types of topics, as well.

That being said, I'm fine without it.

I'm not really interested in polls themselves, but as stated, I do think there is some good information to be gleaned. Mostly that comes about in the discussions though...for instance, looping coasters that have "breaks" in the inversion-assault may be viewed more favorably than those that are non-stop inversion after inversion (maybe we'll know more after Smiler reviews start coming in)...

By no means do I look to stifle conversation or discussion. I also don't want CoasterBuzz or PointBuzz to look like other forums. But polls do come in handy when people want to ask a specific question of the community and not go through every post with a manual tally of what people think. In the 13 years I've been posting here, I've seen many questions that aren't just self satisfying posts of best coasters, but actual inquiries about what folks think. Maybe a decision of which park to go to if given the choice of only one. or even...what do you prefer, positive or negative G's. Instead of going post by post, you could just have the poll. Maybe disable comments all together (otherwise the person can start a discussion).

Given that, you will run into the road block of folks saying, what's your favorite coaster out of this list. In a forum I used to post on, those kinds of polls were banned because those questions were asked entirely too much.

So the question is, will adding polls will help more than hurt. I think it would help when folks want the community's feedback. But I would make it a separate topic and now allow comments to be made.

I think voting up is the poll system. If you agree with someone's argument, vote that way.

In terms of "Best coasters" without comments, doesn't the CBuzz 100 fit that niche already? And of all the topics to poll about, that seems to be the most relevant.