"Ban "best" questions in polls?" Topic

Should there be a ban on using the word "best" in poll questions.

1) Yes
2) No.
3) No – but the word best should only be allowed in a poll question if the proposer explains exactly what they mean and answers the question "best at what?"
4) No, but the editor should replace the words "the best" with "your favourite" before running the poll if that makes more sense.

5) 6) 7) …… all the usual stuff.

Yes

No – if I can't ask "Who makes the best figures for the war of jenkins ear" then I'll probbaly ask "who's figures are the most superb for the war of jenkins ear".

If there's a ban then there's a punishment (DH ?) required for the breach, and if all nuances of "good/best/excellent" have to be monitored it's going to be hopeless.

INHO.

Agreed with 20th Maine – in fact we will end up with 'Poll- in your humble opinion which Bavarian kettle-drummer for the War of Jenkin's ear is qualitatively superior to the others?' And that way lies madness. (Or was it that way?)

While I know questions like Which is the best WWII 15mm Wargame? can have an unfortunate effect on some people here, surely self-control is one of the things that separates the Higher orders from the Lower.

Practise Self-Control and all will be well.

Pat

No. How do you ban a word other than a swear word? Bill has enough to do already.

Bill, Bill, he said 'Other'. Dawghouse him!

TMP link

Pat

20thMaine wrote:

"Who makes the best figures for the war of jenkins ear"

Needs application of 3) above. What do you mean by "best"?

What scale? Metal? Plastic (hard or soft)? Heroic or more realistic proportions?

I don't really want to ban the word anyway. I just want people to word their poll questions more carefully.

I don't really want to ban the word anyway. I just want people to word their poll questions more carefully.

Space is limited in thread titles – what would you suggest as an alternative?

Pat

I liked a TMP post a while back along these lines where people were trying to define best.
The OP stated something like this (the exact wording escapes me)

The best means something that is best at what it does.

I did not know where to start on my reply, so I didn't.
Or did I?

I dunnoooo, but it made me sigh and chuckle both at once.
chigh maybe, not suckle..

Anyway, this is the best poll suggestion yet.

Elven Safety wrote:

Space is limited in thread titles – what would you suggest as an alternative?

I prefer 3 & 4 above.

Let people use best in poll proposals but require them to explain what exactly they mean by the word. Best at what?

Or they could use the word favourite if it's more appropriate.

As has been repeatedly demonstrated here on TMP questions like "What was the best tank of WWII?" or "who was the best general in the War of Jenkin's Ear?" are really, really, dumb. Everyone just starts talking at cross purposes using their own definition of best.

"What is your favourite WWII tank?" is much more sensible.

Angel Barracks wrote:

Anyway, this is the best poll suggestion yet.

Bestest!

I'm another liker of 3 and/or 4.

x42

"Best" is just too subjective.

Option 4 sounds like a good idea.

Not much work going on in the UK this afternoon is there?

No… This poll is the better of the bestest, Derek H!

Betterest?

Best.

I mean, no.

Should I start a pole on the best punishment to be handed out to control freaks weho haven't got the willpower not to click on a thread with the word best in it?

No. "Best" means what I want it to mean, not what YOU want it to mean.

If you want a Poll with "Best Slobbovian Karabiniers zu Pfuss" defined, then start that Poll yourself.
In the meantime, I will happily construe it any way I darn well please.

Harrumph on all control freaks.
HARRUMPH!

I like pi. It is the best. Pie is good too.

Time to get a life. Maybe it will be better.