"TMP & 'Inflammatory Polls'" Topic

This is part two of the input from one of our concerned readers.

He objects to certain 'negative polls, saying "…such polls are simply inflammatory and lead to nothing but nastiness and divisiveness. It's my opinion that a site such as yours should be actively promoting a positive and welcoming image of wargaming. If some of your readers are stupid enough and obnoxious enough to suggest such polls, you have the discretion to ignore such crass requests and refuse to run with such a poll."

Currently, nearly all poll suggestions go through a period of community input before they are run as polls. Do you feel that polls should be scrutinized, either through the current process or by the moderators, to eliminate negative polls? Which polls would you define as 'too negative'?

This subject of "negative" threads comes up every now again on other websites I visit. I read what I thought was a pretty good response, which is simply don't click on any thread you are not interested in. If there is some poll which you simply don't like, than don't participate in it. Best thing you can do is just ignore what you don't like. Simple.

Don't "like" the polls, then don't join in.

The person wants harmony on the site but calls some readers/members "stupid" & "obnoxious"….curious.

Harmony is best expressed by calling people names!

Polls are fine. Sometimes I shake my head at them, but some I participate in.

"The person wants harmony on the site but calls some readers/members "stupid" & "obnoxious"….curious."

Actually fairly typical, Zulupaul. When someone calls for the censoring of others, he never intends to silence himself: he means that other people shouldn't be allowed to reply.

I cannot think of any polls I would characterize as "inflammatory," so I would leave the current process in place.

Rick

Years back there was a pole or two that appeared to be poking fun at one of the members. The target member didn't take it as humorous and a brief uproar took place. Since the dust settled on this, I haven't noticed any pole that singled out an individual in a negative way.

Poles about "worst" or "most detested" are usually tongue in cheek but when they focus on someone's hard work they can be very negative and hurtful. A game designer prominent in the 90s just quit publishing games because he got fed up with the amount of vitriolic feed back.

Posts such as brand X "stinks!!!" followed by "no, I haven't actually read or played the game but someone told me that they STINK!!!" could use some self restraint or self censorship.

A little common sense and common courtesy goes a long way especially in traffic and on a public forum.

The concerned reader should pull the stick out of his arse. He'll feel a lot better.

I do not recall seeing any Polls that I thought were inflammatory. There are some that seem to be off way topic as far as miniature gamming. Such as:
"Most annoying National TV Ad"

But for the most part I find the polls very interesting.

Big Red, be nice to the Poles. Where would be be without Copernicus and Pilsudski?

I come here for military miniatures, history, and wargaming. Most anything else, I am ignoring.

Ha, yes Robert, I hope I'm always nice to the Poles. Those darn polls on the other hand… :) I can only attribute this oversight to insufficient coffee.

+1 rustymusket.

TMP polls are about as scientific as a Ouija board, and their results should be taken in the same light-- it's all just silly fun, regardless of what the actual topic of the poll is.

Having said that, polls should never target a member here for ridicule, and I'm a little put off by polls that revolve essentially around grading the sexual attractiveness of other people. Personally, I find the latter more than a little crass.

However, I don't have an issue with polls that essentially rate games or gaming products. As a creator myself, I've had to learn that not everything produced is anyone else's cup of tea. You have to develop thick skin, and you can't let reviews or criticism, or even the "this stinks" responses, get you down. Appreciate those who appreciate your work, respect those who offer valid, thoughtful criticism, and ignore the ones who just leap in to kick because they want to kick.

(By the way, I am responsible for the "annoying ad" poll, and the "won't play those rules" poll. The former is just a silly waste of time, and intended to be so, whereas the latter is simply a recognition that people have different tastes. Ignore them both, if you prefer… no skin off my virtual nose!)

What USAF Pilot said.

I rarely participate in polls, but I think they can provide valuable feedback if used correctly. Polls that target individual members for ridicule, as Parzifal says, shouldn't be allowed; just like we're not allowed to personally attack other TMP members.

+1 Parzival

I find the annoying polls are the one used to justify the existence of very controversial folders such as the firearms standalone.

I like poles, especially the ones used for dancing.

I have no problem with polls that ask "what are your favourite…." or " what are the best….." etc.

What I see no reason for is polls which ask "what are the worst….. " etc

We should focus on the positive not the negative!

Don

What about polls such as:

Worst ACW General?
Worst Superhero Movie?
Worst Dice for Wargaming?

I'd see only the last one as potentially controversial if it were targeting a particular manufacturer for any reason other than the dice they make do not roll true: proven in a scientifically representative experiment – say a sample of 30 6-side dice each rolled for a minimum of 100 repetitions.

It's the "whose rules are worst" or "Why do you hate XYZ ruleset" type that are open to the accusation of being unhelpful/needlessly provocative.