SpudFiles

Like with my other rant today, I'm fed up with people using the forum system in a daft manner - doing things because they can, and not because it's actually sensible to do so.

If you're posting a poll, why post it unless the results are actually going to be of any use to you?
If the only options are "Cool" and "Neat", the results are going to mean jack - you've ignored everyone who had a negative opinion.
Imagine if someone announced "Of the people who liked this product, 60% thought it was great and 40% thought it was fantastic" - the information is pointless.

Give polls sensible options, and only post them if there's actually a reason to do so. If I were looking to see which of the short-list of possible names I had for a cannon was preferred by the forum, that would be an appropriate time to post a poll - the results will have some use.
Much of the rest of the time, no. Asking if something you found on Youtube is either "Awesome" or "Wicked" is certainly not.
It tells you nothing of value.

And yes, I was considering adding a stupid poll to this thread to make a point, but I decided not to bother.

Can't argue with that. Good one Rag.

Man, those fireworks must really be getting to you.

Nah, the fireworks hadn't started that early. I just felt like some ranting.

I however had recently run out of orange squash, and deficiency of it is guaranteed to make me a little edgy.

Shouldn't you be working on your contest entry instead of embarking on a forum crusade

Alas I'm in Spain yet again at the moment, not much I can do from my hotel room except sketch away furiously. Hope I'll be in time to churn out a viable entry when I get back to my epoxy batcave. Assuming I don't contract swine flu in the meantime...

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Shouldn't you be working on your contest entry instead of embarking on a forum crusade

Alas I'm in Spain yet again at the moment, not much I can do from my hotel room except sketch away furiously. Hope I'll be in time to churn out a viable entry when I get back to my epoxy batcave. Assuming I don't contract swine flu in the meantime...

Pfft. It's now announced as a "mild flu" in Australia. Only old people, aboriginals, overweight people and people who feel sick get drugs... Whatever.

Will this be full auto/bb gun/small calibre themed? It will of course be epoxy based.

When someone wants a rating system for his cannon, the best way would be to leave a poll with five options: 1 to 5 stars.

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Shouldn't you be working on your contest entry instead of embarking on a forum crusade?

Me, contest entry? And risk not coming in first place?

Nah, more seriously, nothing I'm currently turning over is suitable for the contest.
The only project I have that could be called truly innovative is a very slowly progressing coilgun - although it'll be very efficient and powerful for a coilgun, this isn't a coilgun contest.
3vo, although cool, doesn't really break any new ground, given that it's basically HEAL crossed with the Eclipse with some electronic glitz on the top.

And I haven't got the time or money to start something new.

Personally, I have yet to find a single poll in the forums that had any real usefulness beyond pumping the ego of the poster...at best. I mostly ignore them beyond a possible mild chuckle.

Nah, we did have the Spudfiles census in an attempt to get a bearing on the geographic make up of the forums, which had vaguely useful answers.

...mind you, that was a topic I started.

Is this about North-polls or South-polls??


I remember playing around with a poll once.
It did have some use.
In stead of Sawn-off, I renamed my cannon Sawed-off.
One of the poll options.Guess there were not enough Aussies around back then.

It can be pretty funny too if you abuse it a little...


Rag...go outside and blow a big hole in something expensive..

That will clear your mind up faster than these useless rants about polls..

I mean rants about useless polls

Brian the brain wrote:Rag...go outside and blow a big hole in something expensive.

Nah, my bigger pieces of kit are all "off-line" so to speak.

inonickname wrote:Will this be full auto/bb gun/small calibre themed? It will of course be epoxy based.

Given my lack of time, I can assure you it will be small but that's about all I can share (and indeed, know at this point.)