NationStates

I've become increasingly aware of my "lemming-ness" on NS polls. I read through the options, don't have a strong opinion on any of them, and -- almost entirely by impulse -- vote for whatever the majority is picking. This isn't a lone observation by me. In the WA, there's universal acceptance for the "lemming effect", where disinterested players will vote for whatever side is winning. In leveraging this, some delegates will make an enormous effort to vote early. I've known some who will wake up in the dead of night, just to vote before going back to bed. The lemming effect just isn't arguable.

It wouldn't matter if the lemming effect existed on some silly poll. However, many regions will use the poll feature for 'serious' topics such as elections. Current examples:

• Local Council Election - the South Pacific
• Delegate Election - South Pacific
• RP Head - West Europeia
• Some sort of amendment - The Democratic Sphere
• Etc

This boosts on-site activity and is convenient. But the lemming effect is certainly likely to be prevalent.

I suggest that polls have the option to hide results until the end. This way, it would be impossible for the lemming effect to exist, simply because there is no majority to vote with. It's an elegant and hopefully-easy solution to a notable issue with polls.

Yes! This would be very helpful, especially for regions like TSP who do delegate voting via polls. After all, that’s how real elections work, right?

That's exactly what happens in most WA resolutions. People just look at the majority vote. This would be a nice change so that now you would actually have to evaluate the resolution. Although if this is implemented, players might mindlessly approve and vote for them.

EDIT: probably should make this optional on regional polls.

Bormiar wrote:I've become increasingly aware of my "lemming-ness" on NS polls. I read through the options, don't have a strong opinion on any of them, and -- almost entirely by impulse -- vote for whatever the majority is picking. This isn't a lone observation by me. In the WA, there's universal acceptance for the "lemming effect", where disinterested players will vote for whatever side is winning. In leveraging this, some delegates will make an enormous effort to vote early. I've known some who will wake up in the dead of night, just to vote before going back to bed. The lemming effect just isn't arguable.

It wouldn't matter if the lemming effect existed on some silly poll. However, many regions will use the poll feature for 'serious' topics such as elections. Current examples:

• Local Council Election - the South Pacific
• Delegate Election - South Pacific
• RP Head - West Europeia
• Some sort of amendment - The Democratic Sphere
• Etc

This boosts on-site activity and is convenient. But the lemming effect is certainly likely to be prevalent.

I suggest that polls have the option to hide results until the end. This way, it would be impossible for the lemming effect to exist, simply because there is no majority to vote with. It's an elegant and hopefully-easy solution to a notable issue with polls.

The delegate election poll is a joke poll...

I support this, but region polls only. Not WA

Bormiar wrote:

• Delegate Election - South Pacific

I noticed that this poll ended in a tie with both choices receiving the exact same number of votes (11), which is the exact opposite of what you'd expect if the "lemming effect" applied.

Yes!

All of the yes!

Trotterdam wrote:

Bormiar wrote:

• Delegate Election - South Pacific

I noticed that this poll ended in a tie with both choices receiving the exact same number of votes (11), which is the exact opposite of what you'd expect if the "lemming effect" applied.

Raiders did that poll. It was a joke.

I'll admit I wasn't really looking into the poll enough to think that it was a joke.

Sure, you can find non-joke anecdotes where people tie, but they're just anecdotes. They certainly don't represent the vast majority of polls. And even if they did, there would still be a group of them where the lemming effect has its effects, particularly in larger regions with lots of disinterested noobs.

I suspect some people will vote for a losing candidate out of an underdog mentality, but that's still a stupid reason to influence votes.

And what about those of us who just want to see how a pool is going without voting?

Purpelia wrote:And what about those of us who just want to see how a pool is going without voting?

It would presumably be a setting, so it would be up to the person running the poll.

The Lake- wrote:

Purpelia wrote:And what about those of us who just want to see how a pool is going without voting?

It would presumably be a setting, so it would be up to the person running the poll.

In other words we would be screwed.

If such a setting is to exist it should be in the players own control panel and regulate if you see poll results or not. Not on the poll it self.

Support. In a real election you don't get to know the results, or others' votes, before or while you vote (except in China, North Korea, etc). It should be the same way for elections for RO posts conducted via polls.

Purpelia wrote:

The Lake- wrote:It would presumably be a setting, so it would be up to the person running the poll.

In other words we would be screwed.

If such a setting is to exist it should be in the players own control panel and regulate if you see poll results or not. Not on the poll it self.

Why would you be screwed?

The poll officers wouldn't be able to change the results. You just wait a few days or ask nicely.