Polls Would Be A Cool Addition

[starbucksbrew]

I participate on another message board that allows posters to create polls with up to 5 voting options, and readers can vote and view results, and also comment on the poll the same as with regular threads. I think that would be a cool feature here, for example "Which of these Chicago restaurants should I not miss on my trip?" or "Which is better - Five Guys or Backyard Burgers?"

[goodhealthgourmet]

i second the motion. terrific idea!

[Chris VR]

I vote no on polls.

[starbucksbrew]

That's a little ironic. LOL

[Chris VR]

Well. more proving a point, I think. Chowhound is a discussion site, and polls are sort of the anthesis of discussion. My "no" doesn't give you a chance to understand why I feel that way, or to discuss the various aspects of the issue.

I also think Chowhound has tried really hard not to create a herd/crowd mentality, and although it still happens, it's not a prevalent as it could be (although with the new "star" ratings on Restaurant pages, it's a step in that direction.) I understand that poll threads have discussion fields, but I just don't think the wide variety of opinions we have here could be given justice with a poll at the top of a thread. I know on such boards, many people don't bother to read the discussions, they just see the bar graphs and think that there's a definitive answer there.

I like the fact that on this site, we use words to convey our opinions, not stars, numbers, bar graphs, thumbs or other faceless statistical measures. It's something that's always been a competitive differentiator, and I'd hate to see Chowhound turn into just another site where people can get a quick answer without really engaging with the community.

[HillJ]

Completely agree with Chris VR.

[starbucksbrew]

I respect your opinion, and thanks for sharing your thoughts in such detail.