Online Polls

[Tao]

The number of polls and voluntary questionnaires on Facebook and other online community-type sites intrigues me. What exactly is their target demographic, and do they feel that these polls are a valid reflection of public thought?

Related note: anyone else transpose doubled letters while typing? I kept getting pools.

[Unit of Energy]

I would just like to say that any one who clicks no is a liar, as this is an online poll.

[ahem.]

Does that mean that anyone who has ever ignored a single online poll should answer "no," even if they do, in general, answer online polls?

[Yarjka]

Right when I clicked 'no,' I yelled out 'doh!', realizing that I'd just lied.

[Dragon Lady]

Yeah. There definitely needs to be a sometimes. I refuse to respond to this poll until I can choose "sometimes".

[Marduk]

A single exception exludes a negative rule, but not a positive one. Although, since the option specifies "polls," one can technically weigh in on this one negatively, as long as no other polls are answered, and still be truthful.

On topic: I don't think it is specifically to get information or predict behavior. I think they are more directed at having you spend more time online, in their particular venue, where they can have a captive audience to advertise to. But I could be wrong; I don't think I've ever done a facebook-related survey.

[thebigcheese]

What exactly is their target demographic, and do they feel that these polls are a valid reflection of public thought?

I don't usually do the Facebook ones, but I would guess that when they ask questions, they're just trying to create interesting information. Nobody really cares about the target demographic or whether the information is actually valid. It's just interesting to see how people respond because it's like a battle of opinions. Who doesn't love a good debate?

[Dragon Lady]

I don't do facebook polls. I don't do much of anything on facebook outside of wall posts and sending messages. Anything else has the possibility of requiring me to add some app, which I think is ridiculous, so I just avoid it all.

But I do often answer polls on BabyCenter, since I'm curious about real mom's experiences and thus like to participate in polls to help them reflect reality.

[Craig Jessop]

I always respond to the ones on news websites. And I'm a regular on the Zogby e-mail surveys -- they like me because my religious affiliation is "best described as" Mormon.