Guideline Breach!!: How to Avoid Writing a Poll Question That will be Deleted!
By echoforever
@echoforever (5180)
United States
September 20, 2012 8:30pm CST
I know sometimes we're eager to write topics and hear people's answers in a quick manner and so we think
"Hey! I can just write it in a question and hear all about it!" - **buzzer goes off**
Eh, wait a minute. Don't get ahead of yourself, this is considered a poll question.
Here is the correct and full definition of a "poll question": 1. A sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a selected or a random group of persons, as for the purpose of analysis.
So when your only content of your discussion is one question even if it has a paragraph about it and then the polling of the question, it will be deleted.
Here I am to help you out though, so don't worry. 
How can I avoid this you ask, well, there is at least one way, probably several. Here is what I would do if I were stuck with this dilemma. Instead of forming whatever you're thinking about into a question, instead, write a few paragraphs on it yourself and see what spurns from it. This is also going to get some opinions but then it will also be more likely for discussion than "Oh I like that too, yeah I like that too, no I don't like that. . . and so forth."
What to avoid:
Which do you like better . . .
What do you think of . . .
What is your favorite . . .
I hope this has been a helpful and friendly reminder from - echoforever 
How can I avoid this you ask, well, there is at least one way, probably several. Here is what I would do if I were stuck with this dilemma. Instead of forming whatever you're thinking about into a question, instead, write a few paragraphs on it yourself and see what spurns from it. This is also going to get some opinions but then it will also be more likely for discussion than "Oh I like that too, yeah I like that too, no I don't like that. . . and so forth."
What to avoid:
Which do you like better . . .
What do you think of . . .
What is your favorite . . .
I hope this has been a helpful and friendly reminder from - echoforever 4 people like this
7 responses
@venkit (2955)
• India
21 Sep 12
I have also experienced the bitter taste of poll type questions in mylot.
Mainly i will find that,the discussion i have answered will be deleted, so my response also will be deleted.
surely there are guidelines to find poll type question, but still i am confused and failing to find the poll type discussions.
2 people like this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Yeah I've forgotten myself about this guideline and my response will be deleted along with the topic. If you see one its best not to respond as the next day, it will probably be gone.
2 people like this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Glad that I could help you, I've forgotten a couple times because sometimes its easy just to respond on a short question like that but its something myLot frowns upon as there is no discussion
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
21 Sep 12
I found this very helpful, I had something deleted and I'd no idea what is was or why it disappeared. Now I realise now it was probably one of those short questions.
1 person likes this
@litvillegas (1274)
• Philippines
21 Sep 12
Hello enchoforever
This is absolutely a good friendly reminders from you..:) It's one way to save our energy wasting our time composing a discussion and then at the end it will be deleted. That's hurt!..
Have a great day..:)
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
I agree that it is painful when you make that mistake. I have done so by posting on one without thinking about it first so now I wanted to warn or remind others to keep this in mind for their response on other discussions as well.
2 people like this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
That will be helpful for them, and maybe they'll want to talk with us too! Good idea
1 person likes this
@litvillegas (1274)
• Philippines
21 Sep 12
Actually I've done it before but I was confused what's poll question. And you answer my question through your discussion..:) Now I know! A good lesson to learn. I can also share this to my other friends. :)
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Sep 12
hi echo thats about what I do and never make my title a question to all in sundry.I write a paragraph exploring my idea then make the title then finish writing it and proof it for errors and typos and still miss one or two but am being more vigilant as it pays in several ways,. you earn better and people do not think me a total moron. lol.then I will say what is your t
ake on this fellow my lotters.
ake on this fellow my lotters.1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Sep 12
hi echo no please I did not mean your discussion is not really great as it is,it will help a lot of newer people here and believe me
I have goofed 3 times myself but they were not poll type
but because I was insulted royally and instead of being intelligent and just porting the insult I fired back which is indeed flaming.Length of time really has little t o do with my success as I am 85, have a BA in English and love to write.
1 person likes this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
I'm sorry you've even encountered some kind of ' flaming ' here in myLot. But with so many people its bound to happen, not everyone is friendly all of the time.@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Your topics spurn a lot of attention but that's to be expected since you've been here so long.
I thought this topic may be helpful to the newer members and in general if you're stuck trying to make a topic and can only think of a question...2 people like this
@allknowing (136369)
• India
21 Sep 12
I had started a discussion on this a long time ago and was searching for it, but I see it is already there in owlwings box. That has a lot of stuff that can help you.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136369)
• India
22 Sep 12
I quickly changed into a shirt so that I could raise my collar!
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
21 Sep 12
That is a great help especially to the newbies and for all those who have been here for quite a while but didn't know about it.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
That was my hope when I started it but I suppose only if they get to see it then it will only be helping that way
@varier (5685)
• Indonesia
21 Sep 12
Collection of "What do you think of " :
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2622155.aspx
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2582140.aspx
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2609823.aspx
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2653380.aspx
Collection of "Which do you like better" :
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2598894.aspx
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2641533.aspx
Collection of "what is your favorite"
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/422390.aspx
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1187831.aspx
Like I said before on my previous comment, it's kinda arguable
I guess it would depends how does someone elaborate his discussion, so there's enough interesting things to discuss.
I guess it would depends how does someone elaborate his discussion, so there's enough interesting things to discuss. @echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Well like I said above though if the general response is just going to be yes i like it or no i don't, then its a poll. Those you put are questions but they have a general opinion themselves that you can discuss if you agree or disagree with that person, furthering their opinion or opposing it yourself.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
21 Sep 12
"What do you think of ...?" is asking for opinions and therefore tends to encourage the responder to post quality responses with a potential for discussion.
"Which do you like better ...?" and "What is your favourite ...?" are definitely "poll type" as they stand and the examples you posted are all ones which would be removed if posted today (and 'retrospective deletion' of posts as much as six years old happens too).
There is a long and useful discussion on the topic here: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2508999.aspx?p=1 in which GoAskAlice has posted his view (Response #5).
3 people like this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Aha, thanks for that. Now they have a better definition from Admin even and I have given one of possibly many ways to avoid writing one yourself. With that help they can now more easily avoid them.1 person likes this
@shaggin (72131)
• United States
21 Sep 12
I think the best way to make it a discussion and keep it from getting deleted is if you are asking a question to use tge words " why or why not" or what do you think about this... such as you watch a movie and write did you like this movie. It will get deleted. But if you write what do you think about this movie it will not. A long time back I would get my discussions deleted as poll type questions it took me awhile to figure out what I was doing wrong.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
21 Sep 12
If the context is based on a reason other than the question itself: i.e. a review you heard about through a different site for a movie, you discuss the review and what you thought about the movie. . . That might be a cause for it not to be deleted but I hope you get what I mean. You can't ask a question solely to get statistics or opinions for only that one question, basically.
