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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2006 (May-June) » Archive through June 02, 2006 » Online voting... « Previous Next »

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John (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 11:08 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Hello,

I have been visiting and posting on your site for a while now and I really enjoy it here. This site is very well put together, and I think that sites like these are crucial for the promotion of the Irish language...

Having said that, one of the things that I have noticed, not to mention been part of, are some of the debates on the many issues facing the language. I enjoy these because I feel that it is important for people to be able to share their thoughts about what's going on, however, we often go around and around in circles on the same debates and we just waste our time.

So I had a suggestion, I have seen on other sites where people wanting to avoid massive threads on the same topics, put online voting polls on the most common debates. By creating an online voting scheme, and displaying the results...they were able to cut down on the threads becuase people are not writing massive amounts, they are just voting in polls. It really works wonders and it can be really fun too!

I was just curious if this site would be interested in doing something like this? And would the people here be interested in seeing something this on the site?

It is just a thought...

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Caoimhín
Board Administrator
Username: Caoimhín

Post Number: 190
Registered: 01-1999


Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 11:25 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Thanks for the kind words John.

Polls would be a nice addition, I agree. Unfortunately, our board does not support them natively, at least not yet. That functionality is due to be added in the next major release of discus and will be implemented here as soon as it becomes available.

Caoimhín

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.

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John (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 01:13 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Hello Caoimhin,

I understand that in order to do something like this, it would take time and a lot of effort...however, I think that it would be worth it in the end.

The reason I even bring it up is that in most of the threads, I get the feeling the most of the people here who post regularly tend to be thinking on the same lines...even if we have our different takes on issues.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way we could include the quiet people out there? I am sure that there are a lot of people who are reading these posts who would like to share their thoughts on things but might be afraid to say anything for one reason or another...polls are a great way to let them express their opinions and not be in the spot light...

John

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Riona
Member
Username: Riona

Post Number: 202
Registered: 01-2006
Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 07:18 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Dia dhuit, a chairde,

I like our discussions because that is real life. If someone wants to add poles to the site I have no objections to that, but discussion threads are so interesting, even if we've been there before. In real life people talk to each other and get to know each other and how everyone feels about things. I don't really think its pointless or lacking in purpose for us to discuss the issues, even if its been done before, after all, new people come in and so that way they can become part of the group without having to do therough searches in the archives to know what we're like. This is all getting sappy and what not but I just wanted to say that I like long discussions because, as someone, I think it was Aonghus though I may be wrong, that said that this is more like a pub than a classroom in that we learn from each other but we talk about things in life too, these things in life obviously pertaining to the Irish language. I have to say though that it would be nice if someone of governmental importance frequented this site so we could start bouncing our ideas off of someone who can do something instead of just each other. .

Beir bua agus beannacht

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Cat
Member
Username: Cat

Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 01:09 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

i think polls are a good idea

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Wee_falorie_man
Member
Username: Wee_falorie_man

Post Number: 15
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 03:21 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I think that having polls on this site would be great!
As John was saying, people who are not very articulate could still voice their opinions.

Also, we would be able to put in our two cents on some topics that are currently forbidden on this board without causing arguments. For example, we could have polls about lots of political and historical things (that are related to the topic of the Irish language of course) and we would be free to voice our opinions without ruffling too many feathers. A broader range of topics is a good thing for all of us.

Hey, here's an idea: we can have a poll about whether or not we should have polls (ha, ha)!

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Sayitaintso
Member
Username: Sayitaintso

Post Number: 19
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 05:12 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

polls are great! especially if they have detailed options

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John (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 06:40 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Riona...

Do not get me wrong, I really enjoy our interesting debates. I was just thinking that maybe it would be nice to include more people in them...

One does not have to be an expert on Ireland, Irish, or anything related to them to have an opinion. I just wanted those who might be a little shy to have a way to get involved and share their thoughts. I thought maybe something like voting on common issues currently facing the language and its future would be a good way to break the ice.

After all, most of the people who visit this site are either Irish language fans, or those who are just curious. Let's provide people with a means to get involved and show their support by creating an general public opinion on matters concerning Irish via the internet, the largest possible voting base in the world...

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Riona
Member
Username: Riona

Post Number: 209
Registered: 01-2006
Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 07:13 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

WFMs point about getting away with politics by having poles on it is a good one. I have no objections to poles, they'd be fun, just so long as we are still aloud to make 100 post threads about things.

Beir bua agus beannacht

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Odwyer
Member
Username: Odwyer

Post Number: 35
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 09:38 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I think polls is a terrific idea! Who knows how many people just sit in the shadows and read the boards but never post?

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Dennis
Member
Username: Dennis

Post Number: 1368
Registered: 02-2005


Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 11:29 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

quote:

One does not have to be an expert on Ireland, Irish, or anything related to them to have an opinion.

Exactly. Agus cad is fiú barúil mar sin?

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Dearg
Member
Username: Dearg

Post Number: 158
Registered: 10-2004


Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 02:37 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

> Who knows how many people just sit in the shadows and read the boards but never post?

Probably something along the lines of a 10-to-1 ratio of lurkers to posters on most boards.

Polls are also a good conversation starter and way for people to chime in with "Me, too!" without posting a bunch of "Me, too!" threads.

http://greann.com

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Robert (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 02:55 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Let me be the one to rain on this with a simple oberservation.

If a scoring range of 1-5, 1-7, or 1-10 is used, one ends up getting the mean of all scores, so tells one little.

If it is bad, not too bad, OK, good, brill one will end up with a lot of 'Ok's.

It might end up pointless if it is not done so well. Perhaps only 2 or 3 polls a week, but it may kill itself anyway.

Anyway, with so many people willing to talk their minds, I see opinions as been more informaiton rich than a normal distribution curve....

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Student of Irish (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 03:01 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I like Poles, as does Riona :) , but I don't see the purpose of polls. I think discussing the issues of the Irish language as we do in this forum is more interesting and beneficial to learners of Irish than the mere statistics that are provided by poll results.

If someone wants to start a conversation, well....... just start a new thread. But maybe along the lines of Wee falorie man's advice we should have a poll about whether or not we should have a poll about 'whether or not we should have polls.'

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Aonghus
Member
Username: Aonghus

Post Number: 3182
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 05:52 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

And will we have a poll tax?

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Wee_falorie_man
Member
Username: Wee_falorie_man

Post Number: 16
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 06:19 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I wasn't at all thinking of the kind of poll Robert is talking about. The on-line polls that I am familiar with, consist of a statement or question followed by a list of choices or statements to choose from. The percentage of people who choose each particular statement is usually displayed below or next to the individual choice, with a grand total of all the participants at the very bottom.

Rough Example:

Which political party do you feel is most commited to the revival of the Irish language?

Sinn Féin 25% 250 votes
Fianna Fáil 20% 200 votes
Fine Gael 20% 200 votes
Zoroastrian Party 35% 350 votes
none of the above 0%

Total Votes: 1,000

something like that maybe ...

Disclaimer: This is only a hypothetical example and does not mean that I am a supporter of the Zoroastrian Party of Ireland :)

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Lucy (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 06:39 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

And the opinions will be poles apart

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Wee_falorie_man
Member
Username: Wee_falorie_man

Post Number: 18
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 06:50 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Well said, Lucy!

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Dearg
Member
Username: Dearg

Post Number: 159
Registered: 10-2004


Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 11:06 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Here are some examples of polls:

http://forums.greann.com/showthread.php?t=34

http://forums.greann.com/showthread.php?t=23


Sorry, no examples of Poles or poles. :-)

http://greann.com

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Student of Irish (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 09:33 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

A Dhearg, a chara,

When polls are conducted to "get everyone's opinion" on some political or religious issue I find them at best boring and at worst manipulative. But after viewing the greann website, the polls shown seem to be focused on the learning of the Irish language, so I can see the merit of having polls in that regard.

Thanks for the link to greann.com, what a nice website!

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Dearg
Member
Username: Dearg

Post Number: 161
Registered: 10-2004


Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 10:30 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Thanks for the kind words, Student of Irish! I spend a lot of time, effort, and money on Greann.com, so it's great when folks appreciate it.

There are no new polls today, but I did add some fun "Cá bhfuil mé?" threads with photographs. :-)

http://forums.greann.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

http://greann.com



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