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   Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 03:17:19 JST Evan Prodromou

   This is a FAQ for my polls. I hope it's helpful to people!

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 03:22:54 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: Why do you do so many polls?

     A: I like to think about topics big and small, from the things we wear and eat to our plans for life.

     It helps me a lot to see how much I differ from other people in the way I do things or the way I think about things.

     I often ask questions like this to friends and family in person.

     Asking online lets me ask a lot of people at once and get some rough quantitative ideas.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 03:26:47 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: What are you going to do with this data?

     A: Mostly nothing. After the poll closes, I usually review the results, think about them, and then make a post giving my own answer, as well as addressing any topics that came up in the comments.

     I don't do any quantitative tabulation, publishing, or anything like that.

     That said, I think it's possible to find the results of the poll using the Mastodon API, so if you don't want people to know your answer, don't provide it.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 03:31:33 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: Can you clarify the question?
     
     Q: What do you mean by X?

     Q: Define X.

     A: I usually will not do this.

     I try to use English idioms as clearly as possible.

     Sometimes the questions I ask apply in multiple scenarios or in different ways.

     Exploring those possibilities is part of why I ask.

     Over-specifying the terms would leave out some of these connotations and make it harder for some people to connect with the poll.

     I also find the process of specifying terms to be exhausting.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 03:35:26 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: I want to follow you but I don't want to see your polls.

     A: If you need to, you can filter out the EvanPoll hashtag. I try to be careful to tag every poll.

     I'd recommend not telling me if you do. I really don't like people who do this.

     Asking this kind of question and talking about this kind of topic is part of who I am.

     I think you might want to follow someone else who doesn't exist. A person that you imagine me to be.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:04:48 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • Filipe

     @filipesm nope. Thanks, though.

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     Filipe (filipesm@mastodon.green)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:04:49 JST Filipe

     in reply to

     @evan maybe put the tags on this toot? Could be helpful!

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:06:39 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: This poll is not scientific!

     A: No, it's not intended to be scientific. I am not collecting data for publication nor trying to prove any points.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:10:35 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: Where is the option for "neutral"?

     A: Mastodon only gives me 4 potential answers for polls.

     Rather than having 3 options (Yes, Neutral, No), I use all 4 options, but give strong and weak versions of each answer (Strong Yes, Weak Yes, Weak No, Strong No).

     The cost is there's no true neutral. Try to pick a Weak Yes or No. If you really can't, leave a reply. Or just don't answer the question.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:13:33 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: Where is the option for "never"?

     A: When asking about frequencies of seeing or doing something, i will usually give four options: X or more frequent, Y, Z, N or less frequent.

     If you never do that thing, pick the "N or less frequent". Never is less frequent than yearly or monthly or whatever.

     If it's important to you that you point out that you never do this thing, leave a reply.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:14:50 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: What does "Strong No" or "Qualified Yes" mean?

     A: "Strong" means you emphatically agree with few or no reservations.

     "Qualified" means you have reservations. It's the "Yes, but..." option. If you're not sure you entirely agree, choose "qualified".

     Note that this is a secondary definition of "qualified" and has nothing to do with your skills or abilities.

     https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/qualified

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:17:31 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • MidgePhoto

     @midgephoto no

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     MidgePhoto (midgephoto@photog.social)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:17:32 JST MidgePhoto

     in reply to

     @evan
     4 Options?

     Yes | Neutral |No
     __
     Orthogonal

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:20:13 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: This question is vague!

     A: This is usually intentional.

     I want to know about how people feel, think and behave.

     The most interesting questions in those areas are often used with very high level language.

     That language is usually vague.

     This can be frustrating for some people, who get uncomfortable with vague questions.

     I'm sorry if that's the case for you. You're more than welcome to do something with your time besides answering vague polls!

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 04:21:49 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: Your next poll should be...

     A: I am not a wedding DJ and I do not take requests.

     If you have an idea for a poll, post it.

     I often boost polls I find interesting, so make sure to tag it as a poll, and if I follow you I might boost.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 21:47:11 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • Peter Brown

     @peterbrown I assume you're talking about the knife poll?

   • Embed this notice
     Peter Brown (peterbrown@mastodon.scot)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 21:47:12 JST Peter Brown

     in reply to

     @evan I was appalled to see how many people answered yes until I realised a lot would be American. 

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@prodromou.pub)'s status on Wednesday, 01-Mar-2023 21:58:32 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     Q: I can't believe you said this!

     A: I sometimes make polls by writing out a statement and then asking if you agree or disagree.

     This can be infuriating if people strongly disagree.

     I've gotten better about putting the statements in quotes so it's clear that it's not me saying them. Sometimes I do agree, though!

     I will usually say how I'd answer the poll after it's over. That's a good time to tell me I'm wrong.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Monday, 27-Mar-2023 22:21:55 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     @evan@prodromou.pub I've mostly moved this to a new page on WordPress, which makes it easier for me to link to.

     https://evanp.me/pollfaq

   • Embed this notice
     Dr. Matt Lee ?:verified: (mattl@social.mat.tl)'s status on Tuesday, 28-Mar-2023 00:04:07 JST Dr. Matt Lee ?:verified:

     in reply to

     • Evan Prodromou

     @evan you need some better icons for those links at the top... maybe a Mastodon one and a Wikipedia one?

     https://fontawesome.com/icons/mastodon?f=brands&s=solid looks like it's supported now, which is awesome (PUN FULLY INTENDED, sir)