Polls and Anonymity

[Celtic_Emperor]

While this is my forum and I can run it as I like, the issue of anonymity is something I'd like to address.

As you are aware of, sometimes I attach polls to my art threads or just create poll threads. With each one I've set the option to make the results public. That means, whomever votes for whatever option is displayed for all to see.

I understand that this may make some uncomfortable, while others could care less. I respect and value your privacy, so this poll is to determine and gauge who is comfortable with the way I set the polls as public, and who is uncomfortable with it. Obviously, this poll will be anonymous.

Some are/were unaware that people could view your vote to begin with and only ever found out until I pointed it out. This may or may not have caused some embarassement to them. Because I would not want people to not vote at all because they're not sure if they're anonymous or secure, the results of this poll will help in determining how future polls proceed.

While I personally want to know who votes for what, simply out of curiousity and it helps me coordinate and it serves other practical uses, I do understand that some of you may not want me or others to know how or why you're voting the way you are (for any number of reasons).

Although, in all honesty, most of my polls are light-hearted and revolve around me or my art somehow, rather than yourselves. So, in all fairness, I don't feel that I've crossed a line or have done anything I shouldn't have.

If people are too embarassed to let me know they're rooting for me or support an idea (or the opposite and want me to burn in hell or something lol) and not making the polls anonymous genuinely disturbs their peace of mind and freedom to vote without concern to anyone else, then thats something I'd like settle as well.

In any event, the poll has no time limit to it. If you are going to vote, I'd appriciate it that you choose the option that best discribes how you feel about it, not merely the one you think is the popular choice.

Thanks.

 

[Journia]

hmm....interesting results....3 things are equivalent. while another three are not.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

To make the last voting option clear, it means that you don't mind not being anonymous when its warranted, explained, or theres some other reason.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

hmm....interesting results....3 things are equivalent. while another three are not.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. Each of the yes and no options may seem similar, but they express three different levels of tone and attitude one can take in their vote.

I was going to include an 'I don't care. Do what you want.' option, but I wanted to avoid creating a middle-ground, which alot of people tend to vote for out of habit in polls where they don't want to seem too conservative or liberal in the weight of their opinion. Aside from that, the 'indifferent' vote doesn't help this situation.

If you were talking about how there are currently 3 votes, then nevermind.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

Bump.

I'm going to be needing more votes than that, obviously. Some posts wouldn't hurt either. If, after an extended period of time, noone seems to care or is interested, then I'll interprete that as I should just continue doing it the way I have. If not enough people are against non-anonymous polling, then raising this concern wasn't worth anyone's time, including my own. I figured I'd be considerate enough to raise the question, though.

 

[FT Genikit]

Forgive me if I'm not making any sence. At some point, I do get embarrassed somtime, but eventually I'll get over it and not let it bother me. Because because one thing that's important that it shows who you are.

 

[Random_noob86]

I hardly visit here, anyways. XD

To me, no. It doesn't matter whether you can see what/who I vote for. However, if other people feel strongly about wanting their privacy or whatnot, I respect their decision and won't mind or make a fuss if they want anonymity and in this scenario, you can count my vote as a yes for the anonymity, then. To me, I really don't mind, either way. I'm just supporting whoever feels strongly about this and/or if it worries them.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

@ 11225:

You're right. Some of that didn't make sense.

But, yes, embarassement, I would guess, is a leading reason, especially on a fetish forum, why someone would want to remain anonymous in their voting. That was one thing I considered.

What exactly embarasses you about it?

 

[Yet_One_More_Idiot]

I voted no. Online, a person only ever gives out as much information when registering to a forum as they feel comfortable giving. So if a poll is so-called "public", then it doesn't matter, nobody's going to track you down via your voting preference after all.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

I hardly visit here, anyways. XD

To me, no. It doesn't matter whether you can see what/who I vote for. However, if other people feel strongly about wanting their privacy or whatnot, I respect their decision and won't mind or make a fuss if they want anonymity and in this scenario, you can count my vote as a yes for the anonymity, then. To me, I really don't mind, either way. I'm just supporting whoever feels strongly about this and/or if it worries them.

What do you think is different about how you think versus how others feel in wanting to be anonymous? Is it that you have less risk involved, or you simply do not care?

 

[FT Genikit]

@ 11225:

You're right. Some of that didn't make sense.

But, yes, embarassement, I would guess, is a leading reason, especially on a fetish forum, why someone would want to remain anonymous in their voting. That was one thing I considered.

What exactly embarasses you about it?

I usually get embarresed when someone (Like my mother) talks about me like women's feet, and it's hard for me to get used to it even if I want to. But like I said: I'm sorry if it didn't make any sense. I'm just trying to make it clear.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

I voted no. Online, a person only ever gives out as much information when registering to a forum as they feel comfortable giving. So if a poll is so-called "public", then it doesn't matter, nobody's going to track you down via your voting preference after all.

I think you've made the best point so far.

Why do you suppose it is then that some still feel that this is not enough? Is it paranoia?

I'm interested in hearing how this works. Especially if you take it in the context that I've provided. I haven't created threads or polls (yet anyways) that ask for personal information. The polls are completely unrelated to the person and focus on the art. If they feel even their preferance towards my art being known is a violation, do you feel that is paranoid also? What do you feel the concern would be in me or others knowing what they felt about my art?

What would it matter?

(Note that I already know the answer, and these are more like rhetorical questions. But, how the response comes out of other people may not be.)

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

I usually get embarresed when someone (Like my mother) talks about me like women's feet, and it's hard for me to get used to it even if I want to. But like I said: I'm sorry if it didn't make any sense. I'm just trying to make it clear.

Theres no need for you to apologize. So, I take it that ANY situation where theres a poll embarasses you? Its not just me? Or, is it?

 

[Random_noob86]

What do you think is different about how you think versus how others feel in wanting to be anonymous? Is it that you have less risk involved, or you simply do not care?

Well, for one thing, I rarely visit this forum, as i've said before. XD Not to say your work is bad, though, because frankly, I think it's top notch and the few times I do come here, I am impressed by what I see. =3

I suppose it's a little bit of both. Polls don't require personal information or anything nor do they ask for anything I don't mind giving away. I don't mind expressing my opinion, whether it's in your favour or not. People who want anonymity, I think, feel that they don't want people (such as you) knowing what they think about a certain topic because like you said earlier, they may be afraid if they go against something you say or if they don't want you to know they admire your opinion/work/whatever. So really, i'm good, either way. If you're asking for personal opinion, then i'll say no. I don't mind whether you can see what I vote for or not. But I do care about other people's opinions, so if it happens that a majority feel uncomfortable without anonymity, then I support them, not for my sake, but simply so they have a higher chance of getting what they want.

I don't want to go into this too much, as i've already said quite alot of unnecessary info already. Hell, in my opinion, I think Koopa said it best.

This is a good poll, though. =3

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

Alrightie then. Thank you for your imput.

 

[theticklingmaster]

I liked this poll; I think it covered all possible positions.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

I liked this poll; I think it covered all possible positions.

Thank you. Thats what I was trying to do. While it could have been a simple yes/no response and/or vote, I don't think that will do, since people may feel a similar way, but not exactly.

I think the vote results so far demostrate that. Although I wish there were more. Its still a toss-up at this point. Since the poll is a means to anonymously communicate with me and tell me what you want, it is disturbed if there is a split in the vote, or enough votes in each option so that one single voting option isn't favored.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

Ok, I've allowed this poll nearly 2 weeks to gain results, and though the results are mixed, there is a greater percentage of people voting no. Meaning that, I should just keep doing the polls the way I do them.

I do not believe that letting the poll last any longer will provide any developments, so I am closing this thread after this post.

As for what I'm going to do, I'll just continue making the polls public on a case by case basis like I've always done and only making them private when its necessary. There was not enough opposition to reconsider this, afterall, so I'm back where I started.

Thank you to those who voted and posted. If I ever bring up the issue again, hopefully there will be more of a concern or awareness for it.