Unofficial/Opinion Election Polls

[Kloreep]

I personally am against them (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see this thread). No offense, jdd, but I don't see the point and I think they could influence the actual election.

But should they be allowed? (In short, should we have an amendment against this kind of poll?) Perhaps Spiffor's idea:

I think we should make it a rule : no gallup polls during the week before the elections. This way, we won't confuse people with 2 polls on the same issue.

Or should they be allowed to proceed however, whenever? Outlawed completely? What do you think?

[Schee]

Hmm... I don't think these polls could influence the election, IMO they are only useless, but they could be allowed, I dont see any problem... if some people want to have them...

[Fatwreck]

I think this calls for a poll... and BTW I´m against it (Unofficial/Opinion Election Polls that is)...

[notyoueither]

I think they could very well effect elections. For one, they will effect the behaviour of candidates in many cases.

One solution is for every fair minded individual to post stating they lied in their vote so the poll is useless, but still that could have an effect on the election. A better way might be for all these people to post 'abstaining' messages. Let the candidates know there are a large number of uncounted votes and that the race is far from decided.

[Epistax]

There are only two stances to take. Either you can feel they are useless, or you can think they negatively impact polls. Besides that, you're kidding yourself.

Polls on anything else should probably be allowed, and we should ignore them if they aren't interesting.

[Sheik]

what ever happened to free speech and democracy. We must allow opinion polls. You just cant silence people because you don't like what they are saying. This is part of the process. Maybe we should just get rid of campaign threads because they might influence the election. This is ridiculous. Of course we should allow UNOFFICIAL polls this is a democracy game and the poeple must be heard.

And so what if they may effect elections. I dont think they will but if they do who cares. If I post a thread saying NINOT RULES that may influence elections. Should I not be able to say NINOT RULES because someones vote may be influenced?

[jdd2007]

i strongly disagree with you on this. they do not have an impact on real elections, and should be allowed...

[jdd2007]

to sheik

[Spiffor]

Sheik : there are much better ways than unofficial polls to hear the citizens :
- elections. They happen often enough for the people in charge to listen at the citizens.
- posting in threads. Most active members post in threads, and voice their opinions. People in charge are often the most involved in the game, and they read almost everything that is written.

I really believe polls do influence elections, by influencing the candidates to have an unnatural behaviour, and by letting people think an election is already played (IRL, the 2 last presidential elections in France showed how much polls can influence the voters).

Given there is a debate, I'll post an unofficial poll about this, to prepare an amendment if needed.

[Sheik]

By the way Kloreep if you are against this kind of thing then why did you post this thread. THIS THREAD IS AN UNOFFICIAL OPINION THREAD. Your title even says:

Unofficial/Opinion Election Polls

And probably within a week there will be an official vote on this.

[Spiffor]

Poll posted here

[Epistax]

Freedom of speech != freedom of stupidity.

If something has no purpose, then an attack against it is not against speech, it's against spam, against solicitation, such as banning a particular kind of advertising. No freedom of speech is being violated. You do NOT have the right to pitch a sale to someone that is not interest. That's disturbing the peace and being a public nuisance.

*caugh*

----

decided to add a reminder that it doesn't _really_ matter, just I'd rather not see any pre-poll-polls because they cannot help our democratic process.
peace

[Sheik]

Originally posted by Epistax

Freedom of speech != freedom of stupidity

No freedom of speech is being violated. You do NOT have the right to pitch a sale to someone that is not interest. That's disturbing the peace and being a public nuisance.

Actually in the Unites States you do have the right to pitch sales to people who are not interested or may not be interested. It is not disturbing the peace.

Check out the Supreme Court decision
No. 001737. Argued February 26, 2002 Decided June 17, 2002

You can find that one at http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bi...&invol=00-1737

Also in the United States telemarketing isn't illegal. Freedom of Speech does mean freedom to stupidity because you cant decide what is stupid and what isn't. These are called opinions and although you may think that all the ones that aren't yours are bad this doesn't give anyone the right to silence them.

[Spiffor]

Sheik :
Do you really think jdd's poll is about freedom of speech ? I must have missed something. What Jdd said, he could have said it in other threads, which aren't as debated.
I absolutely don't see what banning pre election polls has to do with freedom of speech. Please enlighten me

[Sheik]

Pre election polls are a type of freedom of speech. It is the right of jdd2007 to poll and say whatever he wants. The Bill of Rights is a fairly small document and jdd's right to poll would be protected under the first amendment. The link to the case I posted above was won because of freedom of speech and not because of some solicitation law.

And I understand that this game is completely seperate from any other government and we are making our own rules here. These debates are important because they help us shape our government. However I do beleive that this may just be the beginning.