Polls...

Honestly, I don't see any sort of one-upmanship. Sure, some people enjoy making shocking topics but I don't think it's from any desire to be seen as "the Shocker!"

I personally write polls based on curiosity. Things I wonder about a group demographic. I don't court conflict, I don't want it. Maybe others are hoping for conflict but I just haven't gotten that vibe.

I tend to think most people submit polls because they're curious, fixated on a subject at the moment, and/or just trying to keep us supplied with polls. *shrug*

After I wrote that, I submitted a couple of polls... both of which I hinted at in the post.� They're both a little provocative... and I'm now hoping that neither will be used, although I'm interested in the "discussion" if they are. :-)

After I fired those two in, I looked through the recent polls... I think I'm wrong.� The topics aren't nearly as bad as I made them seem.� Maybe it's the options that made them read that way for me... who knows?� I was especially disappointed with the Reagan poll.� To me, the options were extreme, sarcastic, and disrespectful.� I keep watching the results side for some fireworks.

I apologize that the Reagan poll came off that way, it wasn't intended to. I just tried to identify the basic attitudes I'd been hearing from people in real life and come up with short ways to express them. Perhaps the problem is that it's hard for me to say something convincingly or "sincerely" when I don't really agree with it. In any case, though, as Andrea said, I was really just interested to see what folks here thought about the whole thing, no disrespect (or argument-provocation) was intended.

My reaction to the Reagan poll was an extreme and probably uncommon one.� Reagan is the first president I can really remember and,�as an uninformed child,�I thought he was great.� Now that I've grown and can look back at his legacy... let's just say that my thoughts are jumbled.� I think he was the right�president for the time, but I don't see him him on the list of great men.

My brother-in-law has a shrine to Reagan (several of them, actually) in his house, and is probably still in mourning.� One of my friends is probably planning a trip to dance on his grave.� Since I know people with extreme feelings about the man, I saw "Good riddance" as a firestarter.� I'm glad to see that it didn't work out that way, but I was standing by with an extinguisher just in case, :-)

See? Told you people's feelings on Reagan were interesting. :)

yeah, same here.
I've never noticed any kind of "competition".

And.. for that matter... I've never noticed any people trying to write "shocking" things...

I too submitted a "favorite sexual position" poll... because, I was curious. *shrugs*

I've always thought of the polls as fun and silly... not some kind of dark sinister twisted battle. :D

I think that's usually what the polls are about, someone's curious about how everyone else feels. A lot of the polls come from conversations on the wall. Like the cheese one! *nods* that was a good poll.