What is a dead poll?

[Mitera Nikkou]

Unlike other topics, polls, either here or elsewhere, have two parts that keep them running: post content and the poll itself. Most people tend to make the poll last forever the most often, so people can still use the poll if people have had their way with it interest-wise. And then sometime down the road someone notices an existing poll of interest without a newer topic for it and sees that they can use the poll because that is still active.

To me, if you make the poll active until deletion then I think it's fair enough to say that people can post their response to what they chose instead of making a whole new topic. I mean, why not use what's already around? And why deny them a post since using the poll would be pointless if no one knew about it? XD Typically, I tend to make each of my polls last twenty-eight days. At which point the poll ends and then it's just a matter of interest dying and posts ceasing.

So all that I can say, is if you think old polls are unsightly and you don't want to see them, then start defining how long your polls last. ;p Then I'll "crack down" on reviving dead posts if the polls are dead. At this point I'll consider these posts (with active polls forever until deletion) the undead, zombie topics. Be nice to the zombies. XD

So, what do you think? I'm all up for suggestions and hearing you out and stuff. Just keep in mind that I'm approaching this through technicality and functionality, not by a notion of what's "not right" or "unsightly." Reason with me, don't peer-pressure me. ;p But by all means express what you like, how you like.

[HikariOblivion]

i don't really believe in dead threads, myself ^^;

[Kara-chan]

Do the truffle shuffle!

[Mitera Nikkou]

i don't really believe in dead threads, myself ^^;

Well, technically, yeah. Many topics that have come and gone will end up being brought up again. It's inevitable, particularly at a place where it's open to new people who never encountered what had been at the place in the past.

Kara:

And what's this truffle shuffle? Any relevence to the poll? XD

[Raijin]

I'd say, one thats been dorment for awhile. But I really think one of those polls that you seen 1,0000 times before...just word slightly different.

[Duck]

when intrest dies, then it's dead.

[Beyond]

But sometimes Necromances appear!

[Daffodil Aura]

Kill them all; let the mod sort it out.

[Sophia Anieri]

I have to agree mostly with Hikari. Posting in old threads should be allowed if the poster has something to say. If the poster has nothing to say, then that's the problem, not the "necroposting." The post that sparked this is probably on the borderline, but it isn't the inactivity of the thread that's a problem, it's the lack of content.

That said, I voted for "When the poll is closed and when there's been no posts for a while." Mostly because I was afraid a vote for "Never say die" wouldn't be counted as relevant to the question at hand. And, that still allows for posting in unlimited-response-time polls.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Yeah, the last thing in the poll was mostly for kicks, but it can also indicate a shrug of a shoulder to letting anything die just because. I mean, I guess, by definition, death would be when the thing's deleted.

But yeah, I suppose it's just a matter of the whim of the moderator, like I believe Aura suggested. Though I can't tell with that evil emoticon there! XD I mean, let's say an old topic gets a new post because someone decided to revive it because it was news again in the media/blogs/whatever. They could have made a new thread but it's just as fine there; I see it here and there fairly often. Sorting out circumstancial stuff is fun. ^_^; It's a good thing that I've grown accustomed to handling things that way for as long as I have.

[Helel]

I'd imagine for the sake of cleaning space or whatever that if a topic has had no interest shown for it for over a year, poll or otherwise, I'd assume the topic is dead and worthy being deleted or archived.

Now, if the need should arise for a necromancer to bring a poll back to life, I'd rather just make the topic again.

[Christina Anikari]

I agree with both Hikari and Sophia. Still removing things after long enough time is vital in order to avoid endless amounts of clutter. That should not be done to prevent people from dealing with those old things, it should be done out of sheer practicality. Also saying that people could just make a new thread isn't really that practical. There is a difference between starting a thread and adding to one that is already there and that difference means that at times it is better to add to one that already exists. As long as you have something to add that is.

[ZeroForever]

anything that is posted in by karm = dead... but anyway's after like 3 months a poll/thread by all intents and purposes is dead or in hold if it's a rp.