Thats why I think we need to educate people. I suggest that for the next game there be another three sticky threads in the poll sub-forum (total of four with registry).
1. We should have one thread reserved for members of the polling standards commission to set out the guidelines required for a poll. These should not be a cut & paste from the COS, but an easy to understand set of guidelines with examples. We could also include tips on how to run a poll, how to structure it and what sort of options to give (like what I was attempting with polling 101). This thread would NOT be for discussions.
2. We should have the polling standards commission thread, and it's debates, as a sticky thread in the polls sub-forum. This would be the main thread for proposing and discussing how to structure polling and what rules to use (much the same as the PSC has always been)
3. We need a thread reserved for help. Sure, we have the newbies shed, but not all people that might require advice will be newbies and this thread would be specific to the area of polling, which is VERY hard to get right, as we have seen.
This would mean that (apart from polls) there would be four threads, all sticky, in the poll sub-forum:
1. The Registry - for Poll advertising
2. The Commission - for Poll regulations discussions
3. Polling 101 - for rules, guidelines, tips and examples of how to set up a valid and usefull poll
4. The Help Line - where PSC members answer questions on how to poll well
This would mean better polls and better democracy.