Do you find yourself voting only in some polls if they are anonymous?

Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
I have been browsing the forums and just clicked to vote in a poll with an answer that I realized I /never/ would have chosen if my username were going to be sitting there for the world to see. I mean, I understand that that's the reason that there's an option to make polls anonymous, but I'd never really thought about the fact that I, myself, have done it a few times.

I'm generally very open, however if I stumble about a post on something that I feel negatively about and it's a public poll, I won't answer it. EF is a very sex-positive place, and I don't feel comfortable attaching my username to a vote that might make a person feel targeted. If it is an anonymous poll, however, the fact that I think people deserve honest answers from the community when they pose a question overcomes my desire not to tell people that I think something sounds unpleasant. I actually don't have a problem with commenting and explaining my views on things I find unappealing or dangerous, but since so many users would look just at my response to the poll and not my explanation, I skip voting. More often than not, I don't find myself in threads that I'd feel uncomfortable answering, but if the poster makes a Social thread with an ambiguous title, I'm probably going to click it. I mean, I would never vote for an option that I didn't agree with, but I'm more than happy to just leave the thread. I just wonder how many people do this, because I'm curious about how skewed poll results really are. The poll is anonymous, of course, though I'd love to know the usernames of the smartasses who tick that they don't ever vote in polls.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
I vote exclusively in anonymous polls
I vote whatever I want, whether my username is there or not
25
I find myself occasionally skipping a vote on sensitive subjects if it's a public poll
21
I find myself frequently skipping a vote on sensitive subjects if it's a public poll
13
I decline to vote if I might make someone uncomfortable with their sexuality
2
I decline to vote if I don't want people to know that I feel a certain way
2
All of the polls that I would be uncomfortable with answering publicly are already private
2
I don't ever vote in polls
I don't bother to answer at all in any threads where I have a negative opinion/don't ever find myself in any
1
I'm complicated, and will explain in the comments
1
Total votes: 67 (61 voters)
Poll is closed
06/11/2013
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Contributor: jr2012 jr2012
I agree with you. I sort of wish all polls were private! A lot of polls ask really personal questions, and I don't want any of my answers to offend anyone even if they are looking for candid answers.

Besides, if I vote a way for a reason and feel strongly about it, and have a reason to feel so, I will explain in the comments!
06/11/2013
Contributor: js250 js250
I vote in most polls I am interested in--but on my polls if it is personal, will make it anonymous....I feel there is a better response, more honesty and higher integrity if others do not feel as if they are being judged on who answers how....
06/11/2013
Contributor: sXeVegan90 sXeVegan90
I skip it if I'm sensitive to the subject matter. But usually I'm very open.
06/11/2013
Contributor: LoveX LoveX
I'll vote on anything whether it shows my name or not. I don't know why it doesn't bother me, it just doesn't. If I made a poll that could be a sticky subject though, I'll make it anonymous.
06/11/2013
Contributor: wicked48 wicked48
I usually skip it if it's a sensitive subject.
06/11/2013
Contributor: Dolphin Lady Dolphin Lady
I totally agree with you. I skip alot of poles because of this.
06/11/2013
Contributor: PropertyOfPotter PropertyOfPotter
I only skip them sometimes.
06/11/2013
Contributor: karenm karenm
Once in a while I skip one, but usually I don't.
06/11/2013
Contributor: eri86 eri86
I skip some public polls.
06/12/2013
Contributor: Virgingasms Virgingasms
If it's public and I feel it's too personal I'll skip it.
06/12/2013
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I have been browsing the forums and just clicked to vote in a poll with an answer that I realized I /never/ would have chosen if my username were going to be sitting there for the world to see. I mean, I understand that that's the reason that ... more
I kind of just vote on what interests me. When people comment, they usually give their answer and username away anyway.
06/12/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by ViVix
I kind of just vote on what interests me. When people comment, they usually give their answer and username away anyway.
Yeah - for me, it's not that I mind sharing my opinion (it's my opinion, and I'm not ashamed of it), but I do feel sometimes that just answering a poll might give off the wrong idea, and if the thread is long, there are people who won't bother to look for my full response.
06/12/2013
Contributor: melissa1973 melissa1973
I vote in most of the polls, it doesn't matter whither you see my name or not.
06/12/2013
Contributor: sexynola sexynola
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I have been browsing the forums and just clicked to vote in a poll with an answer that I realized I /never/ would have chosen if my username were going to be sitting there for the world to see. I mean, I understand that that's the reason that ... more
i think everyone should just vote in whatever polls you'd like regardless of how you think you'd be judged
06/12/2013
Contributor: BrittaniMaree BrittaniMaree
I vote whatever I want, whether my username is there or not
06/12/2013
Contributor: Thinkingman Thinkingman
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I have been browsing the forums and just clicked to vote in a poll with an answer that I realized I /never/ would have chosen if my username were going to be sitting there for the world to see. I mean, I understand that that's the reason that ... more
I vote and usually leave a reply. It is nice to see or hear if folks feel the same way. That is what a community is. You talk get out in the open what you want to discuss and folks chime in.
06/12/2013
Contributor: dancingduo dancingduo
Some topics I avoid.
06/12/2013
Contributor: Allstars316 Allstars316
I vote in any of polls whether you can see my name or not. I don't mind at all.
06/12/2013
Contributor: KrissyNovacaine KrissyNovacaine
I think public polls really make one examine there reactions which can be a good thing. I know I have checked my reactions before answering something because I was being very judgmental.
06/12/2013
Contributor: edeneve edeneve
I only vote in polls that interest me whether my name is displayed or not. also, there times when I wait a bit to make a post regarding my vote so I can thoroughly think the topic through. and there are times when I don't even make a post about the topic if it just seems needless to make a comment.
06/12/2013
Contributor: PeaceToTheMiddleEast PeaceToTheMiddleEast
I will sometimes when it is public.
06/12/2013
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I have been browsing the forums and just clicked to vote in a poll with an answer that I realized I /never/ would have chosen if my username were going to be sitting there for the world to see. I mean, I understand that that's the reason that ... more
I don't vote only anonymous polls, but there have been a couple times when I was glad a poll was private.
06/12/2013
Contributor: KyotoAngel KyotoAngel
Unless it's something that I'd be embarrassed admitting publicly, I tend to vote no matter if the votes are private or not.
I think I've only steered clear of public votes a couple times actually.

There's really not much that I've seen posted that I would feel awkward voting in. xD
06/12/2013
Contributor: GingerSpice GingerSpice
i don't mind if my user name shows up, if it's a good poll, i'll vote
06/12/2013
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
If the voting is a topic I feel about... I might vote. I usually comment more than vote though. I don't know why.
06/12/2013
Contributor: Augustxsins Augustxsins
I'll vote on just about anything that I find curious or interesting, regardless of whether my username is displayed or not.
06/12/2013
Contributor: Lavendar Lavendar
I vote whether it is private or not
06/12/2013
Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
Quote:
Originally posted by Thinkingman
I vote and usually leave a reply. It is nice to see or hear if folks feel the same way. That is what a community is. You talk get out in the open what you want to discuss and folks chime in.
I agree - we use avatars anyway - so they 'nearly anonymous'.
06/13/2013
Contributor: Real or memorex Real or memorex
Private or not, if I don't want to share the information I don't vote in the poll.
06/13/2013