A couple of days ago I posted a question in the Hanger Chat Forum asking if polls were available. I received a short reply saying "Sorry, they're not" but no explanation was offered as to why.Given we have a AvSim User Surveys and Opinion Polls Forum this seems to be the ideal place to run them. And I'm sure the forum has the capability to run them as I answered one recently about Aviation News.I was disappointed in the brevity of the reply as it didn't explain if they were only available to certain people (Admin?) or not available at all. Polls are an excellent way of gauging opinion on various topics - far more so than responses to options in a message which cannot be easily analysed.Tom posted a message in early September saying AvSim were considering a different forum software but I didn't see any options in that to run polls. I'm a member of various newsgroups (not flight sim related) and those allow the user to run polls. If you are going to consider new forum software I think it would enhance AvSim if polls could be run.But for now perhaps you could enlighten me on the situation regarding polls please.

While I can't say why AVSIM doesn't allow polls, the software they are using does allow for polls. All they should have to do is enable it in the ACP. One possibility is they do not want off the walls polls posted about everything and anything. We have done that at GR.net and enabled polls only for certain groups of members.

While I can't say why AVSIM doesn't allow polls, the software they are using does allow for polls. All they should have to do is enable it in the ACP. One possibility is they do not want off the walls polls posted about everything and anything. We have done that at GR.net and enabled polls only for certain groups of members.

They could certainly 'dip their toe', enable polls and see how it goes. It seems odd to have forum software that allows them to be created and then disable them for everyone with no explanation. Yes, you'll get some people misusing them but if the topic isn't interesting people won't bother.I'm trying to establish if UK simmers have reduced their FS-related spending because of the weakness of the Pound Sterling against the Euro and US Dollar. A poll would be an ideal vehicle to determine that. A long message thread would be far less effective.So what criteria did you use to select responsible members?

The traditional method: a case of whiskey sent to the AVSIM World Headquarters. Responsible members will know exactly which brand to send. I cannot say about polls, either. I don't run any of the forum software. If there is any doubt, consider that a good thing.Your question is interesting. If you want an in-depth answer, I think that you should e-mail UK developers and ask them. If I were to guess, I would suggest an AVSIM poll would probably not yield accurate results. Also if I were to guess, I would suggest that UK users would follow a bell-curve distribution of spending habits, just as in any market. The big difference is that a higher percentage of UK simmers would choose to buy add-ons over pretty much any other regional market -- that's my guess. I base this on my own observation, but I don't have any hard numbers to back this guess up. From here on, a new conversational thread wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, I would think.Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

The traditional method: a case of whiskey sent to the AVSIM World Headquarters. Responsible members will know exactly which brand to send.

:( Being a non-whisky drinker I wouldn't have a clue which brand was the best. One from Scotland I expect. :(

I cannot say about polls, either. I don't run any of the forum software. If there is any doubt, consider that a good thing.

Then I need someone who runs the forum software to answer. No offence Jeff but why is this poll thing such a mystery? There are icons at the bottom of messages showing that they do exist but no-one seems to know about them. Why?

Your question is interesting. If you want an in-depth answer, I think that you should e-mail UK developers and ask them.

But my question isn't directed at the developers. It's aimed at users and specifically British ones or at least those who pay for their software in Pounds Sterling.

If I were to guess, I would suggest an AVSIM poll would probably not yield accurate results. Also if I were to guess, I would suggest that UK users would follow a bell-curve distribution of spending habits, just as in any market. The big difference is that a higher percentage of UK simmers would choose to buy add-ons over pretty much any other regional market -- that's my guess. I base this on my own observation, but I don't have any hard numbers to back this guess up. From here on, a new conversational thread wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, I would think.

As there haven't been any polls who's to say if they would be accurate or not. You can only vote once so why would you choose an option that doesn't apply to you? That's just wasting time. But I agree that further discussion on this thread is not ideal. But I really would like an answer as to why polls aren't available when the software clearly shows they can be setup.

Then I need someone who runs the forum software to answer. No offence Jeff but why is this poll thing such a mystery? There are icons at the bottom of messages showing that they do exist but no-one seems to know about them. Why?

It is not such a mystery as it is me not being able to get online to answer.To answer your original question, I will be more than happy to turn on user generated polling in the Polls forum to see how it goes. Give me a day to get it set up.

Okay Ray, give it a try!

Okay Ray, give it a try!

Thanks very much Tom. :( I'll need a little time to consider the questions I'm going to ask so it may be Friday evening GMT before I publish my poll.I see you've made them available in all forums. That could be very useful for the Commercial sections. Have you made creating polls available to all or just a selected few (or one)? :( If available to all then perhaps a news item would be useful.

The further discussion on this thread is not ideal. But I really would like an answer as to why polls aren't available when the software clearly shows they can be setup.regards,april_______________Simulation pret

The further discussion on this thread is not ideal. But I really would like an answer as to why polls aren't available when the software clearly shows they can be setup.regards,april_______________Simulation pret

I tried setting one up in the Hangar forum but the poll questions never became visible. I probably did something wrong but I haven't a clue what. I've set them up before in other places and it shouldn't be difficult but the problem is I couldn't delete my failed poll and try again. There is no help available that I could see and a PM to Tom requesting help hasn't been answered. :(

I tried setting one up in the Hangar forum but the poll questions never became visible. I probably did something wrong but I haven't a clue what. I've set them up before in other places and it shouldn't be difficult but the problem is I couldn't delete my failed poll and try again. There is no help available that I could see and a PM to Tom requesting help hasn't been answered. :(

I just created a "Test Poll" in the Polls Forum and it's working fine. AFAIK, that's the only one that was set up for "ever user" to create.http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=267570&st=0

I just created a "Test Poll" in the Polls Forum and it's working fine. AFAIK, that's the only one that was set up for "ever user" to create.http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=267570&st=0

I've just read through the messages again and I'm afraid it's my fault. Tom advuised he'd enabled polls in the polls forum but I created mine in the Hangar forum. That explains why it didn't appear. But then again, it shouldn't be possible to setup one in any forum other than the polls one.I've seen yours Bill and have voted! Thanks for chipping in. :(

I've seen yours Bill and have voted! Thanks for chipping in. :(

No problem. I notice that some clever wag voted "No" to the question asking if the Poll was visible... :(

No problem. I notice that some clever wag voted "No" to the question asking if the Poll was visible... :(

:( It wasn't me! There's always one!