I like the Cove in general. Just one thing irritates me:
When someone votes in a poll and does NOT add a comment, the system updates the thread as "new post" and adds the most recent person as the poster. Navigating to the last comment in the thread only to discover an old post is frustrating.
I wish there was a way to distinguish between posts of comments and poll entries without comments.

Now I understand...I was just checking a thread to see the "new post", but found only the old ones. Couldn't figure out why I didn't see a new post. It is a thread that contains a poll, though, so Wes you've cleared me up on that one.

I wish there was a way to distinguish between posts of comments and poll entries without comments.
I have a choice of 2:

1. When someone votes, update the thread 'Last Post Date'.
2. When someone votes, do NOT update the thread 'Last Post Date'.

If I choose #2, the thread is effectively buried as time goes on.

I am interested in polls. No - they're not scientific, but they do relate some 'feel' as to what's happening. When someone votes but does not post I want to know. I'd like to see polls as they develop. Sometimes it's a vote by someone who was doing a search and found an old thread - they related and they 'voted'. Sometimes a thread is revived because someone votes and the thread pops back up.

I don't think anyone profits when polls are voted on but the thread isn't updated because there are a lot of people who vote but do not want to post for one reason or another - which sometimes is they simply have nothing to add to what has already been discussed. Like I say, if only personally I want that thread to pop up so I know a new vote was added.

I don't have the background to do a hack which would 'sift' the threads nor have I seen anyone asking at places such as the vB forums for such a hack.

The poll poster (the thread starter) CAN put a time limit on voting on a poll. If they do this, of course, the poll/thread is not an issue for you. But the decision to time limit a poll is up to the thread starter.

I have a choice of 2:

1. When someone votes, update the thread 'Last Post Date'.
2. When someone votes, do NOT update the thread 'Last Post Date'.

When someone votes but does not post I want to know. I'd like to see polls as they develop. Sometimes it's a vote by someone who was doing a search and found an old thread - they related and they 'voted'. Sometimes a thread is revived because someone votes and the thread pops back up.

The poll poster (the thread starter) CAN put a time limit on voting on a poll. If they do this, of course, the poll/thread is not an issue for you. But the decision to time limit a poll is up to the thread starter.
I presumed this was the situation. Ah well. If wishes were dollars, I wouldn't need to wish any more.

Yeah - this is an old issue which has been discussed a number of times in various threads because it surprises folks and I can understand why. It's certainly not readily apparent and to some it looks like the software is malfunctioning.

Sticking my nose in -
What if you picked option 2 - do not update but made every poll a "sticky" which would keep them from being burried? Wouldn't this accomplish both not updating unless there were a message AND keeping the poll "on top and active"?

Dave

EVERY poll? At that rate, old polls would crowd out new posts. Maybe just a reminder when forming a poll that it can be limited for time (or not?) Certainly, in the history of the Cove, some polls deserve to fade away.

That makes me think maybe there should be a section specifically for polls. Post comments to the specific topic and only record the polls in the poll section. That way when one is unused and old it will circulate to the bottom of the pile and management can decide to keep it around or not.

Dave

Not a bad idea, but it would be weird with all polls in one forum thus having no link to a specific forum topic. I guess I'm surprised that this bothers people. Maybe I'll poll this....

Not a bad idea, but it would be weird with all polls in one forum thus having no link to a specific forum topic. I guess I'm surprised that this bothers people. Maybe I'll poll this....

For me, it's just a little nuisance to go through. It shows as a new post and when you get there it's not. So? That's less time I have to browse the Coffee Break Threads. ;) Those of us with fast fingers and DSL just rip right through it! :vfunny:

Not a bad idea, but it would be weird with all polls in one forum thus having no link to a specific forum topic. I guess I'm surprised that this bothers people. Maybe I'll poll this....

But would the "the system updates the thread as "new post" and adds the most recent person as the poster"? Sorry.......Couldn't help it.

If I choose #2, the thread is effectively buried as time goes on.

I am interested in polls. No - they're not scientific, but they do relate some 'feel' as to what's happening. When someone votes but does not post I want to know. I'd like to see polls as they develop. Sometimes it's a vote by someone who was doing a search and found an old thread - they related and they 'voted'. Sometimes a thread is revived because someone votes and the thread pops back up.

Never thought of this before. Changes my thinking.

But would the "the system updates the thread as "new post" and adds the most recent person as the poster"? Sorry.......Couldn't help it.
That's something I'll look at. The question, I suspect, is what the effect will be if I try to change the feedback from 'Last Poster' to 'Last Person to Poll'. That would probably make it so the thread would only update if someone 'voted'. As it is, it looks at both but I don't understand the script specifics to know how to make it work both ways. I don't know the code that well to say what the results would be.

If I was a trained, competent php / MySQL programmer I could give you a better answer. But, that's not my forte.