Poll Suggestions for Voting

[cmscritic]

Hi Guys,

As you know, we moved to ProcessWire on CMS Critic and are running the Critics Choice CMS Awards at the moment. Soon, our nomination stage will end and we'll be starting the voting stage for the various categories. I'm wondering if anyone might have suggestions of a good polling service that we can integrate to track votes?

I've explored options like polldaddy.com, etc. but would love some feedback if anyone has recommendations.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

[adrian]

Hi Mike,

Apeisa has this module:

http://modules.processwire.com/modules/fieldtype-poll/

I haven't used that, but I have used the following code from Ryan successfully for a couple of polls and it works great:

http://processwire.com/talk/topic/218-simple-poll/?p=1456

Hope that helps.

[ryan]

Online polls and ratings are always a tricky thing just because if someone is motivated, they can manipulate it. And depending on how creative they are, there's not much you can do about it. Even PollDaddy isn't immune to this. What you did last time, by requiring a social network login, is a definitely improvement over security by IP address. But still not foolproof, and you do end up with a lot of votes coming from people that know nothing about the product, other than someone asked them to vote. But at least a social network login increases the cost to any individual trying to manipulate results. But if it were me, I would use your own custom form (or Form Builder) and place some burden of proof on the voter, like an example of a site where they have used the CMS. For example, these form fields:

• How many sites have you used with this CMS?

  [ ] 0

  [ ] 1

  [ ] 2-3

  [ ] More than 3

• List one example of a site you have used this CMS on? (must be currently running the CMS)

   [Enter the URL] 

• For the site you listed above, please provide one URL where we can confirm the CMS. This may be any one of the following:

   1. Any URL that refers to the CMS (like a login, info or credits URL–we will keep confidential).

   2. Any URL that contains a link to CMSCritic.com.
   3. Any URL that references you as an employee, author, editor, designer or developer of the site. 

   [Enter the URL]

• How do you use the CMS?

   [ ] As a web developer

   [ ] As a web designer

   [ ] As an editor

   [ ] As a user

   [ ] I don't use it

• What is your favorite feature of this CMS?

   [Text field]

• Enter your email address (we will send you a email to confirm your vote)

   

    (confirm)

 

I think questions like the above would really help to keep the control away from those looking to manipulate results. It would also keep the votes focused on people that actually have experience with the product. I would also include IP filtering and email verification, but not rely upon it. If there's any question of feasibility, this is all stuff that Form Builder (or other form services) can do without too much effort.

[apeisa]

Apeisa has this module:

http://modules.processwire.com/modules/fieldtype-poll/

It's not supposed for anything "serious". Only "Do you think David Beckham is hot?" type of questions for that module

[cmscritic]

Hi Ryan

I get where you are coming from. The issue, however, is too much info required is likely to scare people off. It's like getting people to comment in forums, they tend to not like filling out too many forms. If I did something like this (and I may), I'd definitely hide the # of votes otherwise it could look grim.

[ryan]

The issue, however, is too much info required is likely to scare people off.

That's the intention: to limit voting to people that are qualified to answer. People that know and are enthusiastic about a product take pride in being able to answer questions like this. I'm thinking that most in our community would be very enthusiastic about answering these questions, and I'm guessing the same goes for other products that people are enthusiastic about.

On the other hand, my Mom's mothers club, Soma's high school buddies, Diogo's cousins and Antti's neighbors that arrive there from Facebook with the best of intentions to support ProcessWire (even if they don't know what it is), will get scared off, or at least answer honestly, because they don't understand the questions. IMO, that's a good thing that encourages quality over quantity (with apologies to my mom, Soma, Diogo and Antti's Facebook friends and of course the mothers club). 

There's also the selfish aspect: I think ProcessWire can compete with much more widely known projects like MODX and Concrete5 when dealing with qualified users of the product. But once bigger projects get their casual social networks involved, we would be outgunned. And the easier the questions are to answer, the more outgunned we might be.

I'm guessing the most controversial question I mentioned is probably the one asking for a URL to a site running in the CMS. While that would be a great qualifier, I think you'd still derive benefits in quality, without much loss in quantity, from any questions that ask about the user's experience with the CMS: 

1. How many sites have you used with this CMS?

  [ ] 0

  [ ] 1

  [ ] 2-3

  [ ] More than 3

 

2. How have you used the CMS?

   [ ] As a web developer

   [ ] As a web designer

   [ ] As an editor (you edit content using the CMS)

   [ ] As a user (applies to forum software only)

   [ ] I have not used it

 

3. What is your favorite feature of this CMS?

   [Text field]

 

4. Enter your email address

   

 

You'd accept the submission, but ultimately exclude the vote from counting if any of these conditions are met:

 

1. They answer "0" to question 1.

2. They answer "I have not used it" to question 2.

3. They answer "I don't know" or some other meaningless response to question 3.

4. Their email address or IP address matches one for a vote already taken.

 

As a bonus, you'd have the option (if you wanted it) of filtering results by user type (web designer, developer, etc.), experience level with the CMS, and the ability to highlight the most liked features of some products. Meaning, questions like these aren't just about qualification, but about giving you more options with filters and views into the data, now or in the future. 

 

These are all just ideas and my opinion only. You've of course got my support and enthusiasm regardless of what direction you go with the voting. 

[diogo]

You don't have to apologise to my facebook friends, unless I can have the friends without having an account... You can apologise to my cousins though