A Few Polls—Feedback Wanted!

Hi All! First, my apologies that it has taken me a little while to get back to the group, I've been busy with other projects.

In our most recent List of the Month discussion, this past June, it emerged that some members would prefer the lists to not have numerical limitations, per participant. It also appears that there are different ideas, when it comes to whether participants should add additional titles, not included in selections that they officially voted for, in order to get them on the list, for thematic reasons.

List of the Month is a group project, and I want it to reflect the wishes of the group. My own initial opinion was that limitations should not be done away with altogether, when it comes to the titles members vote for. This appears to have been the group consensus, when the project first began, under Meg. But that doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever. We can make changes, or experiment with different approaches. We've already gone from 5 books (usually) to 10 books.

Please vote in the polls below, and be sure to share any additional thoughts, both about the specific questions, and about the List of the Month project in general.

>1 AbigailAdams26: Were you trying to do two different polls? If so you have to do a separate post for each poll.

If it's a best of or favorites list, then I think limits are appropriate. Otherwise, I think the more titles the better.

My apologies! I forgot I can only post one poll per comment. Second poll below:

Haven't voted on the first one, because I think it depends on the list. If you're going for favourite or most popular X then limiting it is probably good, if you're trying to survey a lesser known area or have a wide ranging list it can be good to be able to add more.

Haven't voted on the second one because I can't parse the question.

>4 Aquila: It's possible to add books to the list without adding them to your personal list as long as you haven't reached the limit. The second poll is asking if that should be allowed.

I forget, has the bug counting downvotes against your total been fixed yet?

>6 lorax: Doesn't look like it.

>4 Aquila: As amanda4242 notes, this question is meant to clarify the group's position on participants adding extra titles to the list. So, if the list allowed members to vote for 10 titles, additional titles could be added, but not voted on by the person adding them. Essentially, they would appear on the list, for thematic reasons, but they would have a score of 0, and would be at the bottom of the list.

One of the arguments for this is that future participants will see these books, and either vote for them, or become aware of them. I had been deleting titles with a score of 0, on the mistaken impression that they were books that had been voted for, and then the member changed their mind. I didn't realize people were adding these books deliberately, in this way. I discontinued my deletions, after our June discussion, in order to get the group's opinion on the matter.

>6 lorax: Alas, no. Not yet. But we are aware of it, and hopefully it will be fixed soon, when we get to LT2-ifying the List page. My apologies, and thank you all (as always) for your patience.

OK, at the moment there are slightly more people who want to maintain limits on the number of titles a member can vote for, on a given list. Some have expressed the idea that lists for "Best of" or "Favorite" should maintain limits, but thematic lists should not. I will maintain a limit of 10 for this month, but watch the polls for further developments.

Regarding the ability to add additional books to a list, in excess of the titles officially voted for, it looks like the majority of members want to retain this ability, with a few members unsure. I will leave titles with a score of 0 alone going forward, unless there is some pressing reasons to remove them (such as unsuitability for the list, deliberately offensive additions, etc). My apologies for the misunderstanding on my part.

Thanks to everyone who has voted—I do appreciate it!

Suggestion: How about next time we have a thematic list, we try it without limits? Let us see how it works before a definitive decision is made.