Kinda odd, like that experiment where good students rated themselves as average, while crappy students rated themselves as better.
So basically this kind of survey says very little at all.
Edit: Oh come on. He's saying an editor would have blocked this poll. I posted the poll so I should be disqualified, but suggested that I be an editor. And based that on my own arrogant self-evaluation from within the poll that a good editor would (apparently) have blocked. And I didn't even say I am in the top 5%, only that I voted that way, which is a ridiculous way to assert intelligence.
For existing users, just give them (karma mod 100) points, or don't do this to prevent the flood of new polls from occurring.
I did not laugh at the one to which you replied, which is allegedly more subtle, though I could only know that if I was in the top 5%. I didn't find it funny, ergo I am not in the top 5%. I guess I'll vote "average".
Well, at least that's settled.
Ideally, "I'm going with my gut" as curi asked.
Sometimes "I'm a confident winner, so I'm voting top 5%"
Sometimes "It would be arrogant to vote above average; I'll vote average."
Sometimes "This poll is dumb. I usually vote but I'll lurk."
Sometimes "This poll is hilarious. I usually lurk but I'll vote."
Sometimes "This poll is so dumb I'm voting bottom 5% just because I considered voting in it."
Sometimes "I'll vote for all options; everybody has good/bad days."
Sometimes "Can you really vote more than one? Let me try..."
For pg to casually mention a source of error that applies to all news.yc polls is like walking up to someone who's been splattered head to toe by a passing truck and saying, "You've got something next to your mouth, right there."
Didn’t vote.
Or maybe they have heard about those other results and are intentionally voting for underrepresented options to make the poll come out less ridiculous.
Or maybe voter/lurker bias is the real problem ;)
So in this poll I'm pretty dumb.
http://dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/images/dilbert2008...
1) gut feeling
2) SAT score
3) GRE score
4) other standardized test
5) none of the above
7) Escaped from Colditz POW ... in a glider?