Re: Is There A Palm Beach Butterfly Ballot Problem at Perlmonks?

[Fastolfe]

I might consider an arrangement like:

   -- ( )  (*)  ( ) ++

The null vote being in the middle. I might actually go a step further and remove the "null vote" option from user preferences entirely. I view any radio button group that does not have one item selected by default to be broken, but that's just me. :)

[sierrathedog04]

I think the purpose of a null vote is to allow a user to see what a post's reputation is. One can only see that information if one has already voted concerning the post.

Otherwise seeing a post's reputation might affect the vote for or against that post.That would be sort of a late-polls-closing-in-Northern-Florida problem, but one that is effectively addressed here at perlmonks.org by preserving the null vote option.

[amelinda]

A null vote does not show you the node's reputation. The existence of the null vote, to the best of my knowledge, has more to do with the browser choice of some perlmonks than to do with anything else. It also has that handy feature also mentioned - changing your mind before you hit the 'submit' button.

[Fastolfe]

The null vote does not actually cast a vote, so it doesn't let you see a comment's reputation. Its presence is just so that if you click on ++ or -- and later change your mind, you can "null" the vote out and submit the form (with the rest of your votes) without having to refresh the page to clear your click.