<![CDATA[<p>How does the Poll feature of <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café</EM> work?</p><p><P><FONT size=2>The eRoom software upon which <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café</EM> is based includes a Poll item that can be set up anywhere you can add files or create other folders or items. Here is a link to the eRoom software's own <A href="https://webcafe.wharton.upenn.edu/eRoomHelp/en/polls.htm">online help</A> page for Polls.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>There's not a way to download results to Excel with this simple type of Poll, but you can see results on screen or copy/paste them for use in other applications. Here are some quick steps for setting up a Poll:</P>
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<LI><FONT size=2>Click <STRONG>create</STRONG>, then choose to create a Poll. <BR><BR></FONT>
<LI><FONT size=2>On the <EM>Create Poll</EM> screen, give the poll a descriptive title and choose whether you want to ask just one question or multiple questions.<BR><BR>Also, on this screen, i</FONT><FONT size=2>f you need to limit who can take the poll (so that not all members of the <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café</EM> room can vote), click the <STRONG>access control</STRONG> button and set the <EM>Open</EM> list using the provided <IMG src="http://supportcenteronline.com/FileManagement/Download/6fa9b1c4333b4d2c8d739604e10a4bcb"> button and checkboxes for individual room members. (If you need to add others who can see the poll results, click the <STRONG>access control</STRONG> button and set the <EM>Edit </EM>list the same way.)<BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=2>If you made access control changes, press <STRONG>OK</STRONG> to save them; on the <EM>Create Poll </EM>screen click<FONT size=2><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> <STRONG>Next</STRONG>.<BR><BR></LI></FONT>
<LI><FONT size=2>The next screen is for defining a question and its possible multiple-choice answers that people can select. Multiple-choice is the only type of Poll question available; normally this would involve users selecting just one of the available choices.<BR><BR>
<P>If you have the <A href="http://webcafe.wharton.upenn.edu/guide/plugin.html">eRoom plug-in software</A> installed and activated, you can use the "insert graphic" <A href="http://webcafe.wharton.upenn.edu/eRoomHelp/plugin.htm#rte_toolbar">toolbar button</A> to add .GIF, .JPEG or .BMP images to a Poll question, although not to an answer. (If your images correspond to answers, you could cluster them together below the question - though they would still appear above the "buttons" for an answer.) The size of the pop-up voting window for each question is small, so test after adding images to questions. If the graphics are tall enough, you may need to tell users to scroll down in order to see the voting buttons.</P>To change the question so that users can check off more than one possible choice, check the <EM>Allow multiple votes </EM>checkbox.<BR><BR>To add a "write-in" blank as one of the available choices, check the <EM>Allow write-in votes</EM> blank.<BR><BR>Press <STRONG>Next<EM> </EM></STRONG>when you are finished entering the question.<BR><BR></FONT>
<LI>If you chose to enter more than one question, another question creation screen will appear. <EM><STRONG>IMPORTANT:</STRONG> </EM>When you are done entering questions, do not click the Cancel button, but instead click <STRONG>Next</STRONG> as shown in the on-screen legend (highlighted in yellow in this screen shot, although the yellow highlight will not appear in <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café</EM>):</LI></UL><FONT size=2>
<P><IMG src="http://supportcenteronline.com/FileManagement/Download/ce12a7c9e5104348af43f1443853b883"><BR></FONT><FONT size=2><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG></FONT></P>
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<LI><FONT size=2>Next, you'll see the </FONT><FONT size=2>Poll Display Settings screen. This is where you can specify how the statistics and vote details are shown, and to whom. <EM><STRONG>IMPORTANT:</STRONG> </EM><STRONG>You will need to make the following choices in order to prevent vote details from going out in the nightly notifications</STRONG>: </LI></UL>
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<P><EM>Show the totals to:</EM> <BR>"Just you and the coordinators of the eRoom" <BR><EM><BR>Show the votes cast to: <BR></EM>"Just you and the coordinators of the eRoom", or "Nobody" (if you want the results to be truly anonymous)</P>
<P>Press <STRONG>OK</STRONG> when you have finished selecting poll display settings.</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P dir=ltr>At this point the poll is ready for voting. Users will see it within <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café</EM> just like any other file or item. </P>
<P dir=ltr>After votes have been cast you can edit a poll and choose to "Close the voting." After closing voting you may also reveal totals if they were previously hidden from others; to do that, edit the poll again and choose "Change the display settings", then "Show the totals to:" Everybody. (Alternatively, instead of editing the poll again, you can simply post the results elsewhere, such as in a comment or Note.)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><EM>IMPORTANT NOTE: </EM>The design of the eRoom software's Poll item does allow people to change their already-submitted vote after initially voting (unless the poll has been closed). Thus, it would be possible for students aware of that capability to lobby others who have already voted to make a change to their vote. We've observed that many student clubs have worked within that limitation in conducting officer elections using <STRONG>web</STRONG><EM>Café. </EM>If this is a cause for concern, you may want to investigate using alternative polling tools such as <A href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/"><FONT size=2>SurveyMonkey</FONT></A><FONT size=2>.</FONT><BR></FONT></P></FONT></p><h3>Alternate Questions/Keywords</h3><p>Can I add graphics to a Poll?</p><br><br><br><br><a target='_new' href='http://www.parature.com' style='font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;color:999999;'>Help Desk and Customer Support Software by Parature</a>]]>