Why ask if you don't want to know?

What I’m saying is that quite a lot of posts can’t be summarised as yabu or yanbu because they are very multi layered as in real life.

Exactly. You get lots of situations where someone is being reasonable or unreasonable in relation to a specific live issue but there is justification in the broader context which the poll can’t encapsulate.

For example (and posts are rarely this dramatic but just go with this for the sake of argument): an OP trashes her husband’s belongings because she finds he’s been cheating on her for 20 years. Is she being unreasonable?

You would probably have to say Yes in terms of the specific situation but most people would cut her some slack due to the circumstances and want to focus on the broader issue which is that she needs to kick him out and rebuild her life.

In this case if the OP said “AIBU to trash my husband’s clothes/car/golf clubs?” and the response was restricted to a one word yes/no answer you would be missing out most of the important elements of the discussion and not really helping the OP focus on what matters.

I think AIBU polls should include the surprisingly common YABUAR, NIBU and EIBU. (You are both unreasonable and reasonable, Nobody is being unreasonable and Everyone is being unreasonable)

What I’m saying is that quite a lot of posts can’t be summarised as yabu or yanbu because they are very multi layered as in real life.

YANBU. I prefer a poll. I think sometimes the OP doesn't want to put a poll, in case the YABU result is a very high %!

Everyone can instantly see that most people disagree with them then... But if it's just comments (and no poll,) you don't know that it's obvious that most people disagree, unless you read the 100s of replies!

It's particularly annoying if a poster (OP) asks a question, (on AIBU) and says

'OK, what do you all think...'

'YABU'

or

'YANBU.'

And then they don't put a poll. Very annoying (IMO.)

It’s still at the top of the page 🤷‍♀️. You asked for opinions and this is mine. Threads don’t need a poll, but they’re on most aibu so what does it matter.

I didn’t like the poll being added to begin with. It encourages group think if you’ve come in late and see that the opinion has already swayed a big way. Especially if there’s a drip feed later on that changes the narrative completely - but you just jump to the end with an opinion that’s no longer relevant.

I use the app a lot of the time so the poll isn’t an option.

You also get some posters who have a contradicting title and question at the end of their post, as well as some that are written so badly it’s hard to tell what is being asked.

It's not that deep.

I think you need to get more of a life instead of being so bothered by such things.

As I said upthread, I don't see/use the voting but I am assuming that you don't need to actually comment on the thread in order to vote?

That would certainly explain why some polls are n% YANBU when the actual comments on the thread indicate the exact opposite.

The poll function isn't altogether that useful, it adds to the combative nature of AIBU. Most threads are rarely so clear cut with the weight of unreasonableness coming down solidly on one side. On a lot of threads it's not even clear what the vote implies in the context of the post. The threads where the rights and wrongs of a situation are unequivocal can be a bit 'AIBU to not sell my house and one kidney to attend a month-long destination wedding in {far flung remote place}'.

I prefer a poll.
Having said that on some threads it's not totally clear from the OP what they are saying is unreasonable or not being unreasonable.

In cases where it wasn't clear I didn't used to vote. But some helpful poster once pointed out you can easily change your vote . So now I vote but sometimes change my vote when I've read other posters comments. I don't know whether thats actually in the correct spirit of Aibu or not.
I feel if the OP isn't going to provide a poll perhaps they are better starting their thread in some other forum.

There is no poll on the app

I have never voted in a poll in almost 20 years of using Mumsnet

I don't really care if there's a poll or not.

I don't see any of the polls (you can switch this off in settings). YABU though. Why do you need to see what the vote is? It shouldn't change your opinion either way, and in some cases the vote is completely contradictory to the actual comments.

If it is an interesting thread then I will read it, if not I just move on to the next one.

I see so many "ooops, silly me I pressed the wrong button to vote" comments that it renders any poll meaningless (apparently you can change your vote by clicking on the opposite option?).

There are also numerous threads where the voting options are completely unclear in the first place so nobody can possibly have any idea what they are voting for, or the inevitable dripfeed completely changes the information in the OP.

I'm on the app so I've never used a poll.

No, it's simply that very few situations are amenable to a pure yes/no answer.

@Kriscross

You don’t simply post in AIBU wanting a one word answer though. Context matters.

If I want to know if people find my perspective unreasonable I want to know why. You can’t do justice to that by simply responding YANBU or YABU.

There are also lots of threads on AIBU which are more WWYD. Which I am fine with.