We offer people who visit PennLive.com the opportunity to vote in online polls on top issues of the day.

When we do this, we're not trying to be Gallup or Zogby. We're letting people offer a quick opinion, much like the applause meter on the old TV variety shows. The results simply reflect the preference of those people who saw the poll question and decided to answer it. It's not scientific, but it's fun and interactive, and we think that's what the World Wide Web is all about.

We do take some steps to try to minimize "ballot-box stuffing". When you vote in one of our polls, our software sends your computer a "cookie" designed to prevent the web browser you're using from sending in another vote.

In short, these polls are provided mainly for your entertainment, thus the cheeky and irreverent tone of some of our questions. No gambling, please.