Poll answer text error is confounding and frustrating

[klmonline]

I am entering poll questions for doctors, who need to follow rigid and exact diagnostic nomenclature. I cannot paraphrase in order to satisfy software limitations. GoToWebinar will not let me set up the correct answer option.

The answer text that needs to be an option choice is:

KRAS c.34C>A p.Gly12Cys & KRAS c.35C>T, p.Gly12Asp

The scenario demonstrates four separate issues that should be fixed in the product:

1) The error message is displayed for exactly 3 seconds and then disappears. This is a long and complex error to comprehend and I had to recreate the problem several times just to try and parse the message: "Enter answer text that doesn't include <, >, &, # or a backslash next to a number."

2) The poll as entered simply disappears. You can't go back to check it and edit the problem. You have to recreate the question and all answer choices from scratch.

3) If you go back and look at the answer choice I am entering, it does not have any of those special characters next to a number. So I don't even know what to alter! The error is not telling me the actual problem. I tried inserting spaces on either side of all brackets and ampersands, but that didn't fix it. Every special character has a letter on both sides of it.

4) This restriction is ridiculous on the face of it. It's 2022... let's accept text strings as entered by the user.

I'm immensely frustrated, as I'm just randomly trying different things to see what the problem is, and then it still won't be acceptable, since the answer choice needs to be exactly as written.

[klmonline]

After more trial and error, I now see that I was interpreting the error message incorrectly. It is poorly written. For clarity, it should say "Answer text may not include a backslash next to a number or the characters <, >, &, #."

The rest of my complaints stand. It's a restriction that is seriously inferior to polling in other conferencing products.

[KateG]

@klmonline thanks for your feedback. I recreated your experience and can see how it would be frustrating with your needs. I do see that you have been asking for updates to the polls in the past as well in our Webinar Idea section. I will certainly pass this experience back to the team. Feel free to create a new idea in the community idea forum where others can vote. We do discuss all mentions as a team. I would have moved this request to that section, but in order to keep things orderly we can only have one idea at a time. Thanks again for taking the time to share here in the Community.