Should community wiki questions that ask for a 'best of x' include example x in the question?

Question

I think that community wiki that ask for a best x questions should include all possible candidats for x as answers to allow everyone to rank them.

I don't see a good reason to have the x that the questioner starter proposes in the question itself as done in What is your favorite data visualization blog? or What statistical blogs would you recommend?. The alternative is done in What is your favorite "data analysis" cartoon? .

Having all possible x as candidates would allow the best x to rise to the top regardless of whether they come from the person who create the community wiki question.

What do you think?

Answer 1

It isn't clear to me that we need to dictate a policy for this; people can decide on a case-by-case basis, and I personally don't see any major harm in either scenario.

In the examples you show above, I did include it in one case (the cartoon) and not in the other (the blogs). I included it in the cartoon one is order to give an example for what people should do (although you're right that could have put this in an answer instead).

I'll change the cartoon question to match.

I also like Peter's idea of collecting the best options into the question, although that wouldn't work in the cartoon question.

Answer 2

Yes, it is good to have them in separate answers to rank them. However, I think also collecting all the useful answers in the question is good and easy for people who come across the question.