A survey with mixed results would be disappointing. That is one possibility.
As to "solution in search of a problem": Why do we we need to wait for complaints before we try to improve the member experience?
Any business that doesn't constantly seek out improvements becomes an ex-business. We are running this site on the oldest active version of vBulletin, which is itself the oldest major supplier of forum software. Furthermore, forum discussion has in many areas been supplanted by other forms of online interaction. We can play ostrich and pretend that this is the best of all possible FlyerTalks, but I find that very hard to believe.
A reader feedback button is a small step, and it might fail. But if we don't try even small steps, the online world will eventually pass us by.
What happens if there is a poll and it's split 50-50? Without clear guidelines determining what equals success and is in favor of implementation, and what equals failure, how can one really judge if it is a success or a failure and if it should be implemented?
I'm all in favor of improvements, but I think this is a step that isn't viewed as an improvement by many, has not been thought out, and is being pushed far too much when there isn't a clear consensus that it is wanted or needed.
Just because it is something new does not mean it is an improvement. A solution in search of a problem is not always an improvement. To make an improvement, one should have a clear concept of how to define success of the improvement. This lacks that.
I might reconsider where I stand on this if there was a clear plan for how to define success and failure, what happens if it's still split 50-50 at the end of the trial, and what happens if this is tried out sitewide and found to be a disaster very quickly. I see the complaints about the Premium Deals forum, and I'm not convinced that if this is found to be a disaster, TB would reconsider quickly.
Please, define a clear plan before moving forward!