Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Internet and on-line petitions seem like a quick and easy way to make a statement. Unfortunately at best they're ineffectual, and at worst they do real harm.
A mailing list I'm on encouraged all its readers to go to a web site and sign an internet petition supporting some legislation we care about. I mentioned that to a friend of mine, and his opinion was that I'd been duped, and that it was a scam. Is he right? Are internet petitions a scam?
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Some are. Some aren't. But they do, in my opinion, share a common characteristic:
Most are ineffectual.
And that can actually cause more harm that good.
Let me explain why that is...
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There are several reasons you need to be extra careful, and fully aware, before you choose to use an internet petition to make your opinion heard. These are just a few.
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Spam - Many internet petition sites will ask for your email address. It can be a reasonable security measure to ensure that you are a real person, and to avoid "stuffing" the petition with multiple fraudulent "signatures". Unfortunately it can also be an easy way for a nefarious spammer to collect your email address, and begin sending you lots of spam. Think about it - not only do they know your email address, but they also now know at least one issue you feel strongly about.
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Trickery - Along the same lines as spam, I've seen several ads, polls and petitions that, once you've signed or voted, are nothing more than a way to take you to some kind of sales pitch that may, or may not, be related to the issue at hand.
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Ineffectiveness (#1) - When you sign an internet petition, you're relying on the provider of that petition to actually do something with the results. They may. Or they may not. In my opinion, if the petition site is plastered with ads, then I'd start getting suspicious that they were more interested in you perhaps clicking on an ad, than actually doing anything with the petition information.
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Ineffectiveness (#2) - Any legitimate organization that receives the result of an internet petition will, in all likelihood, ignore it. As they should. It's much too easy to fabricate, miscollect or misrepresent data collected this way. Even for legitimate internet petitions, "voter fraud" is both rampant, and difficult to control. Any recipient of an internet petitions that "gets" this will, most likely, thank the providers of the information, and then throw the results away.
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Misguidance - Internet petitions make you feel good. It feels like you've done something. But, as the previous points all lead up to, you've likely not accomplished anything at all. But, feeling like you have, you may elect not to do something else - like write a real letter, or make a phone call, or make a donation. The fact that the internet petition might distract you from doing something that actually could be effective is, in my opinion, it's real danger.
So what should you do? If you feel strongly enough about an issue, use more traditional means - write a letter, a real one on paper, and mail it - make a phone call - make a donation, if that's your desire. The fact that each one of these isn't as easy as an internet petition is exactly why they're more effective. If you actually take the time to do these things, it's clearly an important issue to you, and you're more likely to be heard.
Heck - anyone can click on a link.
Article C2430 - October 7, 2005
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
Leo,
Do you think Facebook petitions and Care2 petitions are any better? I would be interested in your comments on how they solve or do not solve the problems you mentioned.
Thank,
ND
08-Feb-2009
If mine is the first name on the list, on how many lists will my name have appeared if they all get 100 entries? Some mathematical genius might care to work it out. But I can only legitimately sign a petition once, so the lists are invalid anyway.
Posted by: Mike Mackintosh at February 9, 2009 7:26 AMMy wife is a British citizen and she was asked to sign a perition. You were sent a specific form on which to record your vote and given the e-mail address of the government department that was being petitioned. That makes sense.
Maybe those Internet petitions won't get enough signatures. We want the gas prices lowered and there were petitions for that. Also I want to make my public transportation better and also have unfair rules repealed like portable DVD players allowed on the buses as long as those people with them use headphones and don't distract others with it. I also think that high gas prices cost me driving lessons.
05-Jun-2010
Posted by: Timothy at June 3, 2010 6:35 PM
There are SOME good uses. Mainly as feedback. For instance: if a facebook petition to save whales has 1 millon signatures, you can tell that the issue has public opinion. Now, the petition might do nothing, BUT some politician might be able to leverage this and will do something to get votes.
(Just like I KNOW that not many people care to Save the Woolly Mammoth)
In Australia we have the 'Get Up' organisation which often does online petitions. They can take it to whatever level of government and say 'there are a lot of VOTING people who want logging stopped, is this a good hint?'
But they're the exceptions to the rule.
14-Oct-2011
What about this one then?
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/
Of course, regarding many petitions, especially on Facebook, I absolutely agree with you.
Posted by: James at November 15, 2011 12:43 PM