It's easy to look down on Internet petitions because the vast majority of them are created on special create-a-petition sites, by users with no background involvement with the matter at hand and without any political or organisational backing. Still, I think it's quite a nice idea in principle, as much as as even some of the more "official" petitions lack in what they can really accomplish. Some of the ones on Greenpeace example that I've just looked at and been familiar with through reading in the past, literally take years to be effective in many cases. A lot of people aren't ond of that: you really do need to stick with these groups if you want to make a difference. An online petition might be a good step to begin with, but like JohnnyWang said, you're not really getting involved as a result. For charities, what does getting involved really mean at heart? Give them money, or do something that will create money, so the NGO can have greater chances of getting stuff done. At the end, you're a far cry away from when you signed that e-petition.
And Downing Street continues to host their petitions website for British users (though I'm not sure if foreign users are blocked from signing truly, it probably wouldn't make much sense). I've browsed those pages a few times before and signed a couple, because they have a chance to be sent to the prime minister. Yes, the prime minister probably only glances at these things if he/she reads them at all, but it's better than sitting back and just accepting something that you're clearly not happy with. The government do respond to quite a few of them.
One in particular that was promoted around the BBS some time ago was on the Manhunt 2 banning issue, which I signed. I believe it was ultimately rejected, but the game is available now anyway. This leads us conveniently through to...
At 11/2/09 06:07 PM, coure wrote:
I forced people to sign my petition in Postal 2 does that count?
Haha, I wanted to bring that up. Well done for getting there first.
"Hi there, will you please sign my petition?"
"No way, you freaking pinko!"
"Shit!"
Ah, I need that game back some time. I probably would've signed the thing in real life given its message and the self-satisfaction I'd receive, with or without the Dude holding a shotgun to my face.
