My take on online petitions...

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While the motivation behind such acts is well intended, online petitions simply carry little if any weight to them.

Why you ask?

1.)Examples of incomplete signatures which will result in invalid totals:

Signers: 141, 139, 150, 132, and more no doubt..

2.)Uneccessary satire or so called wit do not belong on petitions. The few that sign poorly or say "fuck this" ruin the entire thing.

Signers: 145, 134, 141, and more no doubt....

3.)Annomity really crushes online petitions. While a few petitions have worked, there are hundreds of online petitions that have not, escpecially in the cases when they deal with government actions/laws/acts. It is more likely people will falsify information over the net, or continuely post to some online petitions in order to get the numbers up.

4.)Signatures 251, and 252 show a complete disregaurd for multiple signatures from one source (test and test2 demonstrate this). If an online petition is to work, some kind of IP registration should take place to ensure multiple entries are not cast by one person.

and finally..

5.) More often than not, petitions work like this. A few knowledgeable people start a petition and make up a short description on their view of the thing they are petitioning. These people generally have read the official documents in which they are opposed. After that, they go out to the ignorant masses and through non-intentional or malicious reasons sell them on their own understanding of the oppositional piece. The ignorant masses either out of boredom or because of the 'dumbed down' version given to them sign a petition and the masses go on their daily lives. So the whole thing ends up being an opion of the few who sell their opinion to the masses. This is how most 'popular' things spring up. Demonstrations, political debates, governmental hearings, protests, and petitions are all based on selling part of the truth to people, without the people knowing all the facts behind the story.

Granted, some of this can occur in real life as well. My whole reason for writing this is to perhaps suggest that hand written, snail mail to congressional leaders and government officials might be a more effective way to get your point across. The easier it is to do something, the less effect it is going to have on people's interests in general. A hand written, snail mail, piece outlining your views, in my humble opinion, is a more effective way of expressing yourself. Just a suggestion.

If you read all of this, please reply with 'Hey edifice' on the top line of your replies. Otherwise I am going to assume you did a half assed read and will not pay attention to your comments. Just a screening sort of thing. :]

Best of luck,

--Edifice--

On 2003-02-20 03:33:34, inspectorgadget wrote
>The Homeland Security Act is a MAJOR invasion of Privacy. The Cyberarmy members that are citizens of the United States of America Should speak out against this act, as it violates the rights that the country was founded on.
>
>Our indangered liberties include the rights to free speech, assembly and privacy; the rights to legal counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and the right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.
>
>The Government claims that this can help to fight terrorism in the country... I say bull, our rights come first. Everyone is always willing to give up little rights at a time, for false security. See past this people, and sign this petition.
>
> Petition Online Against Homeland Security Act
>
>Please sign this petition, everyone... Heh, Even if you aren't in America! As other countries might try to model America. :-\
>
>More Information:
>
>http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/analysis/ (this is the actual bill from the whitehouse...)
>
>http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/01FDB4ACEC2B155C86256CCA00701C42?OpenDocument&Headline=U-City+passes+resolution+against+the+Homeland+Security+Act
>
>http://www.yankton.net/stories/021903/opE_20030219040.shtml
>
>
>Check http://surfsafe.cpc-net.org for more updates on this, we will try to keep everyone informed.
>
>

Replies:

Homeland Security Act! Petition! - Ker inspectorgadget 2003-02-20 03:33:34
- definately done. -nt- - Tr Skyler Gray 2003-03-11 10:11:07
- lol -more- - LtKer vap0r 2003-02-25 19:44:59
- Done, nice job Iggy. -nt - LtKer snowstorm 2003-02-23 22:42:09
- RE: Homeland Security Act! Petition! - Guest(N1k1tA) 2003-02-21 04:49:16
- >My take on online petitions... - Guest(edifice) 2003-02-21 02:06:40 <
  - nobody is forcing you to do it -nt - LtKer snowstorm 2003-02-23 22:44:07
    - RE: nobody is forcing you to do it - LtKer Lshmael 2003-02-23 23:32:41
      - RE: nobody is forcing you to do it :] <more> - Guest(edifice) 2003-02-25 00:00:30
      - yeah i agree :o) -nt - LtKer snowstorm 2003-02-23 23:39:22
  - hey g0at(aka edifice) - Maj Emrys 2003-02-23 14:08:34
    - RE: hey g0at(aka edifice) MOOO!! nt - Guest(edifice) 2003-02-23 17:17:16
      - hehe u do now? : -nt- - Maj Emrys 2003-02-24 00:28:20
- done -nt - LtKer Bubuche93 2003-02-20 18:23:28
- RE: Homeland Security Act! Petition! - Tr jingo 2003-02-20 15:56:52
- Done. -nt- - Tr Exonic 2003-02-20 15:02:34
- Done and done - Ker HeltahSkeltah 2003-02-20 07:53:33
- signed but [more] - Ker adtrace 2003-02-20 07:35:04
- Done, thank you for pointing this out -nt- - Lt Raekdoe 2003-02-20 04:00:46
- Done -nt - Tr snowbear 2003-02-20 03:57:46
  - get your pink suit on again :o) -nt - LtKer snowstorm 2003-02-23 22:40:45
- Done and Done. Good Looking Out IG - 2nd Lt xwyzard 2003-02-20 03:51:58
- Done, thanks IG -=nt=- - Cpt Darkstorm777 2003-02-20 03:35:38
  - RE: Done, thanks IG -=nt=-t357 - Tr HaffoxV2point0 2003-03-11 09:50:42
    - RE: Done, thanks IG -=nt=-t357 - Tr HaffoxV2point0 2003-03-11 09:52:42

Guest:
Subject:
Message:	On 2003-02-21 02:06:40, edifice wrote > >While the motivation behind such acts is well intended, online petitions simply carry little if any weight to them. > > >Why you ask? > > >1.)Examples of incomplete signatures which will result in invalid totals: > >Signers: 141, 139, 150, 132, and more no doubt.. > >2.)Uneccessary satire or so called wit do not belong on petitions. The few that sign poorly or say "fuck this" ruin the entire thing. > >Signers: 145, 134, 141, and more no doubt.... > >3.)Annomity really crushes online petitions. While a few petitions have worked, there are hundreds of online petitions that have not, escpecially in the cases when they deal with government actions/laws/acts. It is more likely people will falsify information over the net, or continuely post to some online petitions in order to get the numbers up. > >4.)Signatures 251, and 252 show a complete disregaurd for multiple signatures from one source (test and test2 demonstrate this). If an online petition is to work, some kind of IP registration should take place to ensure multiple entries are not cast by one person. > >and finally.. > >5.) More often than not, petitions work like this. A few knowledgeable people start a petition and make up a short description on their view of the thing they are petitioning. These people generally have read the official documents in which they are opposed. After that, they go out to the ignorant masses and through non-intentional or malicious reasons sell them on their own understanding of the oppositional piece. The ignorant masses either out of boredom or because of the 'dumbed down' version given to them sign a petition and the masses go on their daily lives. So the whole thing ends up being an opion of the few who sell their opinion to the masses. This is how most 'popular' things spring up. Demonstrations, political debates, governmental hearings, protests, and petitions are all based on selling part of the truth to people, without the people knowing all the facts behind the story. > >Granted, some of this can occur in real life as well. My whole reason for writing this is to perhaps suggest that hand written, snail mail to congressional leaders and government officials might be a more effective way to get your point across. The easier it is to do something, the less effect it is going to have on people's interests in general. A hand written, snail mail, piece outlining your views, in my humble opinion, is a more effective way of expressing yourself. Just a suggestion. > > > > > > >If you read all of this, please reply with 'Hey edifice' on the top line of your replies. Otherwise I am going to assume you did a half assed read and will not pay attention to your comments. Just a screening sort of thing. :] > >Best of luck, > >--Edifice-- > > > > > > > > > > > >On 2003-02-20 03:33:34, inspectorgadget wrote >>The Homeland Security Act is a MAJOR invasion of Privacy. The Cyberarmy members that are citizens of the United States of America Should speak out against this act, as it violates the rights that the country was founded on. >> >>Our indangered liberties include the rights to free speech, assembly and privacy; the rights to legal counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and the right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. >> >>The Government claims that this can help to fight terrorism in the country... I say bull, our rights come first. Everyone is always willing to give up little rights at a time, for false security. See past this people, and sign this petition. >> >> [url=http://www.petitiononline.com/privacy/petition.html] Petition Online Against Homeland Security Act [/url] >> >>Please sign this petition, everyone... Heh, Even if you aren't in America! As other countries might try to model America. :-\ >> >>More Information: >> >>http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/analysis/ (this is the actual bill from the whitehouse...) >> >>http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/01FDB4ACEC2B155C86256CCA00701C42?OpenDocument&Headline=U-City+passes+resolution+against+the+Homeland+Security+Act >> >>http://www.yankton.net/stories/021903/opE_20030219040.shtml >> >> >>Check http://surfsafe.cpc-net.org for more updates on this, we will try to keep everyone informed. >> >>
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