Do online petitions really make a difference?

[Arkansas Granny]

Almost every day, I receive emails asking me to sign an online petition for one cause or another. Some include requests for donations, some do not.

Do these petitions ever get seen by TPTB, do they really affect the outcome or are they just a "feel good" exercise.

Just wondering.

[jberryhill]

1. No, they are meaningless

Most of them are simply ploys to get your contact information.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. I believe they can make a difference. However...

1. They are, unfortunately, often a way to generate revenue by the petition platform (they sell the contact info to their non-profit partners). So those who sign petitions get disgusted with all the resultant spam and turn away from petitions altogether.

2. There are so many petition platforms now that I believe they're counteracting one another. Petitions are all about numbers, and those numbers are now fragmented amongst many petition sites now.


I've had personal experience with a successful petition (FEMA first responders/healthcare benefits), so I still believe they can be effective.

But for the reasons noted above, there's a problem right now in the realm of online petitioning, imho.

I'm thinking of adding a petition tool to Wishadoo, so people would know for sure their info isn't being sold (it's only me). And I would somehow curate and show links to similar petitions at other sites, with the goal of showing the cumulative numbers of people in support of/opposed to something via related petitions.

The fragmentation of it all is, to me, the primary problem, and I haven't found a solution as yet.

[NightWatcher]

3. Nope, they're all about getting personal info so they can ask for donations

You are basically signing up to be asked for political donations from similar candidates, issues, and PACs.

Petitions don't make politicians do anything.

[MineralMan]

4. It would be rare if they had any effect.

Most of the ones you get emails about are run by websites that use their petitioning to collect personal information about you. They sell that to others who will use your email address to sell something or promote something. Signing up at a petition site will ensure that you receive plenty of email with other solicitations.

It's your choice, but most of those petitions accomplish nothing. Instead, write your own individual emails to people to make your point. That's much more effective.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Thanks, all. Your answers pretty much reinforce my suspicions.