Has an internet petition ever accomplished anything?

[Dookus]

I'm not ruling out the possibility, but I see a dozen requests a day to sign some internet petition or other, and I just can't imagine it has any effect. Convince me I'm wrong.

[Djinn]

1. A huge one might

get a bit of media interest and maybe put the issue out there but basically - no, there's no way to authenticate them.

Even hand signed peteitions are pretty useless, they are accepted by politicans and then put into storage.

[physioex]

2. Ummm...

I signed one to keep from losing my overtime, but I lost it anyway.... :shrug:

[Old and In the Way]

3. Makes me feel good.

I especially like the Impeach Bush ones....

[imenja]

4. Individual letters are much better

... in my opinion.

Politicians keep track of public opinion by counting how many pro and con phone calls, emails, or letters come into their offices. A hundred emails has a greater impact than one petition with a hundred signatures.

[Must_B_Free]

5. simply put, no.

[arcos]

6. Amina Lawal...

She was sentenced to death by stoning in Nigeria, but was freed after a huge international internet campaign, sponsored in part by Amnesty International.

Of course, the "official" version does not mention this. :P

[Dookus]

8. ah

but I suspect it was much more than a petition. Amnesty International conducts huge letter-writing campaigns and applies other forms of pressure. I doubt they just emailed a few thousand names.

[Jean Louise Finch]

7. Maybe not directly

But it might at the very least get a bunch of people reading about something they otherwise wouldn't know a thing about.

[ConsAreLiars]

9. Remember the FCC campaign

sponsored by MoveOn and others. But your observation is relevant. They went beyond petitions and automated the sending of faxes and direct emails, and this played an important part in the success of the effort.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. It established moveon.org