Sunday 11 March 2007

On line petitions and blogging - the silent revolution

I am absolutely amazed! Not just because I have found out that there is an actual exam grade of X - just below unclassified I think - but because our group blog is contributing to a massive social movement to change 'unfair' legislation through the use of on line petitions.

To bring any new visitors to this blog up to speed - I am currently studying for an MBA and as one of the modules - MIS - have set up with four colleagues a group blog.

One of the very first posts to the blog related to social computing and on line petitions and as a result of the blog being read, a reader set up an on line petition - to protest about the imposition of a 10MPH speed limit on Lake Winderemere, in Cumbria, almost two years ago.

I don't intend in this blog to start a debate about the rights and wrongs of this decision as there are a whole host of other blogs and sites which do this much more eloquently - but I will declare an interest in the debate by stating I am anti the 10MPH speed limit.

This particular blog is all about the power of IT. What has amazed me is the level of response to the petition - 1,142 in about three weeks and articles in the local press and other blogs, all this without the person who set up the petition, ever raising a Parker pen in anger or knocking on any door or ultimately commissioning the battle bus to Downing Street.

What do you think? Do on line petitions make people lazy and possibly petition for issues about which they are not really passionate or do they allow individuals to express their opinion on whatever remotely bothers them?

Me - I don't know - but what I do know is that I am beginning to see that the future could be bright - and that this bright future could be delivered and enhanced through the intelligent and possibly regulated use of the information systems available, which span continents and cultures.

Speak Soon JJB - on the journey from luddite to early adopter?

PS Still don't understand the currency bits on SL and how you can make money - can anybody tell me?

4 comments:

RW said...

Online petitions may well be the petition for the lazy, but i think they are also the petition for the clever campaigner. The power of the internet has shown how quickly and easy it is to reach like minded audiences across wide geographic areas.

Something I would consider doing as opposed to standing in the town centre on a rainy Saturday? Yes and that is from both perspectives. I am both more likely to push people to sign up digitally and also take part myself on a petition. I have a reason for braving the weather and shoppers on a Saturday which i really do not want distracting from. Time is precious and digital petitions, to me, would be the better use of my time.

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