Officials
don't take them seriously because:
1)
They are too easy
to fake
2) They tend to last forever in cyberspace, becoming meaningless
and a nuisance (The classic example is the petition about preventing a
"new" Internet Tax that the house is considering. This is originally
from the mid-90s and referrs to an issue that is long-dead. Many e-mail
petitions are similar, and many officials still
get this same years-old petition.)
3) There is no reliable way to verify the names or to completely
remove duplicates
4) Often, the e-mail addresses where you are supposed to send them
don't even exist anymore—they were closed long ago after the issue
or vote was finished.
5) They mean very little in terms of an individual's vote. It's
easy to pass on an e-mail. It's more of a commitment to write a letter,
call, show up, or create a real petition with real signatures
If you
have an issue you want to circulate on the net, make your appeal short
and sweet, and offer relevant phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and physical
addresses for people to call or write to. That will make a difference.
Passing on the e-petition will not.
Still
not convinced? Ask any of your public officials
what they think.
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