I'm not sure it's an accurate assumption to say that people will do (A) because it makes them feel good, so they don't feel like they have to do (B). I'm not sure that those people who do (A) would ever have been willing to do (B).
I see what you mean by people feeling like they've done their bit when they haven't really done anything at all, but I think all that's really happened is you've given them a wee little flag to wave. I doubt that those same people would think, "Well, now I don't have to send a letter to my senator, because I signed a petition!" In fact, I think the opposite may be true. I know that in the age of email and quick forwards and flist activist memes, I've gotten *more* involved, *more* educated, become *more* willing to write to my senator in addition to signing the petition. Bandwagon or not, the interaction with another human being makes it more visceral.
(In fact, I think that's probably the reason behind the explosion in the blogosphere that's giving mainstream media such a run for it's money. News isn't something that happens somewhere else. News is happening to real people, people whose blogs(journals) we read and news is happening right now, outside their front door.)
As for this A-hole, one can always hope that some good comes of the e-exposure. But I am reminded of the flasher who got his pic on the front page of -- was it the NY Post or something? He got two years probation. That's disheartening as all hell.
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Date: 2006-04-21 04:39 pm (UTC)I see what you mean by people feeling like they've done their bit when they haven't really done anything at all, but I think all that's really happened is you've given them a wee little flag to wave. I doubt that those same people would think, "Well, now I don't have to send a letter to my senator, because I signed a petition!" In fact, I think the opposite may be true. I know that in the age of email and quick forwards and flist activist memes, I've gotten *more* involved, *more* educated, become *more* willing to write to my senator in addition to signing the petition. Bandwagon or not, the interaction with another human being makes it more visceral.
(In fact, I think that's probably the reason behind the explosion in the blogosphere that's giving mainstream media such a run for it's money. News isn't something that happens somewhere else. News is happening to real people, people whose blogs(journals) we read and news is happening right now, outside their front door.)
As for this A-hole, one can always hope that some good comes of the e-exposure. But I am reminded of the flasher who got his pic on the front page of -- was it the NY Post or something? He got two years probation. That's disheartening as all hell.