B10[mg]

While a great thing of the Internet is that everyone can speak his/her mind, it's also a big disadvantage of the whole thing.

Readers of WebWereld (a Dutch ICT news site), are plagued by editors that believe online petitions have any news value. Yesterday, a news item pointed people to a petition to stop a new Dutch political party and today, you can see yet another item announcing the existence of a petition to stop the EU from taxing sms-text and email-communication.

Did any online petition really change anything ever? Is it just a way of collecting email addresses? Why do people get the opportunity to even start a petition?

Finding and/or creating petitions is easy, there are currently a lot of websites that make it a breeze to create one (shame on them!). So let's look at a few examples of some of the great minds of the world that deemed it necessary to "change the world".

Linux Gamers

WHy don't game developers (iD software, Blizzard, Origin, EA, etc...) also make games for linux ? They support Windows, Mac OS, why not Linux ? Linux is the future for computers. Games developers should realize this, and also add support for linux. We have to use emulators such as WINE or win4lin, which isnt the same. I ask this: WHY NOT !!?? Linux is no different than Windows or Mac OS. I read a pole the other day that 10% of computer users use Macs, 50% use windows, and the other 40% use Linux. That 40% cannot play their games ! I LOVE linux, but im also being forced to love Microsoft Windows. I NEED windows, its like a drug. I cannot play my games on linux, so i need windows.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION FOR GAME COMPANIES TO DEVELOP FOR LINUX.....

Why don't the game developers also make games for Linux? Because no one cares about it! Stop complaining and buy a Playstation or Xbox if you really want to play games. Heck, make your 1337 gaming machine dualboot and install Windows on it so you can play games!

YES! TO WOMEN SPORTS FANS OF IRAN

To: FIFA, AFC, IOC, AND THE SPORTS AUTHORITIES OF IRAN

Football is a game both men and women of all ages play and enjoy. It is also a game that in most parts of the world is enjoyed by all on the stands and at homes. Sadly, Iranian women are not allowed to enter the stadiums to watch their national team play for glory. This unfortunate phenomenon took a turn for worse when those women who attempted to attend a football match between Irans national team and Costa Rica on March 1st at the Azadi Stadium were met with violence. Forty eight hours later, That was followed by expulsion of over 2000 female spectators at the World Cup of Gymnastics event from another venue of Azadi Sports Complex.
We the undersigned individuals of this petition express our outrage for the gender discrimination as it relates to allowing women into Azadi and other stadiums in Iran. Furthermore, we condemn the acts of violence committed against those women who attempted to enter Tehrans Azadi Stadium prior to Iran Costa Rica match on March 1st, 2006.
Our demand is clear and simple:
Women must unconditionally be allowed to attend any and all sporting events in Iran if they choose so.

The United Nations are currently trying to talk to the authorities of Iran (or actually, Iran is trying to contact the USA, if I recall correctly), in order to prevent yet another invasion.

Communication is hard and the Iranian government doesn't seem to be scared about a potential invasion, but sure, they see this petition and instantly decide to change their opinion! Women will be allowed to attend any sporting event, 'cause 59245 people think so.

All in all, there are too many idiotic petitions that have no news value, let alone will they ever amount to anything.

Probably the most disturbing about this all, are the responses. For some reason, any crazy idea will gain followers. Let's look at a few Dutch examples.

76437 people signed a petition let Taida Pasic stay in the Netherlands. Did it help? Nope, she was returned to her country of birth. Waste of bandwidth.

15002 people signed another petition to spend more tax money on Dutch pop music, because "only" 0.35% of the budget for "culture" is used for this great effort. Dutch pop music isn't all that good. If it were, it didn't need the government to finance them, yet 15002 people thought -probably- different. Result? Not sure, but I doubt the petition did any good. The music didn't get better, that's for sure.

Let's look at the final example. The visitors are requested to sign the petition, to put a halt to animal abuse. The petition was opened after the horrible death of the English Bulldog, listening to the name Wizzy. Next time you want to beat an animal up, please remember that 7962 people signed a petition to stop you!

Please, people. Stop this madness. Just because you have an Internet connection, doesn't mean that the world now cares about your problems, or that you can change things by putting your email address in a box.

Let's sign the petition to stop petitions!

petition