Almost all petitions are pointless, but this one created by Avaaz.org in the wake of the Mumbai tragedy really irritates me.

By signing this petition, members declare that the “terrorist attacks in Mumbai have not divided us, will not divide us, and that we stand together, as one people, against all violent extremists who shamefully target the innocent.”

This is like creating a petition for people to declare they have all five of their fingers. It’s a banal, superfluous statement to be made by the collective. I don’t mean to sound heartless in the midst of a tragedy, and I would let this pass without comment, but I actually think this petition is doing harm. Everyone who signs this petition goes away feeling like they did a little something, when in fact, they’ve done nothing. This petition takes the signatories earnest ambition to help and channels it into a black hole.

I’m sure the people at Avaaz mean well, but this feels like ambulance chasing. The only thing this petition will accomplish is increasing Avaaz’s membership. There’s nothing wrong with organizing people in response to a disaster, but organize with purpose. To do otherwise makes online organizing smell bad as a whole.

As social entrepreneurs, it is our mission to build things that do good, but more than that, it is our responsibility to renounce tools that give people a false sense of accomplishment, depleting them of the precious discomfort that drives them to take action. Petitions are such tools. The Web offers us so much more – let’s starting using it.

-Filed in Tactics, Tools