Vast Active Library and Information Science blog. From a recent library science graduate in Wellington, New Zealand. A focus on reference and current awareness tools and issues, especially free, web-based resources.

 
Members of Parliament are tiring of the email bombardments they get from supporters and opponents of issues such as civil unions and prostitution law reform....Cabinet ministers and MPs are saying they now give more credence to letters and faxes than to emails on some major issues.

One of the negative aspects of the internet is that it sometimes makes communication too easy. In this case, supporters or opponents of particular causes create websites that allow visitors to email every member of Parliament. Which is really barely distinguishable from spam. It's hardly any wonder that these emails get ignored.

From the New Zealand Futures Trust, via The Dominion Post. A similar point about electronic activism, aka slacktivism, is made on Snopes.

(The article also has some unkind words for the NZ Government portal).

| posted by Simon at 8:25 pm