Chad DeBolt  

How To Use A Mobile Petition

By now, you have probably been presented with a mobile petition of some sort in your email account.  A mobile petition is used to present an idea to people without having to invest a lot of money or amass a great deal of people.  Traditional petitions were circulated door to door or in public gatherings.  A mobile petition is circulated on the internet and is a powerful tool for getting your message across and letting it travel. 

One example of a mobile petition that is currently circulating the web is the Tea Party Petition.  This is a grassroots movement that grew legs online after the passing of the stimulus bill.  Those who are circulating the petition are urging people to either send tea bags to the White House or to attend a rally.  The Tea Party petition is taking a cue from the Boston Tea Party, which was the result of the American Colonists fed up with British taxes. 

Other examples of a mobile petition include those that are used for humanitarian purposes.  If you have a humanitarian cause you want to support, and want others to support as well, you can do so by circulating a mobile petition.  The mobile petition can be in the form of text or it can also be a video.  

The internet is a very powerful tool for spreading the word about anything, regardless of the motive.  Everyone saw the power of the internet during the recent presidential campaign in which current President Barack Obama harnessed the power of the internet to rally those involved in his election and garner support.  He is the first president to recognize and make use of this technology. 

After the power of the internet became apparent to those in political circles, they began to use it for various political causes.  These include humanitarian efforts, efforts on behalf of crime victims or those that people feel are wrongfully accused of crimes, as well as political purposes.  Instead of having to form an organization of volunteers and circulate petitions for causes door to door, many are realizing that a mobile petition is not only just as effective, but even more effective.  You can reach a lot more people with a mobile petition than you can if you try to circulate one manually. 

Using video outlets and promoting the idea by internet marketing is also a way to spread the word or idea contained in the mobile petition.  This is a very powerful tool that embraces cutting edge technology and ideas to get messages across to the masses. 

While our forefathers may have dumped tea in the Boston Harbor as a form of protest, protests and political ideas will most likely form their legs and start running electronically online in the years to come.  A mobile petition is the best way that you can get your idea across to the public without having to invest a lot of time or money.  As long as you have an idea that will appeal to others, you can use this type of technology to let it flourish online.