Here are some links for people who are interested in online petitions: what good they are and do, where and how to set them up, and what changes in the “business of campaigning” are ahead for online issue advocacy.
• This article, funded by nonprofit technology clearinghouse TechSoup, is a terrific summary of the difference between pledges and petitions, how to integrate both into larger campaigns, and the kinds of technological tools on offer on the internet.
• Socialbrite.org has a good list of online petition sites and various plug-ins that can turn your own website into an online petition.
• Since last fall, Change.org has dropped from many people’s lists of good online petition sites because of its new advertising and sponsorship policies. See this article on Huffington Post for more information
• Read this Economist article on Purpose.com, a relative newcomer to the online petitions scene.