How to Be an Internet Activist

So you want to take your activism online? The allure of Internet activism is in the simplicity that the Internet adds to communications. The Internet erases all kinds of "leg work" in campaigns that we might call "activist." A lot of the nuts and bolts of activism are different online, and as more and more of human activity goes onto the web, it's a "no-brainer" that activism will follow.

Instructions

1. Set up a great web page. For a true activist, your page should be the best possible to advance your cause. Don't settle for mediocrity; use the values of the web (bright colors and attention-grabbing headlines) to get people focused on your campaign.

2. Link your webpage to others. Find the best examples of other similar pages online and link to them prominently on your budding activist site. Do your best to find your "comrades" or colleagues online, and your web activism will thrive.

3. Use features like guestbooks to do the work of a campaign, including petitions. Keep a record of those who have signed on to support you.

4. Use chat rooms. Everybody, from celebrities and famous politicians to relatively obscure bloggers and activists are using chat rooms to advance their views and mingling with others online for frank discussions of current events. Chat rooms are a way to get solid contact with others online. Plan a way to connect at specific times, for online "meetings" on your subject.

5. Get things rolling. You can use the above items, like chat room meetings, to do fund-raising, or to arrange and advertise events in your area. Bringing online activism across to the offline world will only energize your web activism. You'll find the combination of the two will create a good overall campaign and possibly even get your name into the mainstream press.

Resources

• About Internet Activism.
• Digital Divide Network: An Online Resource.