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Test the validity of electronic petitions in 7 steps.

The following message is not mine. This is a translation and adaptation of the site BreakTheChain.org .
- Jean-Yves Hemlin

The online petition is one of the worst kinds of spam. These stories usually begin with a very emotional story, ask you to add your name and email address and send to all your friends (while you still ...)
Often we sign, because the cause is noble, participation is easy and requires no effort or expense on our part. But these electronic petitions are made by people who do not understand the limitations of email ...

Imagine yourself as being an important man about to take a highly controversial decision. You receive a paper petition signed by 500 people. On examination, you find that the petition is written in pencil and all signatures are alike strangely as if it were written by the same hand ... You would not use the page as soon as unreliable, if not false. When you receive hundreds of identical copies, except for signatures footer, you probably would reject any subsequent copy.

is exactly what an electronic petition (via email or web). Because anyone can edit the text of the petition and its signatures can be authenticated, the petition is not much better than the paper petition described above, and no attention is given.
Break the Chain (and the myths Breaker) suggests not to create, "signing" or to send e-petitioning whatever aspect it can have real and even if this is because you really to heart. To determine if a petition is worth to be signed, this is what you need to validate:

Note: As soon as one or two points of the test fails, reject the petition as being unreliable.

The 7 tests to validate petitions.

1. Expiration . Does the petition has an expiration date or a limited number of signatures to get? The e-petition is circulating on the Web for months or even years. Sometimes, they circulate long after their raison d'etre has disappeared. (For example the case Bulger )
2. Objective. Is the objective of the petition is clearly identified? The petition identifies Does clear milestones and outcomes? Solicits Does she or does that signatures of party members to influence policy? Many e-petitions you win to their cause, but make no formal request (for example the petition against bonsai cat), or target someone who can do nothing to change the situation. (Eg Bush petition to bring back prayer in schools).
3. Integrity. Someone makes sure he that the petition is in the format required for the targeted party? Unfortunately, many ask to send the petition directly to the party you want to influence. This "invasion of emails" costs the recipient money and time. It causes more damage to the cause he is trying to promote. (For example, the petition to the United Nation to stop the war in Iraq).
4. Privacy . Is there an alternative to the signature as a website, a phone number or address where to send paper mail? Is the message explains how the information will be collected and by whom? If you must sign on a website, this site has a statement on the confidentiality of information? Remember that there is no protection of information contained in an email ...
5. Reliability . Does the message clearly explains that receives and compiles the signatures and can you trust him? While some petitions you give an address or send your completed petitions, most designers do not check with their Internet provider before starting their shipments, with the result, e-mail address is canceled shortly after. Most service providers prohibit formally sending unsolicited email in their service agreement with their customers. (For example Sympatico or Videotron .)
6. Sponsorship . Does the author of the petition clearly identify itself and give there a way to contact him? A social or political cause will generally have a well organized web site or a phone number where you can get more details or offer your services. Unfortunately, most designers of electronic petitions are hiding behind the anonymity of an email. (Eg " AIDS, rape, virgin and Africa").
7. validity. Does the petition is based on verifiable facts and statistics? The source is it mentioned? In other words, is what claims are provable, or do you take them to words, without proof? Often, what you try to stop no longer exists or never existed. (The example of "paying MSN " required in this case.)

Reminder: if 1 or 2 of the 7 tests do not pass, the petition is likely illegitimate.

Period Late Cervix High And Soft

AIDS, rape, virgin, and paying MSN

Here is a meaningful message arouse our pity but in reality is only maintaining the myth about these "ignorant of Africans and their foolish faith Science and cons for the magic of the jungle. "
First comes the message:

====================== === TITLE ====================

Petition

--------------------- --- CONTENT -------------------

Hello!

Last week, a little girl of 3 years of Athlone (South Africa) was beaten and raped. It is still alive. The culprit was released yesterday on bail.

If you're too busy to read this message, copy, add your name to the petition and send it to your friends.

Maybe you've already heard that there is a myth in South Africa claiming that having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Plus the girl is younger, the effect should be beneficial. This is the actual cause of an epidemic of rapes by infected men who infect innocent children. Several have already died from this violence and sexual contagion.

Recently, we reported the following case: in Cape Town, six men attacked a 9 month old.

The tragedy of mammoth proportions and if we do nothing, which may do for us? The South African government is currently thought to abolish the department of child protection and this petition is intended to oppose the project. This petition is very important. The Unity of child advocacy is a vital organization in the judicial system of South Africa for the protection of children.

Please add your name to the document, after you copy the text into a new message and send it to as many people as possible. If you are signed 120, send it to the following address: childprotectpca@saps.org.za

It is not enough Forwarded to the message directly, by copying the text remains clear and orderly. Sign this list and upload it.

Names:
(...)

----------------- ------------- END OF MESSAGE ------

This message has been circulating since 2002 or, at the time, another version circulated and also attributed these horrors in the former USSR (including the passage of the gang rape of the baby! .. .).
analyze the message:

1. Interpol reported that the rate of rape in South Africa is 3 times higher than U.S. (0.1% against 0.03%). TRUE .
   
2. The CPU ("Child Protection Unit" Service Child Protection ) was founded in 1986 to protect children. Critics are especially against the CPU that lack staff and funding. The government has pledged to keep this office as long as the need arises. FALSE.
   
3. belief that virgins cure sexually transmitted diseases is a distortion of the common belief in England under Queen Victoria, while prostitution and its problems were raging, suggested to promote the blank does not catch diseases. Understanding (and especially ignorance) has transformed the suggestion of "catch" to "heal " its the same diseases. neither true nor false .
4. The gang rape of which he is mentioned is the small Tshepang. Although six men were interviewed by the police, they were all released for lack of evidence. For cons, the perpetrator was none other than David Pots the boyfriend's mother who was denounced after she caught him in a compromising position with his daughter. DNA evidence has been made and the accused to 23 years Now his life in prison. FALSE
5. again about the rape, the little Tshepang who was 9 months at the time of the tragedy, is now 5 years old. She did not have AIDS and, after several reconstructive surgeries, doctors say she can bear children.
   

An interesting detail is that for the second time in a short time, I get a message that asks to use copy instead of just coler retransmit ("Forwarded" (sic)). This suggestion has the advantage of not to broadcast the name of the original sender .

For those who are still trying to re-send this letter to the police at the address above named, thus says the website police : "(...) They Are to Be linkable Their efforts have prosecuted are jeopardising police work by Creating Unnecessary panic. " In other words people who send this message are liable to be prosecuted for having slowed down the police work by creating unjustified panic ...

How Does Acute Hiv Rash Look

Africa (but not for Microsoft)!

A "classic" ... For several years the rumor that MSN will become payable. Even the very serious state company Radio-Canada was trapped at the time.

turn first to the message:

====================== =============== TITLE ========

If

or MSN pay

CONTENT ------ --------------------- ----------------
sorry t'aprendre AC, but in summer 2006, we will have to pay to use MSN Messenger
and email accounts, if one does not send this message to at least 18 people on our contact list. This is no joke and if you do not believe me go on the site (http://www.msn.com) see yourself. When you have sent this message to least 18 of your contacts, your msn man will become blue. Please, copy and paste this message, do not move because people do not take
this message seriously.


Variant # 1 =========== ===========

Hello world

I this alex Mench, director of MSN. We pévenons privatization of MSN From {date variable - note the breaker of myths} , MSN, if you will payant.Mais MSN already have, just send message to 15 of your contacts, not to pay. Otherwise, new come to MSN and those n'oront not send this message will be obliged to pay {variable amount, usually € 12.50 - note the breaker of myths } every month. Plea

we Exuse

Regards Alex Mench, director of MSN

------------------- ----------------- END OF MESSAGE

The first version is inherently more credible than the second. Indeed, how many times a trader you he wrote to apologize for having to raise prices?

There is not much argument to convince you of the veracity of the message: " goes on the site (http://www.msn.com) see yourself." On the site of MSN.com there was everything except the information that is supposed to find. (Obviously, since this information is false!) The author of this message is that you will not rely on the site and the only mention of this site will serve as irrefutable proof. Note
that the author of the message is smart and cautious, saying that only the copy and paste, he ensures that his name and email address will not be retransmitted, and that can not be traced.
Finally, could someone tell me why " 18 people on my contact list? Why not 5, 29 or 437?

But I tell you it is a false message that DO NOT RETRANSMITTING .

If you do not believe me, "go on the site Google.com see for yourself. Please copy and paste this message or its link (http://briseur-de- mythes.blogspot.com /), so that people take this message seriously. "
:-)