Casey Anthony Trial

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

The issue isn't "spreading yourself too thin" - people who put in actual effort anywhere are awesome, and it's incredible they give their limited time and resources to the greater good.

My point, which I did not explicitly make, is that there are tons of causes out there to which one can participate. How can one judge that one cause needs more attention than another?

The issue is people who click a Facebook link instead of doing something 'for real' because that satisfies their own personal desire to be a good person (or look like a good person). Lazy people have an escape hatch that really didn't exist before.

For them, clicking a face-book page is their reality. That is about the level that they want to participate.

Of course, these people may have 9 kids and have absolutely zero time - in that case, of course a petition or similar might be all they can pitch in. That's fine. It just looks suspiciously like cause-jumping to say "I AM A GOOD PERSON, I AM A PART OF THIS" for so many people. It looks like clicking a link to impress friends and neighbors, or to create an image.

And not unless you ask each and every person their real reason for just clicking a link, you will never really know their situation.

Take me as an example. I am active with a dachshund rescue org. The org is always asking for people to foster dogs which I would love to do, but I don't have the time and space to accommodate another dog. So, I just donate money and prizes for raffles they have to raise money. I consider myself active, but my level may not be as much as others in the org. Do I care about the cause any less? I don't think so. Right now I just can't commit the time I'd like, maybe one day I can.

I reserve the right to judge these people as assholes, even though that makes me an asshole in turn. I'm fine with that.

cool

[Optimus Prime]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

For them, clicking a face-book page is their reality. That is about the level that they want to participate.



And not unless you ask each and every person their real reason for just clicking a link, you will never really know their situation.

The point is clicking on a facebook page (in this certain situation and case) is downright lazy. You can't really use yourself as an example because you are obviously trying to make a difference. Online petitions, cutting porch lights on, and changing profile pictures to Caylee is not going to do a damn thing to change or help anyone's community. No matter the situation, most people can donate an hour of their time a week to volunteer somewhere in someway. I doubt many of these people that are so angered by all of this will step away from their computer screens to actually get out in their communities and put forth a real effort.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

The point is clicking on a facebook page (in this certain situation and case) is downright lazy. You can't really use yourself as an example because you are obviously trying to make a difference.

You are right. But in *their* minds they are doing sooooooo much!!!!!!

These are people who are probably so self obsessed that for them to give the smallest amount of their attention to any cause, they'll see as a "real commitment".

Online petitions, cutting porch lights on, and changing profile pictures to Caylee is not going to do a damn thing to change or help anyone's community.

It may help only in the sense that it will bring attention to the issue. It may cause people to stop for a moment and think about what happened. And maybe in time, it will cause a few to become active.

No matter the situation, most people can donate an hour of their time a week to volunteer somewhere in someway. I doubt many of these people that are so angered by all of this will step away from their computer screens to actually get out in their communities and put forth a real effort.

They probably could, but they don't. See, where I think the problem is is that having to do community service is used as punishment when someone has done something bad. If community service was used in a more positive way, then the idea of volunteering time for any cause would seem reasonable.

Maybe we as GLO members understand the need and power behind donating our time because we do it as part of our membership in our orgs. For people who have never been exposed to the idea of volunteering, they don't really understand what it means and what is involved. So for them, just to click a link is like "WOW!! I did some good". They just don't know any better.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

The issue isn't "spreading yourself too thin" - people who put in actual effort anywhere are awesome, and it's incredible they give their limited time and resources to the greater good.

The issue is people who click a Facebook link instead of doing something 'for real' because that satisfies their own personal desire to be a good person (or look like a good person). Lazy people have an escape hatch that really didn't exist before.

Of course, these people may have 9 kids and have absolutely zero time - in that case, of course a petition or similar might be all they can pitch in. That's fine. It just looks suspiciously like cause-jumping to say "I AM A GOOD PERSON, I AM A PART OF THIS" for so many people. It looks like clicking a link to impress friends and neighbors, or to create an image. I reserve the right to judge these people as assholes, even though that makes me an asshole in turn. I'm fine with that.

I'm an asshole too, but I've been quite lucky that my facebook feed has been intelligent and thoughtful commentary on how the law works and explaining the outcome or on how victims/children are handled and looked upon by the media and the public. There's also been offshoots about matricide and how people view it in frames of gender and society. I know those people are letter writers, researchers who publish, serve on boards, do probono work, and so on, and if it ends up on facebook it doesn't get to that point, thank God.

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

The point is clicking on a facebook page (in this certain situation and case) is downright lazy. You can't really use yourself as an example because you are obviously trying to make a difference. Online petitions, cutting porch lights on, and changing profile pictures to Caylee is not going to do a damn thing to change or help anyone's community. No matter the situation, most people can donate an hour of their time a week to volunteer somewhere in someway. I doubt many of these people that are so angered by all of this will step away from their computer screens to actually get out in their communities and put forth a real effort.

Hell they could set up their internet searching with Good Search and every time they need something it contributes to a charity.

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

You are right. But in *their* minds they are doing sooooooo much!!!!!!

These are people who are probably so self obsessed that for them to give the smallest amount of their attention to any cause, they'll see as a "real commitment".



It may help only in the sense that it will bring attention to the issue. It may cause people to stop for a moment and think about what happened. And maybe in time, it will cause a few to become active.




They probably could, but they don't. See, where I think the problem is is that having to do community service is used as punishment when someone has done something bad. If community service was used in a more positive way, then the idea of volunteering time for any cause would seem reasonable.

Maybe we as GLO members understand the need and power behind donating our time because we do it as part of our membership in our orgs. For people who have never been exposed to the idea of volunteering, they don't really understand what it means and what is involved. So for them, just to click a link is like "WOW!! I did some good". They just don't know any better.

What I wasn't as clear about is that an online petition or facebook porch light movements are less effective than say, shooting off a quick email or making a phone call to one's elected but take the same amount of time. Also a national petition isn't appropriate, but I won't knock them for their ignorance about not knowing that nuance, so if someone made their status "Hey people on Sesame Street, our representative is Guy Smiley and I just wrote to him about working on a law because of what happened to Caylee Anthony." Same thing regarding a donation to an event or charity, especially with the text donations that have cropped up after every natural disaster. "I'm upset about the Caylee Anthony case, so I made a donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 93% of revenue goes to finding children and victim assistance and you can donate online at www.morethanafacebookslacktivist.com"

I don't care if someone wants attention or acknowledgment if they actually did something positive toward whatever cause it is at the moment and may entice others to the bandwagon. It's the attention and bandwagon with no chance of attempting or affecting real change that engages my righteous indignation. If someone doesn't have money a simple call or email to an elected official who gets paid to do those things may take a whole ten minutes, and if they have money and not time they could probably complete an online donation in five minutes.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

What I wasn't as clear about is that an online petition or facebook porch light movements are less effective than say, shooting off a quick email or making a phone call to one's elected but take the same amount of time.

You were clear. I get what you and others have said.

All I'm saying is that the people who are just clicking links on the internet and feeling good about it are probably people who usually have not made any contribution to anything.

So what we (those of us who understand the commitment to volunteer and be active in the community) perceive as next to nothing involvement, those other people think it is a big deal because they have probably never dedicated themselves to any cause other than themselves.

I don't care if someone wants attention or acknowledgment if they actually did something positive toward whatever cause it is at the moment and may entice others to the bandwagon. It's the attention and bandwagon with no chance of attempting or affecting real change that engages my righteous indignation. If someone doesn't have money a simple call or email to an elected official who gets paid to do those things may take a whole ten minutes, and if they have money and not time they could probably complete an online donation in five minutes.

My personal gauge for any org or movement is 1/10. If you can get at least 1/10 of the total participants to really get involved, then I think that is about the best you can hope for. True, there will be some posers who are just out to make themselves look good to others. There will always be people like that. You can't stop them and you can't change them. Just thank them for their participation and KIM.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

You were clear. I get what you and others have said.

All I'm saying is that the people who are just clicking links on the internet and feeling good about it are probably people who usually have not made any contribution to anything.

So what we (those of us who understand the commitment to volunteer and be active in the community) perceive as next to nothing involvement, those other people think it is a big deal because they have probably never dedicated themselves to any cause other than themselves.



My personal gauge for any org or movement is 1/10. If you can get at least 1/10 of the total participants to really get involved, then I think that is about the best you can hope for. True, there will be some posers who are just out to make themselves look good to others. There will always be people like that. You can't stop them and you can't change them. Just thank them for their participation and KIM.

It isn't even about being active in the community, it is about that one action (facebook post or picture changing) not meaning anything. If someone emails a senator and never have any future action or thoughts related to Caylee again it actually has potential unlike repeated other actions. Why not make a move that is for real and not just for show?

If someone donates money or posts a link to an organization because they think it makes them look cool or they want attention awesome, because work still got done and they can feel good about themselves. Reposting to turn on the porch light doesn't do a damn thing other than let someone feel good and advertise that they want to appear concerned or that they care.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

It isn't even about being active in the community, it is about that one action (facebook post or picture changing) not meaning anything. If someone emails a senator and never have any future action or thoughts related to Caylee again it actually has potential unlike repeated other actions. Why not make a move that is for real and not just for show?

If someone donates money or posts a link to an organization because they think it makes them look cool or they want attention awesome, because work still got done and they can feel good about themselves. Reposting to turn on the porch light doesn't do a damn thing other than let someone feel good and advertise that they want to appear concerned or that they care.

Because they are probably really shallow people to begin with.

Isn't there an old Vaudeville joke that goes: She's such a narcissist, she'd show up to the opening of an envelope if the papparizzi (?sp) are going to be there.

I've been around such shallow people, so it does not phase me anymore.