Comments on: Online Tactics: Influencing Congress and Other Decision-Makers

By: Amiel Sac

Amiel Sac — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:54:50 +0000

“Staff will usually sort them [messages] by bill number or rule docket number and you’ll want to make it easy on them — otherwise, you’re message may fall through the cracks”

And this is really a wise thing to do. This saves time and really makes it more probable for your message to be read and given due attention. Now that puts the effort you’ve exerted into good use, doesn’t it? Hence, it is always good to hope that all who want their voices be heard to organize their words really well.

Amiel

By: Michelle Rowe

Michelle Rowe — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:44:45 +0000

The only expense involved is hiring people to write the pieces and send them out. But, in a political campaign, this is usually done by volunteers. Both e-mails and blogs are easy to set up and easy to publish, with minimal HTML skills needed. Also social networking sites are famous nowadays and i guess it is quite effective as well. Michelle Rowe "Miessence"

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:02:16 +0000

“Only allow activists to send to their own elected officials. Don’t spam Congress! Messages from outside a senator’s state or a representative’s district will be ignored, and you’ll simply be helping to poison the well for everyone.”

Very true… and people forget how smart antispam software there is on email servers these days. Especially for the large providers like gmail, aol, verizon, etc…

Basically this means you’ll spend your time and money trying to make a difference, sending tons of email, but within seconds, the email server filters it out because you didn’t send it properly – too much too quickly, not from a trusted source (using things like aweber or constant contact services help here), etc.

Just wanted to point out that not only is sending the message to the wrong people a waste of time and money, sending the message the wrong way is the same.

By: e.politics: online advocacy tools & tactics » Hand-Deliver Your Emails! (To Congress)

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:47:26 +0000

[...] as part of a visit from a lobbyist or citizen activist. This idea isn’t new — it shows up in the Online Politics 101, for example — but it’s easy to forget in an era when the default setting for online [...]