The Look and Feel of E-tactics and Their Web Sites

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors briefly mention petitions, boycotts, and letter-writing and email campaigns, which have been used over time in social movements. They also review some of the research methods used to write their study and mention Websites, including warehouse and nonwarehouse, the present characteristics and key distinctions of which they referred to for their research. Petitions play a crucial role in contemporary social movements, and have been found to have great potential to mobilize resources for protests. Petitions are also popular on the Web. Boycotts too have played an important role in social movements and social movement studies. Although these have been found to be the least frequent e-tactical form, they are present in considerable numbers on the Web. Letter-writing campaigns, which have rich social movement heritage, are the most successful e-tactic form.