Clicking for change. (Digital Queeries).There's more to Internet activism Internet activism (also known as electronic advocacy, cyberactivism, and online organizing) is the use of communication technologies such as e-mail, web sites, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster communications by citizen movements and than signing petitions or forwarding E-mails. Let's take, for example, the well-known ExxonMobil flap: The oil conglomerate is in trouble for being the first U.S. company to yank Yank steamship stoker vainly tries to climb the social ladder, then fails in attempt to avenge himself on society. [Am. Drama: O’Neill The Hairy Ape in Sobel, 339] See : Failure (jargon) yank a nondiscrimination non·dis·crim·i·na·tion n. 1. Absence of discrimination. 2. The practice or policy of refraining from discrimination. non policy covering sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. and for closing its domestic-partner benefits program. The Human Rights Campaign has launched a protest against them at http://www.equalityatexxon. .com, but you can do so much more. First, get your facts straight by doing some research. The best search engine, hands down, http://www.google.com, is where you'll find links like http://www.equalityprojector.org a site advocating "shareholder activism" to get ExxonMobil's attention. The Political Activism Resources page at http://www. kimsoft.com/kimpol.htm is especially useful--its search engine looks at only relevant political information sites. (Entering ExxonMobil gay into that search engine revealed a link to PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, and the fact that ExxonMobil sponsors Masterpiece Theatre--we'll use that information later!) Next, you'll want to find like-minded people to work with. Use the search feature at community portals like Usenet (via http://groups.google.com) or in groups.yahoo.com, www.topica.com, or www.about.com to find them. The GLBT GLBT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Equality Workplace Web ring http://u.webring.com/hub?ring =glbtworkplaceequ&list is also a good place to look for potential comrades. There's direct action you can take via the Web too. You can do things as mild as moving your investments to http://www.trillium trillium or wake-robin (trĭl`ēəm), any plant of the large genus Trillium, attractive spring wildflowers of the family Liliaceae (lily family), native to North America and E Asia. invest.com/ (the oldest socially responsible investment firm) or contacting PBS to voice your concern about ExxonMobil's connection to Masterpiece Theatre (http://www.pbs.org/ wgbh/masterpiece/feedback/ feedback.html). QUICK HITS * Ten years on, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho still has a cult following--and a great fan site at http://www.myownprivate idaho.com/ * For every queen on a budget, there's http://www. alternabay.com/, the original queer auction site, You'll never pay retail again for those size 11 pumps, Send tips and URLs to queeries@advocate.com |
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