Tell us about your experience of online campaigning?

Personally I don't believe I have played an active role in any online activism, however I have witnessed a number of different campaigns, the most recent probably being KONY 2012.

What did you think about the KONY 2012 campaign?

To be honest I don't really know what to make of it. The campaign itself shot to fame almost overnight with everyone I knew suddenly talking about 'KONY 2012' and sharing the video. Which shows how well online activism can take off and how quickly it can spread. But there was a lot on controversy surrounding the campaign itself and a lot of doubt was cast over the sincerity of the activists behind the cause. Which probably made the campaign slightly more famous but for the wrong reasons.

I tend to find myself highlighting things that outrage me, or think will be of huge significance to people around me. I guess the odd grumble at the state of things too might count. However anything that can be earthed to something very identifiable eg I shared a picture about the NHS following last week's Olympic Opening Ceremony ended up getting an incredibly good response. I guess it is also worth noting that as I am aiming to stand for a local political office I have updated my Facebook to let people know of this if that counts. Twitter seems to be my main forum as there is more direct contact with representatives, commentators and other politicals. I occasionally get replies from some people - been followed by some, and equally have found it a great way to sometimes antagonise some of those I disagree with. it also gives me a chance to sharpen my wits I believe (vain, I know!).

puzzle wrote:To be honest I don't really know what to make of it. The campaign itself shot to fame almost overnight with everyone I knew suddenly talking about 'KONY 2012' and sharing the video. Which shows how well online activism can take off and how quickly it can spread. But there was a lot on controversy surrounding the campaign itself and a lot of doubt was cast over the sincerity of the activists behind the cause. Which probably made the campaign slightly more famous but for the wrong reasons.

Another reason was that there was a gap between the video and the event 'cover the night'. This meant the media stopped covering and it became less popular so people lost interest. An interesting video to look up is from a vlogger 'tyrannosauruslexxx' (video called: Cover the Night?), she explains the cause and others her perspective on why it was a success and a failure.