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December 04, 2004
I may be in the minority about SorryEverybody.com...
...but I don't find it to be particularly persuasive. I agree it's clever and it has an interesting purpose. But a great example of persuasion? After I looked through the site, I wondered: Would anyone really change their attitude or behavior because of this site? Would it even lead to a small dent in our cognitive walls? I'm unconvinced. In fact, the primary people I think might be persuaded by SorryEverybody.com are those who posted their very own pictures online. Seeing that you are part of a larger, fervent community will reinforce your beliefs. The site owners are trying to communicate the idea that many Americans are "aghast and dismayed." It's classic informational influence. Fair enough, and I think the point comes across a bit. But if I were on the other side of this argument (thinking Americans were xenophobic and supported a reckless/incompetent administration), I know how I would cognitively classify this: "Oh look at this site with a bunch of crackpots--they're obviously on the fringe, so I'm going to ignore them." Changing political opinions is hard. SorryEverybody.com does uses some clever techniques: personalizing the message with pictures, using emotion and a novel medium, and creating a self-reinforcing community of members. But it's still just one message that appeals mostly to its own (already persuaded) members. To persuade--or even initiate contemplation about changing!--there has to be much more.Posted by at December 4, 2004 05:57 PM
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