Beware of the obvious. E-petitions are used to harvest e-mail addresses to raise money.

[Just For Kerry] and a growing number of his colleagues have been circulating petitions -- online -- in support of a seemingly ever-expanding list of causes.

Kerry recently e-mailed supporters, urging them to sign two petitions: one backing his health care plan, the other opposing oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has asked her supporters to become "citizen cosponsors" for a bill that would revamp election procedures.

Former senator John Edwards (N.C.) has one, too, demanding that the Federal Election Commission not squelch online political activities, and former presidential candidate Wesley K. Clark is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission, which he accuses of censorship. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) is pushing what her e-mail called "a strong statement that we will not stand by as Republicans try to turn back the clock on all that America has accomplished."

E-petitions have become a popular way to garner support for a cause. Some online strategists conceded it is difficult to identify what impact the efforts have -- in part, perhaps, because there are so many. But that is not always the point. Petitions are often also used to harvest e-mail addresses. When people add their name to the petitions, their e-mail addresses are often added to the politicians' lists, which can then be used for a number of other purposes, including raising money.

(4-2-05, The Washington Post.)