Activist? Passivist [sic]?

When Leigh turned over the reins to bloggers like me and my blog-mates, I joked that she'd be out of a job because we'd end poverty while she was gone. We better hurry! I'm going to take indecent liberties with today's post and ask indirectly related to poverty, important, questions:

Has anyone had a recurring fear that pounding keyboards on blogs and twittering your thumbs off run the risk of stopping the essential outpouring of volunteerism or support for not-for-profits?

Does the Internet contribute to the transition from Activist to Passivist?

I'm no Luddite, relying heavily on technology to keep me connected to my ever-growing world. I've learned how to better utilize my laptop. TechSoup is my best friend. In addition to filming documentaries, I do rudimentary film editing, hooking up my digital video camera and external hard-drive in a rat's nest of cords and wires. I have begun posting to YouTube. I blog (tho my regular blogs, invisible homeless kids and Camper's RVue are sadly neglected right now).  I am an avid digital photographer. I edit our website (thanks to my web guru Dan Riefstahl). I do an e-newsletter. I'm on Facebook and I'm a novice (unconvinced) twitterer. I have and love my netbook. I'm trying to transition to the Times Reader; the crucial test will be the crossword. Despite my reliance on technology, I have this nagging fear that as we all become 'net addicted and dependent, some critical things will suffer.

Hands-On Service
Many worthwhile programs require volunteers--live bodies to do essential tasks. My perspective is one of running a homeless shelter entirely dependent on volunteers. Virtual volunteers wouldn't cut it. People stuck to keyboards tend to get, er, preoccupied, sometimes forgetting the world out there. NFPs suffering from downward-spiraling donations will be devastated if they lose their volunteer base. Has this been noticed by volunteer-dependent organizations?

Donations
Yes, nonprofit organizations could improve on their web donation appeal. We're figuring that out as we go. But with all the websites someone might peruse, do people become immune to the "donate now" plea? Emails don't seem to do the trick. Emails seem to be on the way out...for some people at least. I'm sure I'm not the only one doing massive deletes when the e-pile gets too deep. I regularly see organizations begging for people to do searches through Freelanthropy and similar opportunities. The skeptic in me says it sounds too good to be true. Is it?

Advocacy
Having spent time over the years in the IL statehouse and US Capitol as an advocate, I've talked to a good number of staffers and legislators. My sense is they're still grappling with e-mail, much less the e-petitions that seem to accompany every issue. Past conversations, not too many years ago, about hand-written (remember those??!) letters vs. form letters, fax vs. email, left me with the impression that technology hadn't quite taken hold in our legislative offices. Any observations pro/con?

Communication
Once a luxury, cell phones are essential. But some people don't answer their phone unless you text them first. Cell phone technology is awesome, as long as it works. I wrestle with the cost, knowing that I can't live without it, but $200 a month (for phone and data card) is a chunk of change. Any good suggestions for avoiding over-spending?

Seems to me that we need help sorting out technology's role in helping/harming the vast and under-appreciated nonprofit community contribution to well-being of our country and world. I'm sure the answers are blowin' in the wind somewhere, but all this blogging keeps me from looking.

photos by the author