Here's the thing about petitions: they aren't for convincing the people they're addressed to. They're for rallying the signers. Publicly writing your name down

Here's the thing about petitions: they aren't for convincing the people they're addressed to. They're for rallying the signers. Publicly writing your name down next to a cause triggers several psychological reactions resulting in your being more committed to the cause. Studies have shown that getting someone to sign a petition increases the probability that they will later take further action toward the cause in question. So they are quite effective. They're just also a little sneaky.