The playing field changes:
Gay-Rights Activists Use Web to Organize Global Rally
By Claire Cain Miller The Internet played an unprecedented role in rallying voters during this year’s election. In the aftermath of the election, Web 2.0 tools are continuing to play a role in other causes, astonishing long-time activists with the power and speed with which it gets their message out.
The latest example is a series of international protests scheduled for Saturday in opposition to California’s Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban that passed on Nov. 4. Join the Impact, a Web site built the morning of Friday, Nov. 7, has rallied hundreds of thousands of people who are gathering this weekend in eight countries, 50 states and 300 cities.
“This is the potential of the Web,” said Ben Elowitz, chief executive of Wetpaint, a company that builds Web sites for individuals and companies and built one for Join the Impact. “When Web 2.0 started, people started talking about giving ordinary people a voice online. This is the pinnacle of giving people a voice online.
