Whether the objective is to sell a product or disseminate an idea, the target is to own the market. And in order to own the market you must do some careful marketing. Even websites about global warming have strategically designed pages to aid in the formation of an idea. Take the Union of Concerned Citizens page titled, “Crichton Thriller State of Fear” for example. There are many carefully executed dimensions that help spread support for global warming.
The first and most blatantly obvious ploy is the use of “.org” in the web address. The .org domain is most commonly used by nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and has a certain level of credibility associated with it. In fact, the Public Interest Registry, which operates and maintains the .org domain, claims .org is "considered by people around the world to be the domain of trust." However, the truth is that anyone can register for a .org domain. Nonetheless, the learned perceptions of authority and trustworthiness make .org a proper fit for a group trying to legitimize its claims about global warming.
Next, the professional web design further propagates the perception of a trustworthy and expert site for advice. The page’s qualities of attractiveness and effortless navigation ensure that visitors will be retained and come back again. The first step to building an idea to get people to read it and this website is conscientiously designed to appeal to the consumer’s eyes.
Finally, the idea is shaped by making it personally relevant to the users. In the last two FAQs listed on the page the words “we” and “our” are used extensively to extend the concept to each individual. By making the argument personally relevant people automatically become engaged because for anybody, the most important person in the world is him/herself.
Overall, the Concerned Citizen’s webpage forms a strong argument based on visual consumer behavior cue. While the page does have well cited sources and information, I think the best tools it uses to construct the idea of global warming are pre-conceived beliefs and common associations.
Lindsay, I find your current and previous blogs regarding how language shapes thought insightful and especially relevant to our State of Fear discussions. Crichton’s description of how NERF’s PR people manipulate words for maximal impact (“catastrophe ahead” is better than “dangers ahead”) reflects reality. For example, remember how Sarah Palin’s “death panel” polemic helped strip the health bill provision that provided for end-of-life consulting. Language is power, and those who know how to control language are the powerful.
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