So I got this flyer on our car after returning from a movie at International Village last weekend, and it was strange. They’re some kind of anti-Vision Vancouver “concerned citizens” group, apparently called “Wake Up Vancouver”, and while I may agree with some of their points, the sloppy run-on sentences, wonky grammar and some truly odd wording choices threw me off – not to mention their misplaced secrecy.
It didn’t help that the salutation was wrong – “Dear Festival Attendee”. If they wanted to use this widely, why not say “Dear concerned Vancouverite” or something that isn’t incorrect anywhere but at a festival?
There’s a form to fill out, but they call it a “Matrix Form”. Then they double down on word weirdness: they encourage you to….“Disseminate this matrix”!
Seriously? Nobody. Says. That.
To fill out the form itself, they encourage the most awkward process imaginable: fill out the paper version, take a PICTURE and then EMAIL IT to them.
Again…. seriously? Are they targeting all those people who have email but no web browser (i.e. nobody)? Or maybe they just WANT to make more pointless work for themselves?
I won’t even delve into the issue that their form isn’t structured logically, with “issue I’m concerned about” questions mixed together with “info about me” ones.
Lastly…. though their site http://wakeupvan.com has some info (consisting of republished news reports mostly), it has no “About” page, and it doesn’t have any link to their online form. That form is at endthewaste2018.com . And THAT site has a password to enter in order to fill out the form. It does have an “About” page, though… but that’s also password protected!
So, yes, let’s make it DIFFICULT to find out about this group, or submit this form – er, I mean, “matrix”.
This all comes off as fairly suspicious – they seem to be hiding their identity. It’s quite unlike any legit grassroots group I’ve ever encountered online. I sure won’t be ‘disseminating their matrix”.
At minimum, people need communications help – fast. Do they have a budget for a web consultant perhaps? 