Online RSVP- yes means maybe, maybe means no, no means hell no
Nowadays, paper invitations and RSVPs are very rare. Most invitations, except for formal events, have been moved to online RSVPs. However, online invitations, with its advantage of being easy to send out or update, seems to be tied to an interesting phenomena- “yes” is actually a “maybe,’ “maybe” is usually a “no” and “no” is a definitive “no.” To explain and understand the cause of such phenomenon, several factors may be considered, such as ease of inviting people made the invitees become overwhelmed by the numerous choices. However, the public attendee list of online RSVPs was suggested as the root cause of the phenomenon. Now, invitees have the access to the list of people who are invited and who are attending or not attending a certain event. Thus, the events have become a marketing opportunity for both the host and the attendee, instead of being an informational utility for just the host. The host can appeal to the attendees through the people who are invited or attending by giving them a sense of prestige. The invitees can show off to the others by being invited, even if they aren’t sure if they want to or can attend the event. Also the fact that the invitees want to avoid being rude to a public invitation ties into the phenomenon, since the response of the invitation is linked to the allegiance to the group through an alleged attendance, ultimately making it harder to just say “no.”
I feel like information cascade and network effect can also be used to explain how public attendee list is the cause of such phenomenon. The public attendees list would make the invitees subject to information cascade – people follow the majority, so the more people are attending the event, the more prompted the invitees are going to be willing to attend the event. Thus, even if they are not certain if they want to or can attend the event, it would be harder for them to say “no,” and say “maybe” instead and say “yes” when they are not certain if they could. Similar applies to network effect. The number of people attending would be proportional to the incentive that the invitees would get for attending the event. So they also would be more willing to attend. Again, it would be harder to say “no” to the event. For both information cascade effect and network effect, since it is harder to say “no”, when people actually say “no,” they would definitely be saying “hell no.”Ultimately, the public attendee list makes it harder for people to simply refuse an invitation considering various reasons.
source:
https://www.networksolutions.com/blog/2009/02/yes-means-maybe-maybe-means-no-no-means-hell-no/comment-page-1/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazine/26lives-t.html?_r=3&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink&