Craig Newmark is out to save the world using the Internet. The Craigslist founder believes social networks can help people work together and create change, whether it is tea parties organizing rallies or the Obama campaign recruiting voters.

And while he might not be the right guy for the job – "I’m not smart enough and I'm surely too lazy," he told Congress.org – he plans to “talk everyone else into saving the world.” Online tools like Facebook and Twitter are the key arsenal in his strategy.

The self-professed nerd doesn’t consider himself an activist, but he does feel a responsibility to the millions of Craigslist users for whom he provides customer service.

"Customer service, if you do it in good conscience, is public service," he said, adding, "Once you make enough money… it’s more fun to change things."

So how does an activist use the Internet well?

Newmark offers seven tips:

1. Power comes in numbers. Social networks help advocacy groups because they shift power from elites to the grassroots. They allow activists to expand their base and recruit members, too.

"The key is getting together in social networks, just like the Obama campaign did, just like tea party people do," Newmark said. "I want people to use these social networking technologies to scale together in the millions to get stuff done."

2. Be useful to others. As more people use the Internet to communicate, the people who will have the most power will be those who build trust online. The way to do that, Newmark explained, is by writing and sharing information effectively.

"In 20 years, I’d like to see only all of humanity working together in social networks for common good," he said. "There will be conflict… [but] I’d rather see people fighting with words than guns."

Newmark does his part by sharing the good works of others on this Twitter feed and blog. His fans, in turn, are more likely to trust that service because he vouched for it.

3. Etiquette still applies. Just because it’s not an in-person conversation doesn’t mean time-tested rules about respect don’t apply. Activists are often passionate in their beliefs, but they won’t draw others to the cause if they are not considerate.

"It’s just like conversation, although it’s on the record," Newmark said. "Treat people with respect. You’ll be more effective."

4. Know each site’s strength. Twitter can help you be part of the conversation, but Facebook may be the right place for longer discussions. By understanding the medium before using it, activists are more likely to be able to use it to their advantage.

Newmark praised groups like the Sunlight Foundation that use technology to make government more transparent. The group provides a handful of tools citizens can use to access information about their lawmakers.

5. Get to the point. "I would like to remind everyone in Washington, brevity is the soul of wit," Newmark said. Tools like Twitter demand that users stick to the point when they write, and that is the direction Newmark believes society is headed.

"I think 140 characters is mostly good because it forces people to get to the point and stop," he added.

6. Make sure you’re right. Trust is currency online, and people can undermine their arguments if they don’t get the facts straight. Newmark said that initiatives by journalists like ABC’s Jake Tapper – whose Sunday talk show fact checks guests as they speak – demonstrate how real-time tools can help ensure accuracy.

"Part of respect means act in good faith to make sure what you’re passing on is real," Newmark said. "Fact checking is a big deal. Trust is a big deal."

7. Remember that people are lazy. "Most people are like me. I’m a couch potato," Newmark said. He believes that social networking tools help people who might not otherwise be involved in activism take small steps to change society.

"When something matters, people will click a button and say, 'This matters to me,'" he said. But groups who are trying to engage those individuals must remember to keep their requests simple.

Ambreen Ali writes for Congress.org.

Become a fan of Congress.org on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.