Interesting, I had never considered the White House petitions to be a springboard for so many other organizations. It makes sense, and the life cycle was well explained.
The article did a great job of highlighting how successful the site has been- about how it was never meant to attract like-minded individuals. Why would people who agree with the President petition him, when you think about it? But being able to have public, intimate dialogue is a fantastic idea! I hope that this continues beyond this term, and is used by presidents from both major parties (or any other parties!) because it really seems pretty brilliant, and very counter to how American politics has been.
It will definitely continue, because it's a strategic initiative. You're able to reach those that oppose you, and directly reach out to them and potentially change their opinion of you. That's powerful stuff.