The Internet is only occasionally used as a tool in public deliberation at a local level.  About 1 in 9 Internet users (11%) are aware of a debate in their community where the Internet played a major role in organizing citizens to communicate with public officials.  Seventy-two percent say use of the Internet was not part of any local deliberative process with 17% of Internet users saying they did not know.  The Internet’s most experienced users (i.e., those online for three years or more) are most likely to be aware of the Internet playing a role in a local debate, with 17% being aware of such an occurrence.  Only 6% of novice users (i.e., those who began using the Internet six months ago) have heard of the Internet playing a major role in local debate. 

However, those who have participated in online communities are more likely to be aware of local public debates on the Internet. For the 28% of Internet users who are active members of online communities, about a fifth (22%) say they are aware of the Internet playing a role in a local issue.  Members of Cyber Groups who belonged to the group prior to participating in it through the Internet are more likely than others to know of instances where the Internet helped shape public debate.  Similarly, 23% of the Internet users who belonged to local groups before they began using the Internet to communicate with them say they are aware of the Internet playing a role in a local debate.