Shifting the centre: The Internet as a tool for community activism

Community websites can potentially humanise the process and experience of government and democracy by shifting debate from the political centre to the community. By discussing sites with a community representation/democracy focus located in Waitakere City, Aotearoa/New Zealand, this paper examines the potential of the Internet to promote discourse and democratic practices. A narrative case study of one community website, Laingholm, is provided and its evolution through to current hiatus and the rise of a cross-community eDemocracy project is mapped. Key issues and lessons learnt are highlighted.