The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green web applications create the basis for different levels of environmental citizen participation. This is relevant in both an e-governance context and an environmental policy context, as it is normally assumed that ICT as such can be used to strengthen such participation, without looking neither at the special opportunity structure that the applications offer (their affordance) nor the actual use of the applications. This is all the more surprising as recent stage models in e-governance (i.e. Lee 2010) implies that differences in affordance translates into differences in use.
Theoretically, the paper departs from Contextual New Medium Theory. This theory focuses on technological practices, and demonstrates how these are created in interplay between technology, policy ideas and actor skills. Empirically, the paper unfolds as a comparative case study of three different green web applications, chosen due to the differences in their affordance. It is then analyzed whether these differences result in differences in environmental participation. It is concluded that while differences in participation are indeed found, these differences seem to hinge at least as much on the activities of skilled actors such as involved civil servants, web- and game administrators than on the affordances of the web applications.
Keywords: green web applications, citizen participation, affordances, contextual new medium theory, case study