Deliberation on the Internet: How Do Citizens Discuss On-line? The French Ducsai Debate Case Study

This paper analyses the DUCSAI debate, i.e. the French public debate about the location of the 3rd international Parisian airport which involved all stakeholders in both an off and online discussion. We show that the added value of Internet-based deliberation rests in that it widens both participant´s profile, and the nature of the argumentation used in both arenas. The use of ICT has fostered actor´s creativity and involvement by allowing various means of expression, including emotions : this highlights the limits of a Habermassian conception of deliberation which restrains it to a specific type of rational discourse