Surfing, connecting, acting

From the "highlights" of the 2008 Digital Future Report:

The study found that participation in online community membership has particularly dramatic effects on participation in social causes. Three-quarters of online community members said they use the Internet to participate in communities related to social causes, with 40 percent saying that they use the Internet at least monthly to participate in such communities. Eighty-seven percent of online community members are participating in social causes that are new to them since their involvement in online communities began. And, a large and growing percentage of members -- now 55 percent -- say they feel as strongly about their online communities as they do about their real-world communities.

A force to be reckoned with, whether you are an NGO looking to broaden your support base or a business developing a CSR strategy. (but see here for a different perspective from the UK http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080116.html)