代議民主制度的實際運作往往無法兼顧平等與參與，近年來網際網路的盛行，似乎為市民的平等參與打開了一扇機會之窗。為了解網路科技對於直接參與所帶來的機會與挑戰，本研究以中華民國各級政府中最早設立的電子信箱─── 台北市「市長電子信箱」為個案，以檔案分析、市府相關業務人員自填式問卷及使用者電子郵件調查等研究方法，進行初探性研究。初步研究結果大致符合學者有關資訊傳播科技對於公民直接參與可能所造成影響的預測。資訊傳播科技直接、快速、無疆界的特性打破地域及各種社會的藩籬，提供一個自由討論的公共空間及與政府直接接觸的參與途徑。同時，資訊及網路科技大幅降低紙張印刷及資料處理成本，自動化的功能使政府得以提供更多樣、更有效率及更有回應性的服務。我們的研究結果也呼應學者對於應用網際網路於公民的直接參與可能造成的負面影響，包括政府處理負擔增加、民眾期待與現實的落差以及參與不平等等問題。本文初探性的結論對於有關於「電子化政府」或「數位民主」等領域後續通則性的研究有奠基的作用，而且當實務界人士如火如荼地應用ICTs於公司部門的運作時，本文的發現也值得深思。面對ICTs所帶來的挑戰，作者建議市府應善用知識管理技術，以減輕處理成本，公平對待不同管道的陳情案件，並降低使用網路門檻，普及網路使用，以縮小參與鴻溝。

Experience in Western countries indicates representative democracy usually sacrifices equality with participation. The prevalence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), World Wide Web (WWW) in particular, has opened a window of opportunities for solving the dilemma in representative democracy. To explore the opportunities and challenges WWW has brought to direct participation, we utilize Taipei City Mayor’s Electronic Mail Box (TCME) as a case for investigation. In this study, we conduct documentary analysis, a self-administered survey on staffs dealing with letters sent to TCME and three electronic surveys on citizens who sent mails to TCME. Our findings are generally in line with the predictions suggested by scholars. The speediness, directness, and boundlessness of ICTs provide a free public forum and an access by which citizens can contact government agencies without mediation by parties, politicians or the legislature. By providing automation function and cutting down the cost of paper∕printing and data processing, ICTs not only enable government to extend its services but also substantially lower the cost of participation both for citizens and bureaucracy. On the other hand, our findings also show that increasing participation has overloaded the government. Easy access to Internet also breeds citizens’ unrealistic expectation toward government and deepens the digital divide. We suggest the Taipei City Government should develop knowledge management technique to lessen the load of TCME. To shorten the gap between “information haves” and “information have nots” the Taipei City Government should equally treat appeals and complains from different channels and lower the threshold to access TCME.