The statement "If the Internet didn't matter the Egyptian government wouldn't have felt it necessary to shut it down." It's because they felt threaten that the people would use the internet to spread the word on the issues and assist to get more people out there to demonstrate. Which they did in a matter of days, a large number of people learn how to bypass checkpoints, cross borders, and get places were they wanted to demonstrate.
Without this not as many people would have know or have been able to voice their option.
The question how would you fell if within the USA, the government wanted to shut down our internet access? I believe there would be a lot of folks, that would not now what to do. Would you still find away to get your message out there on twitter/Facebook? "As stated in the article Despite Social Media Block, 'Egypt" Surges on Twitter"
Like in Iraq; "The move illustrates the growing influence of online social-networking services as a communications media." It's well established that Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are radical technologies by them. As noted collaboration through social media played a large part of both the above events, people working and coming together to make changes as well as making events happen.
I don't remember where I read this (it may have been in one of the class readings) but there was a statement in an article that said the revolution became so big because people couldn't talk about it on the internet anymore and had to go out on the streets and act to voice their opinions. I agree that the internet would spread the word, but I agree with the fact that it wasn't there helped to mobilize people in the fight.
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