Based on the premise that computer networks are changing the way people think and interact, this Digest discusses some features of electronic discourse as a relatively new form of discourse and examines the current research on computer mediated communication text. The Digest suggests further research on how other features of electronic discourse resemble those of oral and written language and research which compares the construction of reasoning and argument in electronic discourse and conventional writing. It also considers how electronic discourse has brought about new conventions in the use of graphic features and notes that the informal, conversational tone of electronic discourse is quite different from that of traditional academic prose. The Digest points out that as online interaction becomes more widely used in formal academic situations, language educators may have to consider how to respond to the unconventional language use and structuring of ideas. (NKA)