Investigates the structure and composition of a naturalistic rumor chain that surfaced on a computer-mediated communication discussion group. Finds that rumormongering is a collective, problem-solving interaction that is sustained by a combination of anxiety, uncertainty, and credulity. (CR)

Describes how more institutions are encouraging students to create electronic portfolios to highlight their academic work, help them reflect on their campus experiences, and perhaps land them a job. (EV)

Emoticons are visual cues formed from ordinary typographical symbols that when read sideways represent feelings or emotions. Because the use of electronic mail eliminates the visual cues such as head nodding, facial expressions, posture, and eye contact found in face-to-face conversation, electronic mail users often incorporate emoticons as visual…

Presents guidelines for effective Internet communication. Discusses rules for creating e-mail messages; posting messages to online discussion groups and newsgroups; and using initialism and "emoticons." Presents a glossary of common Internet terms. (AEF)

Compares electronic support groups to electronic hobby groups to demonstrate the difference in terms of the rhetorical behavior of participants. Finds that some discourse characteristics and rhetorical features are common to all groups, others are unique to the special requirements of electronic support groups. (PA)

Explains how written material started; describes the nature and supply of electronic documents; characterizes student practices in using paper texts and online electronic texts in higher education, including the role of reading; and considers communication and speed and informational inflation and choice. (Author/LRW)

Offers practical advice for designing documents for the World Wide Web. Suggestions cover page content such as titles, dates, legal notices, and methods for feedback; use of graphics; text styles and contrasts; creating and monitoring hyperlinks; size and length of pages; and use of audio and video. Contains 10 references. (BEW)

Suggests the electronic classroom provides a space for applying feminist ideas to a theorization of hypertext. Explores the potential for hypertext to interrogate dominant ideologies and to produce alternative knowledge. Uses feminist activist art as a model, and takes advantage of the way hypertext enables combination the best of both modern and…

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…

Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs), are text-based virtual reality environments in which participants separated by great physical distances can communicate and collaborate in programming. Most MUDs started out as adventure games but are quickly being adapted for more "serious" endeavors. This paper presents a case study of the experiences of a…

Electronic interlibrary loan (ILL) request forms accessible through the World Wide Web (WWW) enhance communication between users and staff. Describes WWW architecture, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Common Gateway Interface scripts used for creating forms, and lists elements for inclusion. Examples are provided of an HTML tagged form and how…

Argues for having first-year composition students "publish" electronic portfolios on the World Wide Web. Provides background on attaining a computer-mediated pedagogy that accounts for its electronic presence and transcends traditional classroom practice. Presents an actual electronic portfolio. Concludes that making an electronic…

Claims that participants in computer-mediated "chat" (CMC) produce a kind of hybrid text. Stresses the importance of investigating the individual texts and writing practices of each participant in CMC studies to better understand what occurs when language users bring individual cognitive, social, and contextual factors with them to a…

This paper presents a case study exploring the impact of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on the formation of ethnic social groups, or communities, by examining the case of Chinese students in North America and other parts of the world. The paper (1) reviews the relationship between communication and community; (2) traces the development of…

Beginning with a brief history of the synergistic relationship between technology and literacy, this article examines the need for redefining literacy beyond print-based communications. It suggests that literacy, in a computer-networked society, is not solely about reading the printed word, but rather, that it encompasses receiving and sending…