Focusing on economic issues related to the NREN (National Research and Education Network), this paper examines the implications for the academic community of a shift to fee-based network services. Costs currently borne by institutions and the feasibility of charging end users are considered. Commercial use of the NREN is also addressed. (two…

Examines commercial communications products that offer electronic mail and special interest forums to determine which would best meet the needs of members of Puppeteers of America and UNIMA (Union International de la Marionette). Services and costs of CompuServe, the WELL (Whole Earth Electronic Link), GEnnie, and Prodigy are described. (MES)

Analyzes postings from a database users' help bulletin board. Finds that technical instructions should concentrate on likely errors that users may commit and how they can overcome and learn from them; provide may procedural options at once; give minimal conceptual and much procedural information; and integrate troubleshooting with task procedures.…

A computer bulletin board system (BBS) called "A Place with No Name" was developed for the gifted and talented community in the greater New Orleans (Louisiana) area. The BBS values warmth, responsiveness, and intelligence; has a system of user classes to reward users who contribute most to the quality of discussion; and currently offers…

This paper identifies three basic criteria for good business communications on an international level--clarity, effectiveness, and good will--and presents a model for effective information transfer via electronic media. It argues that electronic mail (e-mail) messages do not meet these criteria even though more and more domestic and international…

Focuses on a group effort by International Association of Language Laboratories members to acquire blanket permissions for instructional use of video materials, regardless of source: national networks, producers, international networks. Other issues covered include summarizing related dialogs from conferences and electronic bulletin boards;…

Examines a continuum of classroom uses for telecommunications, in terms of both their appropriateness and their ease of use for students and educators. Focuses on four projects that involve people-to-people contact around the world via computer and modem. (SR)

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…

Focuses on computer-mediated communication and its integration into the high school journalism classroom. (SRT)

A case study of IBM VM users is discussed in terms of those aspects of the context of a situation that affect both user choice of mode/medium and mode/medium switching. Results indicate that the medium of communication is itself a linguistic choice. (Author/DJD)

Describes several new Internet features for classroom use, including two documents answering frequently asked user and technical guidance questions, a Voice of America international news service, America Online's trial inclusion of Gopher and Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) databases, a help file for Windows users, and a USENET e-mail news…

Describes Usenet, an Internet service that provides access to computerized discussion groups, and examines how it can be used as a reference tool. Topics include subject groups, appropriate questions, exhausting local resources before posting, explaining Usenet to patrons, sending the question, and evaluating the answer. (AEF)

Discusses the growth of the Internet and the attitudes of users toward advertising, provides examples of kinds of advertising used on electronic networks, and lists several companies that help advertisers use the Internet. Fifteen guidelines are suggested to help advertisers use the Internet in a reasonable and appropriate way. (Contains 11…

Explains how the Usenet network's dissemination model differs from electronic-mail-based discussion groups in terms of how users can choose which information best fits their needs. Various methods of limiting excessive numbers of unwanted messages are explained. (EAM)

Discusses the features of America Online, a commercial online service designed primarily for use with a Macintosh computer. Several documentation guides are identified, and a step-by-step tour of the service is provided with samples of various screens in the program. (12 references/notes) (EA)