Noting that computer based environments for communication may have profound effects upon classroom social organization and the development of literacy, this paper reports on a project that used QUILL, a software system that includes both tools that facilitate writing and new environments for communication. Following a brief introduction to the project, the paper presents an example of writing produced by a sixth grade student in a classroom that used QUILL. It then provides a linguistic analysis of the example, highlighting several anomalies that could lead readers to dismiss the writing as "bad." The paper next examines the social context in which the writing was produced and explains how this perspective can provide an explanation for the apparent anomalies. It further shows how the writing process is reflected in the writing product, but not revealed by an analysis of that product alone. In conclusion, the paper points out that while programs such as QUILL can enhance the learning of reading and writing by providing new techniques for teaching and learning, they can also produce profound changes in a classroom's social structure. (FL)