Text-based interaction among humans connected via computer networks, such as takes place via email and in synchronous modes such as -chat-, MUDs and MOOs, has attracted considerable popular and scholarly attention. This collection of 14 articles on text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC), is the first to bring empirical evidence from a variety of disciplinary perspectives to bear on questions raised by the new medium.
The first section, linguistic perspectives, addresses the question of how CMC compares with speaking and writing, and describes its unique structural...