Computer-mediated Communications

This text examines the capabilities of electronic mail and conferencing and bbs systems, including assessments of the appropriateness of small, medium, centralized, and distributed systems. Among the topics discussed are computer conferencing, electronic bulletin board systems, information retrieval, and electronic mail. In addition, the book discusses the relative merits of contracting for conferencing and electronic mail services from outside firms as opposed to running a system in-house. Included are resource lists of hardware, software, peripheral devices and utilities; large and medium-sized, publicly accessible, and corporate-oriented, third-party conferencing systems; and electronic mail systems.