Effective moderation of computer conferences--- notes and suggestions
Madge Brochet · 1986
The ideas and suggestions contained in this article were developed, at the suggestion of the editor, M. Brochet, via a computer conference which ran in the University of Guelph's CoSy system for a period of eight weeks during the spring/summer of 1985.Approximately 35 people were invited to participate in the conference by the editor, who served as moderator of the conference.The majority of the participants were located in Gueiph; several members of the conference, however, participated from European sites, and the contents of the conference were shared with another conference dealing with the same topic on the COM system in Sweden.The choice of computer conferencing as a method of sharing ideas on this particular topic permitted the editor to incorporate suggestions from a wide variety of conference participants, during a relatively brief period of time.Electronic conferencing also provided the editor and the participants with an on-line case study; some of the problems under discussion emerged as real concerns for this conference as it evolved MlTlAL REACTlONS TO U2ZNG COMPLJTER CONEERENCtiVG One of the first reactions many people have to the discovery of a well designed and easy-touse computer conferencing system is a sense of relief.Encountering a manual easier to read than the Dead Sea Scrolls, coupled with co mmands that make sense and get the job done is a rare pleasure.We can see immediately how the system can make communication easier for us.We tend to overdose at first, joining conferences and reading messages, until we settle down, the initial novelty worn off, and begin to develop our own personal conferencing style.