ABSTRACT
T WO major components of social interaction have been re-ceiving increasing attention by researchers. The first is newcommunication media and the second is social networks. The research reported here combines these interests by describing and modeling the changes in the communication network of ten groups using a computer conferencing system over a two-year period. This combined focus is natural in that communication technologies facilitate human interaction by helping to develop and maintain human communication networks, while the analysis of networks can begin to identify patterns of use and social structure in new situations, such as new communication systems.
