Computers and Group Communications: The Law: Forum Experiment

Communications applications for computers include information retrieval, electronic mail, and computer conferencing. Computer conferencing is the use of the computer as a tool to facilitate communication among groups of individuals. The utility of computer conferencing is not restricted to the sciences, but may extend to any group that needs to communicate over long distances, or where regular communication is needed on a day‐to‐day basis among individuals with conflicting schedules. The article describes the implementation and results of a successful computer conference for lawyers and others who are interested in the relationship between law and computers. The success of a computer conference depends on the presence of an active organizer, the adaptation of the conferencing software to meet the needs of the particular discipline, the contents of the initial discussions in the conference, and an active recruitment strategy.