In some ways, these tracking studies are like the very "worst" research that we used to do (and in some cases, still do) about television usuage. Sure, knowing that X number of subjects have the television on Y number of hours and are tuned to Z program, is interesting. Such knowledge certainly "works" for some of the commercial interests at hand (demographic analyses of audiences etc.). Similar information about the internet is also interesting, especially in that it encourages appreciation of the increasingly important role of networked digital communication environments in everyday life. Unfortunately, usage data of this sort tells us a thing about (a) what users are DOING while engated in the technology (even when we know what they say they think they are doing....) and more importantly (b) what their use MEANS, both to them and to the industries and practices at hand. In some ways, we are back to the old questions about what we can learn via surveys (quant) vs. field work (qual) . . . . we can make some pretty big interpretive mistakes based on usage data, alone. Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Speech Communication and Multimedia Editor, Journal of Communication and Religion Bradley University Peoria IL 61625 ell@bradley.edu http://hilltop.bradley.edu/~ell Fax: 309-677-3446