Hi, I am researching Australian experiences of moderating online discussion groups as part of an undergraduate honours degree at the University of Wollongong, Australia. I’m interested in how moderators manage their tasks and how they think managing discussion has changed as the Internet has become more popular. Moderators working in global environments but subject to Australian law and cultural expectations may encounter different challenges than their peers in other countries. If there are differences, knowing about them may be useful to future moderators and members of discussion groups. I’d like to invite anyone who has moderated an online discussion group or mailing list with some connection to Australia to take part in the research by participating with other moderators in an online discussion forum. You might also be asked to participate in an interview via email. The research is based on moderators of groups where all involvement is voluntary, so some groups, for example: online learning classes and workplace communities, are not included. A possible benefit of getting involved in the research will be the opportunity to share experiences and strategies with the moderators of other groups. The discussion forum will be open for three weeks, from 21 / 11 /2003 to 7/ 12 /2003. A new set of questions will be posted each week. If you would like to find out more about this research, follow this link to: http://www.acr.net.au/marg99/Research If you are not able to participate, but know someone who might be interested, I’d be very grateful if you forwarded this email to them. Feel free to contact me at: me21@uow.edu.au if you have any questions about this project. Regards, Margaret Emerton University of Wollongong Australia