Hello All, I am a Ph.D. candidate who has been assigned to teach an upper-division course titled “New Media as Virtual Communities” for this fall. Here is the catalog description: “Technologically-mediated virtual communities considered through analysis of historical precedents and influences and through an exploration of the concept of community. Issues include a focus on social interactions; the social, political, economic, and technological contexts of virtual communities and the limits for their sustenance.” I know many of you have done research in this area and have also likely taught classes on the subject. I was hoping that some of you would pass along some tips and ideas for the course, including but not limited to literature and syllabi. I am not completely unschooled on the topic, having taken a graduate seminar on computer mediated communities, but would like to have the benefit of a variety of approaches. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Please respond off the list to coopman@u.washington.edu. If anyone else would like access to the material I wind up collecting, shoot me an email and I will forward any material sent to me. Thanks! -TED Ted M. Coopman Department of Communication University of Washington