* For example, text based CMC (such as newsgroups and email) does not provide the social and contextual cues that face-to-face communication has. This can be an advantage when communicating through newsgroups as the absence of information about social status, age and appearance might help to form a more “equal” basis for conversation.

* The emergence of computer mediated communication and online communities has lead to the formation of complex online social networks.

* The Internet can be described as one of the largest networks, for example, millions of users participate in UseNet newsgroups and post millions of messages.