The computer user has played an active part in uncovering changes brought on with microcomputer technology. Electronic mail (or "E-mail"), which enables users to send and receive messages through bulletin board services ("BBSs"), is often considered one innovation of the computer revolution. A BBS provides opportunities for both "live," real-time exchanges with the BBS host or a fellow user and "asynchronous" message exchanges. BBS telecommunication differs from other forms of computer-controlled communication in that it occurs in a non-task-oriented, active environment. Play theory, which examines the relationship of a medium user to the medium, may explain why computer users choose to employ the BBS. According to play theory, "communication play" is a form of self-expression that takes advantage of a medium in promoting a feeling of individuality. Computer-mediated telecommunication is an example of what has been called "participatory play," which occurs when communicators are free to alter interaction to achieve goals. Analysis of computer-mediated telecommunication must consider both the decision to use the medium and the unique features of the medium that provide content cues of communication play. A network analysis (examining who talks to whom about what) might also shed light on the influence of play communication. (Fourteen references are attached.) (SG)