A study examined the distinctive communication phenomena which occur on computer bulletin boards, focusing on the Usenet bulletin board system which is estimated to have over half a million readers worldwide. Most universities and research organizations, all over the world, are capable of exchanging information over computer networks through the electronic mail system. Different Usenet groups have distinctive emerging norms and conventions and their own distinctive styles. Perhaps the most striking communication phenomenon on the Usenet is the frequent occurrence of extreme verbal uninhibition (aggression and self-disclosure). Results of a content analysis of 600 articles indicated a high frequency of "face threatening acts," and suggested that reduced inclination to protect others'"face," low perceived sanction, and the self-perpetuation of existing (uninhibited) interaction patterns, may be responsible for this phenomenon. These communication phenomena pose interesting topics for future empirical study, such as the prevalence and severity of verbal aggression across different forms of computer-mediated communication. (One table of data is included; 17 references and an appendix are attached.) (PRA)