Just as the spoken word, virtual discourse in the listserv-assisted composition class unites the writer and the audience into a group. On-line writing takes the form of dialogue, and the reading of the on-line text does not shatter the audience but gathers them into collectivity. Since writing on the listserv is less rule-governed, students are free of bounds of grammar, syntax, or style, and they perform more like speakers than writers. On-line writing reshapes invention from private individual process into a collaborative one and restructures the teacher-student relationship. On weekly journal postings, students exchange thoughts, for instance, on their preliminary ideas for topics for writing assignments. This transparency between students' minds and projects helps the teacher to anchor the writing process and modify pedagogical strategies. The transparency of metaconversations indeed transforms the artificiality of technology into second nature and provides additional environments for better teaching and learning. (CR)