An informal study examined the sources of professors' authority and whether the authority dynamic between professor and student changes in an electronic setting. Five on-line writing instructors (who use Internet Email or the World Wide Web) completed a questionnaire. Results indicated that (1) professors tended, at least initially, to replicate their classroom style when they instructed on-line; (2) as the volume of email between and among students and instructor increases, so does the informality of the exchanges; (3) the use of "emoticons" and acronyms contribute to the informality of email; (4) students tend to interpret on-line criticisms of their work more harshly than remarks made orally or on paper; (5) on-line instruction may enable students and professors to become better acquainted because of the opportunity for more, not less, communication; (6) the quality of students and instructors' communication may be higher in the on-line setting; and (7) the overtly dialogic aspect of on-line instruction causes professors to respond in readerly, rather than teacherly, ways. Areas of further inquiry include how the discipline being taught may influence the professor/student authority dynamic; whether classroom teaching style or years of teaching experience affect on-line instructional strategies; and what the students think about authority and other issues in on-line instruction. (Contains 11 references.) (RS)