Our class has used this WWW space to create some projects based on different argumentation strategies. The first three are composed using an evaluative schema, as discussed in Ramage and Bean's Writing Arguments. The underlying theme of this computer-assisted course is information. My students begin by examining internet spaces like Newsgroups and implementing simple search routines using Gopher. What they quickly discover is the quality of information can be limited by the medium. There is a sense of mystification when utilizing search and retrieval programs like Turbogopher's Veronica, which doesn't clearly document the source of its information. The fragmentary nature of such research is discouraging for composition students, intent upon validating the legitimacy of their sources. Given the opportunity to explore the internet through a series of tools without the interconnectedness that the WWW offers, the transition to a WWW client evokes a positive response. They find that with the click of a button they can telnet to another location or view an image on a home page. More importantly, while documentation is still problematic, the sense of confusion about the source of information is demystified. With tools like BBEdit and Netscape, students can retrieve the document beneath the interface and evaluate the very structure of its composition.

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