The future of computer conferencing is undoubtedly one of great mergers: with synchronous media, with multimedia, and with the whole panoply of desktop facilities. Some would say, the sooner the better! While this merger is already happening at the leading edge with integrated text, sound, and graphics being exchanged on higher-speed modems, the growth area for CMC lies with the resources available over the Internet. The role of the on-line teacher will increasingly be that of guide to these resources. It will be interesting to see what needs computer conferencing fulfills with the advent of cheap audio and visual connections. If messages remain asynchronous (like telephone-answering machines), will text be relegated to formal papers and documents? Will the stimulation of voice and visual communication overcome learners' inertia and be more compelling to respond to than text?