Nature and Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to explore the various alternative applications of computer communication technology by the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service. As an educational institution, CES is responsible for providing educational programs using research and resources of the University System to address the high priority problems of the state's rural and urban citizens, groups, and communities. In an age of rapidly increasing information, Extension has the task of distributing the information and research needed by the citizens of the state to solve their problems. Communication is an integral and essential part of this process. To increase its capacities to distribute and process information, Extension has implemented, a statewide network, known as WISPLAN, which links the locaI county Extension offices in 71 counties to a central computer on the Madison campus. WISPLAN began in 1976 with a network of remote printing terminals in six counties and became a statewide network with terminals in all county offices in February 1983. Because the network was just recently completed, only a few of its many communication applications have been tapped.