Abstract While studying cultural aspects of the installation of a computerized messaging system, at least one terminal was seen to be used mainly for playful purposes during the first three months after installation. The convivial messages produced comprise an unusual kind of data, since until the advent of electronic systems, such exchanges were rarely presented in writing (publicly, at least). They are explored within a framework which distinguishes between formal and convivial types of exchange on the one hand, and written and spoken exchanges on the other. The messages arise spontaneously out of people experimenting with a new medium. Their existence raises questions about the relations between electronic technology and formal and convivial modes of organisation, and it is suggested that serious attention should be paid to convivial modes of organisation in designing and implementing electronic messaging systems.
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