I have found that online courses typically contain students of varying degrees of technical expertise, computer experience, patience, and personal stamina. Consequently, classroom materials such as lectures, readings, and assignments should be designed with clarity and viewed from the perspective of the least-skilled user. In addition, technical support materials such as Web-based tutorials, help desks, and the services of other technical support staff must be readily available, easy to use, and practical. Finally, the instructor should develop personalized methods using e-mail, chat, teaming, and discussion tools to support students new to the online environment. Otherwise, overwhelmed students can easily disappear into cyberspace, becoming retention statistics.