This paper considers the potential utility of computer conferencing for the Third World. A brief description of an example of a computer conferencing system, the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) based at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, is provided. International discussions on telecommunications and some of the activities of multinational organizations which affect the extension of technology to developing nations are noted, as well as technical constraints on the extension of telecommunications technology. Applications of computer conferencing to education, employment, and information transfer are described, and there is some consideration of the social consequences of the introduction of such a program. General guidelines for the future implementation of computer conferencing are also given. A 26-item bibliography concludes the paper. (Author/ESR)