The College's largest student run computer group was shaken Thursday by the public resignation of the editor of its magazine the Harvard Computer Review.

The editor, Kevin S. Tsai '96 cited internal conflicts in the Harvard Computer Society and a society debt the estimated at $14,000 in a resignation letter posted on three newsgroups on the Harvard computer network.

His post prompted a series of subsequent posts by readers of the widely read 'Harvard .general" newsgroup. the posts included an exchange of insults between Tsai and members of HCS, called a "flame war" by frequent network users.

Tsai resigned just three months after his November appointment as editor in chief and did not publish any issues of the Review during his tenure.

Tsai submitted his resignation to the HCS about a week and a half ago after the new executive board took over, according to HCS president Eugene E. Kim '96 But the departing editor held off on the public announcement until Thursday.

Tsai said he resigned because "the [review] has not been able to print any issues whatsoever as a result of the computer society's financial problems."

In his post to the newsgroups, Tsai said theComputer Society debt is approximately $14,000.HCS Business Manager Rolland Ho '97 admitted thedebt at one time totalled $15,000 but said it isnow down to $11,000.

Kim said HCS is in the process of looking foranother editor, but declined to say whom theorganization is considering.

Tsai said "personal conflicts" were also afactor in his decision.

"Because of the HCS's financial problems andperhaps conflicts in the HCS, I don't think I cando a very good job, and so I resigned in protest,"Tsai said. "I hope that was the message the boardwill take to make sure that there will be no morepersonal conflicts."

Tsai's post cited "personal pride and vainness"in HCS members and said that "people who hadsimilar interests and common goals no longer couldwork together."

He also warned in the post that "once again theHarvard Computer Society...silently runs thedanger of collapsing into ashes."

Kim posted a reply message on "harvard.general"saying that he was "saddened" by Tsai'sresignation, and that he wanted to clarify what hesaid were "some potentially misleadingallegations" in Tsai's resignation.

"I was unhappy that Kevin decided to post theseallegations publicly as opposed to coming to ouropen board meetings to discuss it," Kim said in aninterview yesterday. "If he truly felt it was sucha large problem, he certainly did nothing toresolve it by posting a public message where hemade any allegations without any evidence."

After Kim's post, the subsequent message on"harvard.general" rapidly developed into a "flamewar."

In one post, HCS member David A. Holland '94called Tsai's allegations "raving and ranting."