What do chemistry problem sets, a manifesto, a picture of the Unabom suspect and a quote from former president Richard M. Nixon all have in common?

They have all appeared in postings on the Chemistry 5: "Introduction to Principles of Chemistry" discussion group on the World Wide Web.

Scattered throughout the list of questions that beg for help on course homework are a string of laments and a war of words among students and teaching fellows (TFs) which has more flame than a Bunsen burner.

In particular, one student's brash criticisms of the course's depth have caused students and staff to examine the delicate balance between commentary and chemistry in the discussion group.

It all began with the first exam.

"Why? why? this sucks, damn chem. damn it" one student posted using the name "afailure."

The student was later joined by others bemoaning their grades on the Oct.j7 18 test.

Section leaders and even the course head himself, James E. Davis, lecturer and head tutor in chemistry, responded to the postings, trying to encourage the disheartened. "You WILL get the hang of it," wrote Davis.

But not all of the students sympathized with their classmates.

"We are in college now. Act like it. College is about perseverance, not giving up after the first test," posted one student.

The discussion group quieted down after that. That is, at least, until the manifesto.

"WHO WRITES THESE PROBLEM SETS????" screamed the blinking headline of the posting by a student calling himself Bromobenzene Boy. "There are a whole bunch of badly written and inaccurate questions problem set 6 [sic]," he wrote on Nov. 1.

He went on to allege that the data in the problem sets are inaccurate, that they "reinforce bad habits" and that the wording is unclear.

"This sort of stuff has been going on all throughout the course," he said. "On one hand the teaching staff nitpicks details, on the other it plays fast and loose with those same details."

Bromobenzene's comments did not go unnoticed.