Classroom Communication: Face to Face vs. Virtual Discussions

The blog, emails and blackboard discussions I have been involved in recently have gotten me thinking about the difference between communicating online vs. face-to-face. After taking two online classes, many on-campus classes and this hybrid class, I am pondering the pros and cons of these two modes of conversation. At the start of my first online class, I never met any of my classmates. I found it difficult to participate in conversation blindly. (I'm a visual learner and I find it frustrating sometimes to communicate without visual cues.) Another problem I have had at times is getting understood by classmate or misunderstanding their entries. Usually it's not a significant issue, but I remember a blackboard discussion in which a few classmates penned some heated entries before realizing there was a misunderstanding. Miscommunication can occur in the classroom as well, but there differences are usually discussed and sorted out quickly. Students don't always agree, but they are allowed to explain their thinking during the discussion. In my opinion, the best part about online discussions is that there is a degree of anonymity that is created (even when authors are known) that allows shy students to enter into a discussion that could be dominated by a few in the classroom. I have seen middle school students embrace this space and become much more active in classroom discussions when they are sitting at a computer screen. Students also think more carefully about what they have to say before writing it, so I believe they become more reflective as well. A good strategy may be to give students an opportunity to write about an issue online and then discuss it further in in the classroom. What has anyone else experienced with this?