Designing CSCL environments from a purely functional perspective is not a good idea. This chapter points out that DLGs using functional CSCL environments may be successful in some cases and unsuccessful in others. The success can be increased if CSCL environments are also designed from a perspective that takes the social (psychological) aspects of learning within groups into account while dealing with two potential pitfalls: taking social interaction for granted, and ignoring or neglecting group forming and group dynamics. Such a perspective acknowledges that learners are human beings who want to socialise with others to form a performing group where a sound social space exists. This chapter suggests a framework that can be used as a point of departure for formulating a set of requirements that defines the social functionality that can be embedded within the CSCL environments. Key elements of the framework are social affordances devices, sociability, and social presence.