DUMB
How important? Textdumps often annoy readers.
[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Ahr river
Just present it like normal dialogue, only instead of them going to a club, they're staring at their screen?
Read my stories!
Hurr
But, there are ways to do textdumps that can entice readers. I can't believe I'm doing this, but check out the logs for Homestuck. Your Mileage May Vary.
I don't think presenting it as normal dialogue would work. They aren't really "saying" it. They are typing it.
edited 26th Jan '11 2:09:33 PM by Saturn
vigilantly taxonomish
Homestuck's approach is to present all the online dialogue in the form of chat transcripts. It works, but it'd be a very unconventional thing to include in a novel. It reads more like a playscript than anything.
I remember somebody here once linked to a short story about time travel which was written in the style of an Internet forum. Can't remember who that was or what it was called, but it worked OK as a storytelling medium.
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DUMB
That just works as an epistolary story, though.
edited 26th Jan '11 2:32:47 PM by Tzetze
[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
vigilantly taxonomish
Just turn it into a back and forth dialogue proceeding, but have the person using the computer thinking things instead of saying them. I'll try to show what I mean:
I'm so eager to see her message I might explode in my pants, so I turn on the computer and open her message as quickly as I can.
I open it and begin reading, "Dear Bob, you're a great guy, and I had a lot of fun last night..."
Yay! Looks like I'll be permitted into boob-town soon!
I read a little further, "But I've met someone else. I'm truly sorry. Best wishes, Sarah."
No! What could have possibly went wrong? I mean, sure I told her she looked like a hooker, but I meant it as a compliment!
[and so on...]
edited 27th Jan '11 8:39:35 AM by colbertimposter
My current WIP (well, the plans for it anyway) has the internet playing a rather important role in proceedings. Unfortunately I haven't a clue as to how to present forum posts and/or chatroom activity in writing. Is there anyone who can give me any advice?