Observations, thoughts and other assorted stuff.
Published on December 10, 2004 By Ravenblack In Humor

Disclaimer: I think the only people who will be offended by this are the drama queens. For the rest of you, because of my many experiences in web communities, I am able to come up with this guide for all ye who want to play drama queen. It is important to note that I am not saying that people who do the stuff in this article are definetly drama queens but if you want to play drama queen, this is probably the way to do it.


Point zero: make sure to choose a nick that gives people an idea or hint that you have a most terrible life. Not too obvious, because you don't want to give away the game immediately. It must be subtle, unintentional but it must be noticeably sad-like.

Names that work:

living-lost
downhill traveller
draggingthroughlife

NOT: Lifesucksforme. That's just too much.


The follow guide assumes that you will be taking part actively in ongoing discussions.

1) Cry abuse when critisized for the slightest. (That's bound to happen sooner or later when you hold onto opinions staunchly.) Do it until someone has pity on you and defends you.

2) No one takes pity on you? Accuse the entire community of being incompassionate.

3) And just when everyone is about to ignore you, make a big I'M SO SORRY post and apologise like you mean it.

4) After someone gives you second chance, immediately, fall off the edge by posting something to gain the most amount of attention and offends the most people.

5) If you can win the argument, be gracious and go off to plan your next big bait...I mean article. But if you can't win, then break off the thread by typing incoherently in all caps. Then lock all your threads for an ultimate in-your-face effect.

6) Repeat step 3 with a different title expressing the greatest of regret, and this time include a sob story. You have to make sure those people who critisized you feel sorry. If you can't even get one of them to feel sorry for you and/or apologise for being so harsh with you, you have failed. Do it till you get it right, spam if you have to. Go to all the post of the people you offended and apologise even if it's totally irrelevant to the topic at hand.

7) Get back in there and behave yourself -- but make sure you are being noticed. Rinse and repeat.

Here are some more additional tips.

- If someone has a problem, make sure to post something similar and make it even more serious. Someone got dumped? You got dumped TWICE and you were cheated on too! Hijack the thread if you have to, your problem must take presidence!

- Make multiple posts. Put them in the wrong category, nothing stands out more than something that is in the wrong place. It's the attention you get that counts.

- Make blind accusations at others without facts.

- Accuse your enemies of trying to hack into your computer. Where's the proof? Show them the spam in your bulk folder.

- Make your problems other people's responsibility. If you slip deeper, it's their fault. Make sure they know that. Here's an example: "I tried to follow your advice, but it didn't work and now it's worse!"

- If people don't respond immediately, accuse them of ignoring you delibrately and for being insincere about being concern.

- Take everything personally. Make every post that other people make out to be about you, even if it's obviously about someone else. Then make a post about them. After that, follow up with step 2 and 3 if you want to totally confuse everyone.

Contrary to popular belief, the obvious 'suicide threat' which is considered the ultimate in drama queendom is not the way to go. Why? Because it only works once. My methods are better, you can actually come back and swindle the community several times before they get it.

Have fun.

Comments
on Dec 10, 2004
break off the thread by typing incoherently in all caps.


Good one Raven. No matter what you do, I hate folks who type in all caps. It just comes across to me as trying too hard, no matter what they are doing. And the advice on the username, priceless.
on Dec 10, 2004
Heh, you wouldn't believe how many times I've experienced similar things to what you described. The internet is choked full of them.....

Nice article Raven,
~Zoo
on Dec 10, 2004
Very funny....and sadly true...

signed,
Ms. Understood;)
on Dec 10, 2004

downhill traveller


hey, my husband's ID is 'lonesome traveler' and he's the most un-dramatic person I know......!  Then again, he's a fully grown dude, and he created it when he was away from home for a year.....


Good article!

on Dec 10, 2004
, So very true from what I have seen. This is my first on-line community so I can't fully confirm but it sounds like a good plan.
on Dec 11, 2004
So, since my pathetic life's dearest goal is to become an online community drama queen, you're suggesting that I remove the "satire" from the sub-title of my blog?

"A Satire of Personal Tragedy, DIsaster, War, and Other Things that Just Plain Suck."

I knew I was doing something wrong!!! ;~D
on Dec 11, 2004
I'm mortally offended! You have no idea what I've been through this past year. I can't believe you're holding all that against me. WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU UNFEELING, UNGRATEFUL, UNCOMPASSIONATE, LIFELESS, SOULLESS HUMANS?

-asolitarytear.

Oh, I'm so sorry I wrote that. Please forgive me. I'll do better next time--I promise.

-A.

YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF ELBOW-KISSING DOLTS

-A.

I'm sorry I've been like this. You see, my grandmother's friend's car dealer's dentist's client's lawyer's kid was hit by a boat and I just haven't recovered yet. Please understand.

-A.

IDIOTS! I BET YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND EMOTIONS IF THEY BIT YOU IN THE FOREARM.

-A.

Um, just wanted you all to know I didn't write that. I left my account open, and....

-A.

Life's just not worth .......... gack! urgh! hellllllllp! *gasp* .......ahhhhhhhhh.........[the end]

-A.

(There, that should cover most of it, though I didn't pointswhore (verb, recent addition to the O.E.D.) and I can't lock the thread. I might add that some of these drama queens (and kings) tend to have bad grammar/spelling and use a lot of shortcuts, i.e. how r u doin?)
on Dec 11, 2004
BlueDev and Dharma>> user name

My examples aren't perfectly thought out. *G* User name picking is the tricky part. (Luckily I didn't step on anyone's toes here.) I personally suspect names are sometimes chosen to enhance the image the person is trying to portray.

Zoologist >> The internet is choked full of them....

There's not one community I've been to where there isn't at least one who overreacts to everything or threatens to drop off the face of the earth.

KellyW: >> signed, Ms. Understood;)



SSG G. >> it sounds like a good plan.

Oh yeah, it's tried and proven drama queen formular.

ParaTed2K: >>you're suggesting that I remove the "satire" from the sub-title of my blog

You should replace that with the word 'diary' and you will be on your way.

A!
You've just portrayed perfectly the person I was thinking about when I wrote this article. In another community where I used to hang out, there was a guy like that. One day this and another day that. He never really used the self hurt card, but he was always blaming others. He made half dozen clones to haress the community and he was entertaining and pathetic at the same time.

>> I might add that some of these drama queens (and kings) tend to have bad grammar/spelling and use a lot of shortcuts

They do, don't they? I don't understand it. It's as if they slip into some kinda mode where they become totally incoherent and when they come back as a clone, they can sometimes become perfect spellers/ grammaticians.
on Dec 11, 2004
lmaooooo....good article.

You've won little-whip's "first chuckle of the day" award.

And an insightful.
on Dec 11, 2004
Thanks.
on Dec 11, 2004
Hey Raven...
good one!
dont forget another way of being a drama queen on here is pretending to be someone your not and hiding behind the mask of irony.
on Dec 11, 2004
That works too.
on Dec 11, 2004
hiding behind the mask of irony


Not "The Man in the Irony Mask"!!!!!
on Dec 18, 2004
Very good stuff! I almost felt like I was reading a timeline of some of the stuff I've seen online, verbatim! Nice. Late Insightful coming your way.
on Dec 18, 2004
Thanks Chip.