Masks
Creative Commons License photo credit: OC Always

You may have run into a member of an online community, either as the manager or as a fellow member, that made, or attempted to make, a dramatic exit from the community by posting a colorful goodbye message. According to Urban Dictionary, this is sometimes referred to as a “flounce.”

If you manage a community for a while, there is a good chance that you will have a member attempt to do this. It may be harmless or it may violate your guidelines – especially if they are condescending or disrespectful, as is sometimes the case.

Earlier today, Lydia shared a link with me on Twitter that was originally shared by Jen Kramer. It was the “GOODBYE I HATE YOU ALL” post generator.

“You’ve been angry lately,” creator margalite writes on the page. “No one likes you and you feel that you aren’t getting the respect that you deserve. Those other people on the internet, they should feel lucky to share a community with you! How do you catch their attention and let them know what they’ll be missing? Simple! Flounce out of the community. With a wide range of quotes taken from ACTUAL past flounce posts, you know that the results will be good and everyone will respect you more for taking the moral high ground. You can pick as many options as you please in each category – or none at all! Happy drama!”

The generator, which is at least a few years old, allows you to answer 4 simple form fields and, just like that, you’ll have your own flounce post. True to form, it may violate the guidelines of the community that you manage. Here is the post I generated:

Goodbye everyone, IS THIS A GOOD ENOUGH CUT FOR ALL YOU HATERS???? So, I’m not posting my dragons as I fully expect this post to be deleted, but so long as the Mods get my message, that’s fine. It isn’t the first time I’ve been deleted, granted that was because of a rule that HAD NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED YET. But clearly, I should have known better. It is probably best for everyone if I just leave, because I can hardly get a sentence out without offending somebody. I also think you should look at yourselves and realize how hypersensitive you are to everything.  The internet is a vicious, atrocious place sometimes, and most of you have played your part in keeping it that way. Thanks so much… you’ve done nothing for anyone tonight.

Here’s another one:

Goodbye everyone, I no longer feel welcome here, or that kinship I was searching for.  I know you will delete this post, or call me a troll. You’ll probably block comments to it. I just think you need to be aware of how rude some of you sound, not everyone spends their whole life reading guinea pig forums all the time. No, you mutated children, crossbreeds between hagfish and a puddle of babboon vomit, just FLAT OUT ASSUMED that I am some drugged-out fluffy who plays violent video games and names Deities after them. This is getting beyond stupid, and that’s why I am leaving now. I’ll find better resources somewhere else, where I’m not treated like an inadequate child for speaking. I’ll never recommend this website. Ever.

That is great stuff.