Wikipedia:Don't feed the divas

Jânio Quadros threatened to step back as President of Brazil hoping the masses would rally for him to stay. They didn't.

A Wikipedia diva is a long-time user who believes he or she is more important than other editors, and who requires regular validation of that belief. Validation is obtained by storming off the project in a huff—a "retirement" or "Wikibreak"—accompanied by a long diatribe against whatever petty issue drove them away this time.

Invariably, this diatribe attracts a flood of "please don't go" messages, along with plenty of support for the diva's side of the dispute that triggered the latest "retirement". The end result is that the diva gets exactly what he or she craves—validation and support—and returns to the project triumphant, at least until the next petty conflict.

Spotting divas

The following are tell-tale signs that you are dealing with a Wikipedia diva:

Argumentative in petty disputes

There is no issue too small for a diva; disputes are more about getting their way than getting it right.

Frequent citation of personal perceived "rewards" in disputes

Divas want others to think they are indispensable to the project, therefore they will frequently promote their own value to the project via their edit count, Did you knows, Good articles or Featured articles. In citing their own value, they are implicitly denigrating their opponent's value, which is a form of validation.

Excessive self-promotion

Divas often have elaborate user pages which tout their contributions.

Collecting followers and admirers, pompouse entries and leaves, highly sophisticated web pages and Walls of Fame

Frequent threats to leave

This is the diva's primary weapon, and they use it often. They retire often, but never stay away for more than a few days.

Role in the Wikipedia experience

Most Wikipedians love to watch Divas' appearances and cockfights, insofar as Divas provide a part of the MMORPG character of the WP experience.

Female Divas

The rally of a clientele, of disciples and followers is typical for Divas. As Filippo Tommaso Marinetti or Stefan George in their literary work, Divas attract supporters for their appearances and articles. Whoever dislikes this, should remember the mockery of Otto Julius Bierbaum about the George-Kreis

Solemnity is above everything! Be as stupid like a tuna fish, lack any temperament like a jellyfish, gaze like an bull frog under anestheticy, but be solemn, and you'll suddenly see admirers around you that are not able to say boo to a goose.

Dealing with divas

These fellows are trying to stop this angry bull from running off. However, in the case of Wikipedia divas, just let them storm off in a huff.

Like trolls, divas crave attention, but whereas a troll is primarily destructive, divas appear to be productive contributors to the project—at least during times when they aren't storming off in a huff.

But unlike other productive contributors, divas use their productive contribution history as a weapon against other editors. For divas, positive contribution is not an end unto itself, but rather a means of gaining clout and power. This clout becomes like a currency in content disputes: they can trade in some of their stored clout to get their way in disputes with lesser editors. This clout also gains them much needed validation during their frequent "retirements".

The best way to deal with divas is to ignore their tantrums. When divas storm off, let them go. If you beg them to stay, you perpetuate the cycle, guaranteeing that they will storm off again in a few months.

Treating Divas and power users in similar ways as "normal citizens" can follow the ten rules of Jante Law as in Scandinavia. The ten rules state:

1. Don't think you're anything special.
2. Don't think you're as good as us.
3. Don't think you're smarter than us.
4. Don't convince yourself that you're better than us.
5. Don't think you know more than us.
6. Don't think you are more important than us.
7. Don't think you are good at anything.
8. Don't laugh at us.
9. Don't think anyone cares about you.
10. Don't think you can teach us anything.

An eleventh rule often added is:

11. Don't think that there aren't a few things we know about you.

If you simply wish Divas well and let them leave, they will almost certainly come back, but with a better attitude. The diva who doesn't get validation will quickly realize that he or she is not more important than any other editor; that one single editor cannot break a project of such magnitude.

In some cases, the diva will stay retired, but the loss will be quickly filled by other editors who are not so high maintenance—editors for whom the goal is not self promotion and validation, but rather improvement of the project. Most final good byes from Wikipedia happen without much ado.

See also

• meatball:GoodBye
• Wikipedia:No vested contributors
• Wikipedia:What is a troll?
• Wikipedia:Retiring
• Wikipedia:You don't own Wikipedia
• Wikipedia:Wikipedia does not need you
• Wikipedia:You are not irreplaceable