People like reading about people – and their problems even more.

Fmylife.com (FML), a Web site dedicated to users who post anecdotal stories about why their lives are terrible, quickly became one of the most visited sites on the Internet after its creation in January 2008.

Now, it maintains more than a half million visitors every month. This inspired other sites that follow the same general formula – users post real-life stories for visitors to read, rate and comment on – under a variety of different topics.

But not all of them are as depressing as FML.

Some, like givesmehope.com, are more inspiring, while others like mylifeistwilight.com are stranger. All of them, though, provide an excellent new way to procrastinate and be entertained.

The Oracle viewed a variety of sites and picked the most entertaining to recommend as timewasters for students who need a break from that end-of-semester rush.

If you’re needing inspiration:

Givesmehope.com/lovegivesmehope.com

The most inspiring of anecdotal Web sites, both givesmehope.com (GMH) and lovegivesmehope.com (LGMH) fall under the same owner and idea: sharing stories of amazing moments and happy endings. Each post ends with either GMH or LGMH and some will make even the most hard-hearted people misty eyed.

Actual post: About 15 years ago, it was illegal to have more than one child in China. I was the second child. My parents gave up their houses, jobs, money and country just to have me. They GMH.

If you’re entertained by extreme fandom:

Mylifeistwilight.com

Since their publication, the “Twilight” novels have inspired everything from themed pillows to underwear, but nothing quite as strange as mylifeistwilight.com (MLIT). Though MLIT can’t seem to make up its mind about whether or not it’s an anti-fan Web site – accepting stories that both praise and trash the novels – it definitely features extremes from both.

And some are more disturbing than others.

But regardless of your stance on the novels, the site offers an entertaining look into the world of Twilight fans that will both entertain and disturb.

Actual post: Today I asked my boyfriend if he would hold ice to his lips for a minute before he kissed me, so I could pretend I was kissing Edward. He did. MLIT.

If you’re prone to inner monologue:

Ireallywantedtosay.com

Most people have a monologue in their head much like Garfield or Lizzie Maguire, but many make sure it stays there. Ireallywantedtosay.com lets users post things they say out loud, and the thoughts that go through their mind at the same time.

Visitors can rate posts on whether they thought the poster should have said their thoughts out loud or if it was a good idea they kept silent.

While some posts are intentionally fake – like users posting as Michael Jackson or “Sesame Street” – others are so true you may find yourself thinking the same thing.

Actual post: I said: My GF wanted to know what I had been thinking about all day long because I had been a bit out of it. I said, I was just thinking about our future together.

I really wanted to say: Surfing, Cheez Wiz, and how sweet it would be to own a monkey!

If you’re already fed up with school:

Fthisclass.com

Slightly more personal than other sites – allowing users to leave a name with their post – fthisclass.com is a site to rant about teachers and their classes. This makes it almost more fun to use than to read, especially during finals time when there’s plenty of school-related things to be frustrated about.

The site is new, and mostly undiscovered – boasting only a few posts – but with an easy subject matter, it’s sure to grow fast.

Actual post: Today in Physics, the prof spent over half the lecture on one problem and when he got to the end he stepped back to look at the problem and said … “Oh … I did that wrong.” F this class!

If you’re into drunken texting:

Textsfromlastnight.com

Created one year after FML, textsfromlastnight.com (TFLN) is one of the most popular Web sites compared to others in this list. Its recently published book features some of the best submitted texts.

Users submit a text they’ve sent or received with the number’s area code. Site visitors can rate texts based on whether they think it sounds like a “good night” or “bad night.”

Creating just another reason to be careful not to drink and text, the messages on TFLN range from full conversations to hilarious one-liners.

You can search posts by rating or area code, and even order your favorites on a T-shirt.

However, if you’re not prepared for some raunchy descriptions, this may not be the site for you.

Actual post: (813) there’s a taquito in the driveway. If it’s not yours, I’m going to eat it.

If you’re working with customers:

Notalwaysright.com

If you’ve ever interacted with customers, chances are you’ve learned that the phrase, “the customer is always right,” is not necessarily true. Notalwaysright.com exists to illustrate this.

These posts are generally longer than most and let users re-enact any scene from work that has proved customers are all too often difficult to deal with – or at least highly entertaining.

Actual post: Customer: *on the phone* “I know you aren’t tech support, but I have an easy question.”

Me: “Ok…”

Customer: “How do you make the @ symbol … you know, for the email?”

Me: “You hold the shift key and press 2.”

Customer: “Won’t that just make a capital 2?”

Me: “…”