OneUpMe.com is an online congregation* for the competitive and collaborative outlet of creative contemplation. We put the "fun" in "unfunded." We aren't a company. We aren't even a "we." We are a single (possibly schizophrenic) web hacker/designer/philosophizer/wordsmith/hang-gliding enthusiast who whipped this together on his own, in his free time, because he cares.

* A SYMPOSIUM, if you will!**

** And we hope you will.***

*** Sorry for the footnotes.****

**** If you can read this, you don't need glasses.

---

"Frequently Asked Questions" is a great lie of the Internet. Every site's got a page with questions that were ostensibly raised so frequently by so many, it seemed simpler to put it all on one page. In the interest of full disclosure, nobody asked us most of the questions that follow. We honestly just felt more comfortable providing you the following information in a Q-and-A format.

General Information

...as described by Brad Ramsay and Jessica Sugerman

Q: What is OneUpMe?

A: OneUpMe is website that fosters creativity and abstract thinking through a variety of wordplay games. The idea is to one-up everyone else by coming up with a unique and creative post that follows the rules of the game that you are playing. WARNING: We are told that these games can be addicting.

Q: What should the forum be used for?

A:The forum is where you will meet a lot of people that you find yourself voting for. You will find a lot of them to be very nice, interesting people. Each game has its own forum. There are fun discussions, side games, and puns galore on the forums. There are no real rules in the forum except don't be inflammatory or vicious to other people. Specific complaints about the game should be sent to info@oneupme.com. This is the Internet, but we're all still people. Let's play nice.

Q: How long has the site been around?

A:The site began in 2006, but it was in a different form. It eventually collapsed as the administrator decided to get a life. When he figured out that he'd never get one, the site was redesigned and relaunched in July 2010 with the plug-in through Facebook. Since that time, it has grown substantially.

Q: Do I need to have a Facebook account to play? Why does the site have to access my Facebook account, and what information is shared?

A: Yes, you need to have a Facebook account in order to play the games- it is how you log in to the site.

OneUpMe accesses some of your Facebook information to give you an identity in the game:

• - Basic information: Includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information you've shared with everyone.
• - Email
• - Profile Information: Hometown, Current City, Website and Work History
• - You're also given the option to post responses in the games to your Facebook profile.
• You can review your App privacy on Facebook. We're sorry if this inconveniences you.

Q: What is my wall?

A: Your wall is visible on your profile page. Your wall shows posts you've made to any of the forums, on the News Feed, or on wall of another player. Remember that all the nice things you write on the walls of other players might be visible to everyone on their Newsfeeds. We love seeing people share happiness. It inspires us to share happiness as well.

Q: What is the Activity Feed?

A: The activity feed is similar to your News Feed on Facebook. It's a collection of all the activity of people on the site you follow. So it "feeds" you news, isn't that clever?

The Games

Q: How do you play Analogies?

A: Analogies is a game that compares a person to an object, place, or idea. Each day, you're presented with a "He's like" or "She's like" phrase- this is the starter. The goal is to come up with a sentence or phrase that would be true for both the person and the object. Example: She's like a basketball.

Now, you have to think about how a female is like a basketball.
Possible answers: "I took her to court." "I thought I had a shot with her." "Really into baskets"

When you have an idea that you are satisfied with, post it in the game, and wait for the votes to roll in. Sometimes they roll in quickly, other times, they do not.

Q: How do you play Acronymity?

A: Acronymity is a game that gives the players a conversation between two people or animals, and then gives eight random letters as the next logical response. The idea is to use the letters as the first letter of each word in your response sentence.

Example: Brad and Jessica were talking about the post office. Brad says, "I can't believe you got my birthday card late!" Jessica replies: I A S T Y F M B
Possible answers: "I am shocked that you forgot my birthday." "I'm anguished. Some traitors yearly forget mail, Brad."

When you have an idea that you are satisfied with, post it in the game, and wait for the votes to roll in. Sometimes they roll in quickly, other times, they do not.

Q: How do you play Words of Wisdom?

A: Words of Wisdom is a game that let's you give exceptions to old cliches, common sayings, and adages from the past. The idea is to come up with a clever reason as to when the saying would not hold up as fact.

Example: Silence is golden, unless
Possible answers: "You've recently gone deaf." "You're trapped in the lion's cage at the zoo."

When you have an idea that you are satisfied with, post it in the game, and wait for the votes to roll in. Sometimes they roll in quickly, other times, they do not.

Q: How do you play Movie Loglines?

A: Movie Loglines is a game that gives the players the title of a fictional movie. The idea is to describe a movie that would aptly fit that title. Note: A tagline is not a logline. A tagline is just a humorous quip about the title. Many people confuse loglines and taglines, but in the end it is the votes that determine the winner.

Example: Just Another Wednesday.
Possible answers: "After their daughter's funeral, Morticia and Gomez adopt another gloomy, goth daughter in this Addam's Family sequel." "Every day is the same when you're in a coma."

When you have an idea that you are satisfied with, post it in the game, and wait for the votes to roll in. Sometimes they roll in quickly, other times, they do not.

Q: How do you play Reserve Analogies?

A: Reverse Analogies is just the opposite of Analogies. You are given a generic sentence or phrase that could be true for a human and a variety of objects, places, people or ideas. The idea is to come up the most apt comparison.

Example: caused a huge fight.
Possible answers: "He's like the last slice of cake." "He's like my rich uncle's will."

When you have an idea that you are satisfied with, post it in the game, and wait for the votes to roll in. Sometimes they roll in quickly, other times, they do not.

Q: What if I have an idea for a game?

A: The site started out as just Analogies. Through the creative input of others we now host a variety of daily games. We'd love to hear from you. Email info@oneupme.com. It might be a good idea to test out your game on the forum first to see how much interest you get and get feedback from others.

Posting

Q: What if I don't like the topic that day?

A: You are not obligated to play every day. In the past, skipping a day of play negatively impacted a players score. This rule has been done away with. If you don't play one day, the only way your score will be impacted is through not getting any votes on that particular day.

Q: Do I have to play every game each day?

OneUpMe is like a buffet- some people want to have a little bit of everything, and some people want to eat what they know they like. So no, you don't have to, but your cumulative point score will likely be higher if you participate in all of the games.

Also like a buffet, the site may give you indigestion. And it's nothing to sneeze at. And things can get heated. (We're really obsessed here)

Q: How many times can you post?

A: You can only post one response per game, but you are allowed to repost if you're not getting enough votes to satisfy you or if you've thought of a better idea.

Reposting means that you delete what you've previously posted, and put a new idea or different phrasing of your original idea up in the game. Basically, you're only allowed to have one idea in each game at a time, but you're allowed to change your mind anytime you want. You will lose your votes, if any, that you already accumulated on a post by removing it and reposting. We have been told that some people get obsessed with reposting and do it so often that they frustrate themselves needlessly. Repost all you want, we just felt obligated to share this information with you.

Q: What if someone already posted my idea?

A: It depends. If your idea is a word for word copy of something that has already been posted then it is just good sportsmanship to come up with something different.

If you've come up with a similar idea, but worded it in a way that is unique and more clever than a post already in play, then you've one-upped that player just like the game suggests. Some people don't agree with this sentiment, but some topics just have a limited amount of unique ideas, and many times different wording can be the difference between a good post and a great post.

Q: What do I do if I've been copied?

A: You can complain, but many people find that this doesn't really do any good. A lot of people just don't mind being inconsiderate and that is unfortunate.

You can find out who copied you and send them a message or write on their OneUpMe wall. However, yelling and screaming at them is probably not the way to go. Try talking to them politely, but don't just assume that they'll take their post down especially if it isn't a word for word copy.

Q: Why is there a character limit?

A: Part of the fun in the game is coming with an answer in a limited space. Also, it makes it much easier on voters because the shorter the game posts, the more they can read in a short period of time. Each game has its own character limit that suits the responses for that game. Plus, we've been told that long winded people tend to be tedious.

Q: Are abbreviations and shorthand allowed?

A: Yes, but a lot of people consider this as a cheap way of getting around the character limit so they don't vote for these posts. We hope that whatever you post works out well for you, but idk, as long as it makes everyone lol.

Voting

Q: Who determines the winner?

A: Voters or "Likers" determine the winner. Generally, the person with the most votes wins the game. However, it is possible for a person to receive the most votes but still not win. This is because people who have been playing longer have a vote that carries more weight than new people. As you continue to play and vote, your vote will start to carry more weight as well.

Q: How many times can you win?

A: You can win any of the games multiple times, and you can win several games in one day if you were especially brilliant.

Q: What is a "Like"?

A: A like is OneUpMe vernacular for a "vote". We call it a like because you can "like" as many posts in as many of the games as you'd like. We here at OneUpMe recommend you vote fairly and vote often, but like anything in life, don't overdo it.

Q: Why can't I vote for myself?

A: The reason that no one can vote for themselves is that we assume that everyone would vote for themselves therefore canceling out that vote. It just made more sense to not allow this.

Q: Do I have to vote?

A: Honestly, you don't. However, as the majority of the fun of the game is receiving votes, if everyone decided not to vote, the game wouldn't be much fun. We recommend that if you have 5 minutes to play the game, you can take at least 5 minutes to vote. We'd love for you to take longer, but we don't know your life and we like to believe the best in people.

Q: How many times can I vote?

A: Vote as often as you like. There is no cap on the number of votes that you may disperse on a given day.

Q: What if someone's post doesn't make any sense?

A: Sometimes people don't really get other people's humor. We recommend not voting for posts you don't understand.

Q: Why are posts in each game separated into the categories New, Hottest, and Most Popular? What's the difference?

A: Newest: Don't worry, this category doesn't know that today is your first day- it simply lists every response that has been made so far on a game in chronological order. The newest posts are at the top of the list, and the earliest posts are at the bottom. This is the category you want to go to if you want to vote on every player's response, Ctrl+F for similar posts, or check up on recent posts- some great ones come later in the day!

Hottest: This isn't a list of OneUpMe's most eligible bachelors, (although that might not be a bad idea). This category is a list of posts that have recently been voted for by other players combined with the posts of players that you have voted for frequently in the past. That means the posts on your Hottest list are different from other players' because of how you've voted in the past. It will also change throughout the day as new posts get voted for and become 'Hot.' Come to this category for posts you might have overlooked or for some good recommendations based on your past votes.

Most Popular: Those guys think they're so cool! This category is exclusive in that you must maintain the required number of votes to be included on the list, and that number increases throughout the day. Remember, you can't see your own posts in these categories, but you'll know if you're in Most Popular based on the number of 'likes' you've received and the number that is listed as the required amount at the top of the category. This is the list to go to if you're looking to read and vote for posts that have already been approved of by a significant amount of players.

Q:What is the "Hide" button?

A:Many people vote in the game several times a day, and awhile ago, they found themselves reading the same undesirable posts over and over again. The players cried out for a "Hide" button so that they wouldn't have to sift through the same posts over and over again. Well, when players cry out, you can bet the site administrator will do his best to answer the call. This is how the "Hide" button came to be.

The "Hide" button just hides the post from you. It is still in the game and eligible to win. The "Hide" button only pertains to that one specific post- if the person reposts something different, you will be able to see it. There is no way to "Un-Hide" a post, so give it a second- you might realize it was brilliant right after clicking 'Hide.'

Q:What is the "Report" button?

A:The "Report" button allows you to complain to the site administrator about a post that you deem to be personally offensive. The site administrator will consider your request, and if he deems the post to be in particular bad, it may be removed from the game. This is not a chance to remove posts that you just don't like- it is for the rare occasion you come across a post that is hateful, threatening, incites violence, etc.

Players

Q: What are the gold and platinum stars that appears next to the names of some players?

A: The gold stars indicate players ranked in the top 100. The platinum stars are displayed next to the names of the top 10 players. Ask them about their experiences; they should be nice enough to answer you.

Q: What is the yellow flower that appears next to the names of some players?

A: This indicates that a player is new to the game. You'll have a yellow flower displayed next to your name for a week after you join the site. It's part of the welcome wagon.

Q: Who are my 'Friends'?

A: Come on, you're a likable person, don't act so surprised! Your friends on OneUpMe are players that you interact with through messaging on their walls and in the Forums.

Q: Who are my 'Fans'?

A: Your fans are players that have voted for you in the games. On your profile page, you can view your list of fans ordered from your biggest fan, the player who has voted for you on the most occasions, to the players that have voted for you only once. It's nice to know your mom isn't your only fan anymore.