Frequently Asked Questions

A Circle of Interest is an established micro-community within WISEOZ that has a specific focus or shared interest. Circles of Interest provide a network for members to socialize with people that share their same interests.  Members can join as many Circles of Interest as they like.  As a subscriber to a Circle of Interest, members can share stories and pictures, post forum topics and events, or read the latest headlines.

On request, Über Members can establish their own exclusive Circles of Interest as public or private, send invitations to others, and require special criteria to join.

You can send invitations to family and friends and earn 10 Wits Points for each friend that becomes a member.  Your family and friends will also receive 10 Wit Points just for joining.

Figuratively speaking, WISEOZ is you, me, and all of us.  There is a WISEOZ in each of us.  Practically speaking, WISEOZ is a couple of people behind the curtain and a community of members.

We don't know!  It all depends on member growth and the degree of support we receive from investors and sponsors.

MatchWits are organized challenges that pair up players in multiple rounds of competition. 

You can send invitations to family and friends and earn 10 Wits Points for each friend that becomes a member.  Your family and friends will also receive 10 Wit Points just for joining.

Über Members have an early clue advantage giving them access to new clues minutes or hours before they are revealed to other users.

Über Members are registered users that pay $2.99 per month or $34.99 per year and receive the following additional benefits and perks:

• Status bestowed by The Golder ber
  
• Monthly 10 Wit Point Stipend
• Early Clue Advantage for WiseWits
• Automatic Promotion to the Next Highest Rank
• Establish and Lead Teams to Participate in WiseWits
• Create and Manage Your Team Identity Through My Ego
• Create and Moderate Public or Private Circles of Interest

Free Members are registered users that have not opted for a paid membership. Free Membership comes with the following benefits:

• Earn Wit Points for Contributing and Posting Comments
• Participate in WiseWits for Rewards and Wit Points
• Join Circles of Interest
• Create QuickWits and Earn Tips
• Participate in MatchWits Paired Challenges for Prizes
• Create and Manage Your WISEOZ Identity Through My Ego
• Purchase Merchandise from WiseShop with Wit Points

This makes you a visitor!  First off, welcome to WISEOZ!

Visitors are unregistered users. They have access to play QuickWits but can not vote or comment on them. Visitors can also browse and view WiseWits and Circles of Interest but are not able to take actions or participate without becoming a member. Visitors do not have access to My Ego pages. 

Hopefully, you're ready to become a member now.  Please visit our membership plan selection page to select from a Free Membership or Über Membership.

My Ego represents the online identity of a member within WISEOZ. My Ego allows members to make a variety of customizations to their profile settings and personal web pages.  All My Ego pages default to public, unless you specifically set them to private.

There are additional terms for accepting donations for the creation and posting of a QuickWit. By uploading or creating a QuickWit, the publishing member agrees that they are the true creator of this QuickWit and can legally receive Tips as donations. Failure on the part of a member to include an accurate e-mail address when setting up the QuickWit will result in forfeiture of Tips donated. QuickWits posted in conjunction with any illegal activities, including but not limited to, (deliberately uploading another entities intellectual property without authorization, uploading child pornography or spamming), we reserve the right to terminate your account and pursue legal action against you. If we terminate your account for any reason, at our sole discretion, we will remove your QuickWit.

Upon creating a QuickWit, the creator is asked whether they would like to include a hat with their QuickWit.  Including a hat with a QuickWit allows for other members to donate Wit Points or money (via PayPal) to the creator of the QuickWit for their contribution.

QuickWits are community contributed puzzles, riddles, trivia, teasers, or games. QuickWits can be rated or commented on by members.  In addition, members can tip the creator of a QuickWit as a gesture of appreciation.  QuickWits are available in two varieties, PItch-Punch or Flash. 

A Pitch-Punch QuickWit presents a situation (Pitch), then reveals the solution (Punch). The Pitch may be text or images which require a user to preview prior to revealing the Punch. A Punch is the answer or expected response associated with the Pitch.

A Flash QuickWit is simply a Flash (.swf) file. 

With Wit Points won or earned, you can ...

• Purchase merchandise from WiseShop,
• Collect them for promotion to higher ranks,
• Purchase DO-OVER's on WiseWits, or
• Give them away to other members.

Below is a summary of the ranks and promotion criteria.
 

Upon registration, Free Members are established at the lowest rank of “Newbie”. As an added benefit, new or upgraded Über Members are automatically promoted to the next highest rank. Rankings will come with special advantages tied to WiseWit prizes, sponsorships, and more.

Member rankings will be evaluated on a monthly basis to determine any qualifying promotions.

Your rank is another way of representing your status within the WISEOZ community. Improving your status and climbing to higher ranks is earned by winning WiseWit events or stages and earning Wit Points for your community contributions such as posts and comments.

Upon registration, Free Members are established at the lowest rank of “Newbie”. As an added benefit, new or upgraded Über Members are automatically promoted to the next highest rank. Rankings will come with special advantages tied to WiseWit prizes, sponsorships, and more.

The rankings are:

• Newbie
• Looker
• Finder
• Seer
• Advancer
• Guide
• Master
• WISEOZ

WiseWits are skills contests that require members and teams to apply their experience, skill, creativity, and know-how to seek out information or perform certain tasks in order to solve for clues. WiseWits are held in accordance with the following Contest Rules:

• Available to members (registered paid and unpaid users) and teams (organized groups of paid and unpaid users) only.
• One or more WiseWits may be active at any time.
• Members or teams elect to participate in a WiseWit by clicking the “COUNT ME IN!” button on the WiseWit page. Members or teams that do not elect to participate in the WiseWits can not provide responses to clues and are not eligible to win.
• WiseWits are made up of one or more stages containing one or more interrelated clues that, once resolved, lead players to solve a final challenge and win the WiseWit. For instance, a four stage WiseWits has at least four clues which eventually come together to form the final challenge for the WiseWit.
• Clues may be made available in either a serial or parallel fashion. Serial clues require that the preceding clue be resolved before the subsequent clue is revealed. Parallel clues are released randomly or concurrently without a defined sequence.
• Clues and responses to clues will be presented as words, phrases, images, audio, or video. Clues may be obscure references, teasers, riddles, puzzles, logic problems, creative activities and more.  Depending on the clue specific criteria, a player may enter a response as text, links, or images. 
• Members are given one chance to respond per stage or final challenge. To provide an additional response, members have the opportunity to buy DO-OVERs using Wit Points.  If a clue remains unsolved for an extended period of time, hints may be published to assist players.
  
• For some stages and final challenges, Über Members are given an early clue advantage giving them access to new clues before they are revealed to other players. 
• WiseWits, and the stages within them, may offer cash and non-cash rewards for resolving the clues within the specified criteria of providing a response. Rewards may differ for member versus team participation in the WiseWit. Cash rewards are paid in U.S. dollars via Paypal. Non-cash rewards may include Wit Points, merchandise, gift cards/certificates, or other products and are shipped to the address on file for the winner. 
• Any WiseWit may have one or more winners depending on the published criteria. Teams are awarded prizes to the team lead. Distribution of prizes to the team members are the sole responsibility of the team lead. Only eligible members or teams can be awarded prizes. 
• Winners are determined based on an impartial judging of their responses by WISEOZ administration.
• Winner usernames are published on the WiseWit page. Additionally, the WISEOZ administrator will notify the winner by e-mail to confirm the logistics for prize distribution. If a winning member is unable to be contacted by e-mail or phone within 30 days of the WiseWits end date, prizes are forfeited. Winners in states or countries were these contest rules do not apply, may be given an equivalent amount of Wit Points instead of the posted prize. This may be determined on a case by case basis in accordance with local laws.
  

There are additional terms for accepting donations for the creation and posting of a QuickWit. By uploading or creating a QuickWit, the publishing member agrees that they are the true creator of this QuickWit and can legally receive Tips as donations. Failure on the part of a member to include an accurate e-mail address when setting up the QuickWit will result in forfeiture of Tips donated. QuickWits posted in conjunction with any illegal activities, including but not limited to, (deliberately uploading another entities intellectual property without authorization, uploading child pornography or spamming), we reserve the right to terminate your account and pursue legal action against you. If we terminate your account for any reason, at our sole discretion, we will remove your QuickWit.

In addition to our Terms of Use, the following special terms apply to design contributions from members.

WISEOZ may make certain products available for purchase through WiseShop using member submitted designs. Members who submit designs will receive a percentage of profit for merchandise sold based on established terms.  Your share of the profit will accumulate in your account and be paid monthly. Payments will be sent utilizing PayPal unless other arrangements have been made.

If you fail to include accurate payment information in your account, WISEOZ will charge a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share currently in your account. If you submit designs based upon any illegal activities, including but not limited to, deliberately uploading another entities intellectual property without authorization, uploading child pornography or spamming, WISEOZ will charge you a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share royalties currently in your account.  WISEOZ reserves the right to immediately terminate your account and subsequently pursue legal action against you. If WISEOZ terminates your account for any reason, at its sole discretion, WISEOZ will charge you a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share currently in your account and will no longer offer your designs for sale.

To complete a purchase with Wit Points, you select a product you wish to purchase from WiseShop and select ADD TO CART for the product.  When you're done shopping and ready to checkout, select "Checkout" from your SHOPPING CART.  If you scroll down to the "Payment method" pane of the Checkout form, you will see that there is a radio button available to pay by Wit Points.  It will show the amount of dollars you have available for the purchase based on the Wit Points you've accumulated.  This balance is based on an exchange rate of about 10 Wit Points to a $1.  If you select Wit Points, it will apply those Wit Points to your purchase.

With Wit Points won or earned, you can ...

• Purchase merchandise from WiseShop,
• Collect them for promotion to higher ranks,
• Purchase DO-OVER's on WiseWits, or
• Give them away to other members.

In addition to our Terms of Use, the following special terms apply to design contributions from members.

WISEOZ may make certain products available for purchase through WiseShop using member submitted designs. Members who submit designs will receive a percentage of profit for merchandise sold based on established terms.  Your share of the profit will accumulate in your account and be paid monthly. Payments will be sent utilizing PayPal unless other arrangements have been made.

If you fail to include accurate payment information in your account, WISEOZ will charge a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share currently in your account. If you submit designs based upon any illegal activities, including but not limited to, deliberately uploading another entities intellectual property without authorization, uploading child pornography or spamming, WISEOZ will charge you a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share royalties currently in your account.  WISEOZ reserves the right to immediately terminate your account and subsequently pursue legal action against you. If WISEOZ terminates your account for any reason, at its sole discretion, WISEOZ will charge you a processing fee equal to the amount of accumulated profit share currently in your account and will no longer offer your designs for sale.

DO-OVERs cost 5 Wit Points each so you want to be sure you're using them wisely.  When playing WiseWits, consider the following guidance for when to use (or not) DO-OVERs.

• Only use a DO-OVER if you're sure your previous response was incorrect or was eliminated from judging.  So, wait to receive an incorrect response notification first.
• Only use a DO-OVER if the WiseWit final challenge or stage is still open.  So, upon receiving an incorrect response notification, check the status of the final challenge or stage to make sure it is still open.

Yes!  For WiseWit stages and final challenges, DO-OVER's are available for 5 Wit Points each and you can have as many as you like.  A DO-OVER gives you a second chance to provide a new response for a WiseWit stage or final challenge. 

A DO-OVER button is available to you for an open WiseWit stage or final challenge if you have 5 or more Wit Points in your account and you've already submitted a response.  Upon submitting for a DO-OVER, your previous response will be deleted and a new GOT IT! button will be available to you to submit a new response. 

Please note that use of the DO-OVER button is at the player's discretion.  There is no guarantee that the player will win the stage or final challenge by submitting a DO-OVER. 

WiseWits are skills contests that require members and teams to apply their experience, skill, creativity, and know-how to seek out information or perform certain tasks in order to solve for clues. WiseWits are held in accordance with the following Contest Rules:

• Available to members (registered paid and unpaid users) and teams (organized groups of paid and unpaid users) only.
• One or more WiseWits may be active at any time.
• Members or teams elect to participate in a WiseWit by clicking the “COUNT ME IN!” button on the WiseWit page. Members or teams that do not elect to participate in the WiseWits can not provide responses to clues and are not eligible to win.
• WiseWits are made up of one or more stages containing one or more interrelated clues that, once resolved, lead players to solve a final challenge and win the WiseWit. For instance, a four stage WiseWits has at least four clues which eventually come together to form the final challenge for the WiseWit.
• Clues may be made available in either a serial or parallel fashion. Serial clues require that the preceding clue be resolved before the subsequent clue is revealed. Parallel clues are released randomly or concurrently without a defined sequence.
• Clues and responses to clues will be presented as words, phrases, images, audio, or video. Clues may be obscure references, teasers, riddles, puzzles, logic problems, creative activities and more.  Depending on the clue specific criteria, a player may enter a response as text, links, or images. 
• Members are given one chance to respond per stage or final challenge. To provide an additional response, members have the opportunity to buy DO-OVERs using Wit Points.  If a clue remains unsolved for an extended period of time, hints may be published to assist players.
  
• For some stages and final challenges, Über Members are given an early clue advantage giving them access to new clues before they are revealed to other players. 
• WiseWits, and the stages within them, may offer cash and non-cash rewards for resolving the clues within the specified criteria of providing a response. Rewards may differ for member versus team participation in the WiseWit. Cash rewards are paid in U.S. dollars via Paypal. Non-cash rewards may include Wit Points, merchandise, gift cards/certificates, or other products and are shipped to the address on file for the winner. 
• Any WiseWit may have one or more winners depending on the published criteria. Teams are awarded prizes to the team lead. Distribution of prizes to the team members are the sole responsibility of the team lead. Only eligible members or teams can be awarded prizes. 
• Winners are determined based on an impartial judging of their responses by WISEOZ administration.
• Winner usernames are published on the WiseWit page. Additionally, the WISEOZ administrator will notify the winner by e-mail to confirm the logistics for prize distribution. If a winning member is unable to be contacted by e-mail or phone within 30 days of the WiseWits end date, prizes are forfeited. Winners in states or countries were these contest rules do not apply, may be given an equivalent amount of Wit Points instead of the posted prize. This may be determined on a case by case basis in accordance with local laws.
  

Certainly!  If it excites you to write WiseWits rather than play them, we'll then sobeit!  Feel free to contact us with your ideas. 

As you conceptualize and write a WiseWit, keep in mind the following tips and tricks ...

• Follow the basic formula of creating mutliple stages that lead up to a final challenge.  In some cases, there may be no final challenge.
• Make it challenging enough for the WISEOZ audience!  Google the clues you've written to see how easily things could be figured out by members copying and pasting your exact words.  Try to make clues more challenging by using synonyms, antonyms, riddles, or other forms of word play.
• Determine the acceptable correct responses.  Can you accept "battery" or does it need to specifically be "battery terminal"?  Often the specificity of the response is determined by the final challenge you are leading up to.
• Review our growing collection of solved WiseWits for ideas and inspiration.  WiseWits are like snowflakes.  Every one of them is unique.   However, there is plenty of inspiration and insight to be gained from reviewing old WiseWits.

Lastly, it is very important that member-contributed WiseWits are just as secure as the ones we provide ourselves.  This means that we must strictly enforce certain rules to ensure the security of a WiseWit.  The following rules apply to member-contributed WiseWits ...

• A member can neither sign up for nor play the WiseWit they contribute.  This rule applies even if the WISEOZ administrator has changed clues or added additional clues to the WiseWit. 
• No other person from the contributing member's household is allowed to sign up or play that member's contributed WiseWit.  So, if you are a wife submitting a WiseWit, your husband and children that are living with you can not sign up or play the WiseWit you have contributed.
• A member must not give hints for the WiseWit they contribute (not to friends, BFF's, husbands, family, or any else for that matter).  All hints will come from the WISEOZ administrator as they deem appropriate and be presented and available to all members from within the WiseWit page.
• Where the security of a WiseWit appears to have been compromised, WISEOZ reserves the right to modify any part of the WiseWit and/or cancel it before it has ended.  Members found to be involved in any sort of "cheating" efforts will be dealt with per the Terms of Use.

Select the "COUNT ME IN!" button for the WiseWit you wish to play and complete the sign-up form.  This will sign you up to participate.  Then, just watch, play, and win!

No!  Feel free to participate in as many WiseWits as you like.

If a clue remains unsolved for an extended period of time, clue hints may be published.

Select the "GOT IT!" button for the WiseWit stage or final challenge for which you wish to provide a response.  Depending on the clue specific criteria, you can enter a text response, link, or attach an image.

WiseWit events are made up of stages and a stage contains a clue.  Clues are presented as words, phrases, images, or video. Clues may be obscure references, teasers, riddles, logic problems, or even physical tasks.  Members respond to clues when they feel they have the correct response. 

Über Members have an early clue advantage giving them access to new clues minutes or hours before they are revealed to other users.

Clues will be made available in either a serial or parallel fashion. Serial clues require that the preceding clue be resolved before the subsequent clue is revealed. Parallel clues are released randomly or concurrently without a defined sequence.

WiseWits consist of a series of interrelated clues that, once resolved, lead players to a final challenge. The existence of a clue is a stage. For example, a four stage WiseWit has four clues which tie together to form the final challenge.

WiseWits are challenging and rewarding fun!  WiseWits are like virtual interpretations of real world teaming activities, such as scavenger hunts, treasure hunts, and trivia games. WiseWits require members to apply their experience, skill, creativity, and know-how to seek information or perform tasks in order to solve clues. WiseWit events and the stages within them will offer cash and non-cash rewards to members that solve clues within the specified criteria.  A variety of WiseWits will be available for members to participate in when they are online and up for the challenge.

Your rank is another way of representing your status within the WISEOZ community. Improving your status and climbing to higher ranks is earned by winning WiseWit events or stages and earning Wit Points for your community contributions such as posts and comments.

Upon registration, Free Members are established at the lowest rank of “Newbie”. As an added benefit, new or upgraded Über Members are automatically promoted to the next highest rank. Rankings will come with special advantages tied to WiseWit prizes, sponsorships, and more.

The rankings are:

• Newbie
• Looker
• Finder
• Seer
• Advancer
• Guide
• Master
• WISEOZ

DO-OVERs cost 5 Wit Points each so you want to be sure you're using them wisely.  When playing WiseWits, consider the following guidance for when to use (or not) DO-OVERs.

• Only use a DO-OVER if you're sure your previous response was incorrect or was eliminated from judging.  So, wait to receive an incorrect response notification first.
• Only use a DO-OVER if the WiseWit final challenge or stage is still open.  So, upon receiving an incorrect response notification, check the status of the final challenge or stage to make sure it is still open.

To complete a purchase with Wit Points, you select a product you wish to purchase from WiseShop and select ADD TO CART for the product.  When you're done shopping and ready to checkout, select "Checkout" from your SHOPPING CART.  If you scroll down to the "Payment method" pane of the Checkout form, you will see that there is a radio button available to pay by Wit Points.  It will show the amount of dollars you have available for the purchase based on the Wit Points you've accumulated.  This balance is based on an exchange rate of about 10 Wit Points to a $1.  If you select Wit Points, it will apply those Wit Points to your purchase.

Yes!  For WiseWit stages and final challenges, DO-OVER's are available for 5 Wit Points each and you can have as many as you like.  A DO-OVER gives you a second chance to provide a new response for a WiseWit stage or final challenge. 

A DO-OVER button is available to you for an open WiseWit stage or final challenge if you have 5 or more Wit Points in your account and you've already submitted a response.  Upon submitting for a DO-OVER, your previous response will be deleted and a new GOT IT! button will be available to you to submit a new response. 

Please note that use of the DO-OVER button is at the player's discretion.  There is no guarantee that the player will win the stage or final challenge by submitting a DO-OVER. 

There are a number of different ways to earn Wit Points by contributing to the community.  Below are the various ways of earning Wit Points:

• WiseWits may award Wit Points as prizes.
• Send invites to friends and earn 10 Wit Points for every referral.
• Earn 1 Wit Point every time you post a new blog entry to your My Ego page.
• Earn 5 Wit Points every time you post a new QuickWit.
• Earn 1 Wit Point every time you post a forum topic to Circles of Interest.
• Earn 1 Wit Point every time you post an event to Circles of Interest.
• Earn 1 Wit Point every time you post a picture to Circles of Interest.
• Earn 1 Wit Point every time you post a story to Circles of Interest.

With Wit Points won or earned, you can ...

• Purchase merchandise from WiseShop,
• Collect them for promotion to higher ranks,
• Purchase DO-OVER's on WiseWits, or
• Give them away to other members.

WiseWits offer cash and non-cash prizes for stage and/or final challenge wins. Depending on prize allocation, stages and final challenges may have 1 or more winners. For instance, a stage win may award $25 gift cards to the first 3 correct responses. Or, a final challenge win may award 50 Wit Points to the first 3 correct responses.