Points and Levels

Welcome to the Blurtit points and levels page.
On Blurtit you gain points for everything you do!
The number of points you get depends on the specific tasks you complete. The points table below summarises the point values for the different tasks. These points allow everyone to recognise how active and helpful you've been.
As you gain more points you will soon move up the ranks!

Summary of Points

Blurtit recognises your level achievements with our special Blurter ranks. You'll soon have more rights, responsibilities and rewards on Blurtit!

Summary of Levels

Icon	Level	Points	Link on Blurtit	Hyperlinks in Answers
	Uber Blurter	15,000 +	yes	yes
	VIP Blurter	10,000 - 14,999	yes	yes
	Genius Blurter	6,000 - 9,999	yes	yes
	Executive Blurter	3,000 - 5,999	yes	yes
	Recognised Blurter	1,000 - 2,999	yes	yes
	Novice Blurter	600 - 999	yes	yes
	Fresh Blurter	300 - 599	yes	no
	Baby Blurter	0 - 299	yes	no

Star of the Day and The Category Buzz Lists

The calculation of Star of the Day and Category Buzz Lists are based on the following:

1. The number of questions you answered.
2. The rating score each answer got.
3. The number of debate responses you made.
4. The number of ratings you give to other users.

(*To prevent misuse and encourage users who only rate to contribute in other ways, there is a daily limit on the amount of points you can acquire via rating. Each user can receive a maximum of 50 points a day from rating.)

The sum of the points from the factors listed above will decide who is the Star of the Day and determines the order of names appearing on the The Buzz list.

Please note:

- The time period is set as GMT 00:00-23:59, so the Star of the Day that you see on the homepage is the user who earned the most points yesterday.

- The Buzz displays the point totals for the 10 most active users in the last 24 hours.

Tell me about Blurtit Etiquette

Blurtit Good Etiquette

Welcome to Blurtit our interactive online Question and Answer community. Here at Blurtit we have a certain net-iquette designed to keep Blurtit a friendly environment for all our members and visitors.

Blurters need to understand that good etiquette makes the site a pleasant and safe place to spend your time online.

Format for asking Good Questions

Writing a good question is simple but you need to follow some essential guidelines when asking a question on Blurtit. A question usually begins with a question word such as, Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How. Not all questions begin like this but it creates a better question if it does. A question should always end in a '?' - question mark; punctuation used to tell other people that you've asked a question rather than just making a statement. Make sure that you choose an appropriate category for your question before submitting it.

We will spell and grammar check your question before it goes live but careful spelling and good grammar is greatly appreciated.

Avoiding Duplication

Take care not to repeat your question. Please do a search first to see if anyone else has already asked your question (or something very similar). There may already be an answer to your question on the site. Some people get frustrated or want special attention for their question and they ask it three or four times in a row. This is likely to get your question deleted and will be a waste of your time. Ask your question once, leave it some time and then check back to see if anyone has answered it.

If your question has been answered, you may rate the answer or leave a comment about it.

Format for Answering a Question

Always try to answer the question directly using the one thousand word limit with a combination of fact and your opinion on the subject if you wish. Please answer the questions in a polite and sincere way.

When you are writing your answers please use fact or at least opinion that is based on fact. Always remember that someone may act on your advice.

Try to organise your thoughts into smaller blocks of text by the use of paragraphs. This makes the answer easier to read and it looks better.

Check the spelling of any unusual words and try to maintain correct spelling throughout your answer. Take the same care with simple grammar and try to maintain a high standard of English.

We know no one is perfect but please do your very best.

Use of Language

Please do not swear in your answers. You might feel that you need to use a word that could be deemed offensive by Blurtit, but people around the world are sensitive to different uses of language. Our main objective in this matter is to maintain a friendly, non- offensive and non-threatening community.

We would appreciate it if you did not use 'text' language or shortcut 'text speak'. For example: U r gr8 t. We would like you to use real English please.

Where do I get my answers?

We don't expect you to know everything and we know that you will need to research some answers in books or by using the Internet. That's absolutely fine, but collect your information from many sources and write it in your own words. If you fail to respect copyright you are stealing knowledge from others. This is intellectual copyright theft which, in some cases, can be a a crime.

The answer must be your own words; copying your answer from anywhere else will not be tolerated at Blurtit.

Offensive or Inappropriate Questions and Answers

We are all here to share knowledge and help each other learn great new things at Blurtit; however there are some types of questions and answers that we just won't accept. Don't ask any questions that could be considered illegal or have illegal consequences, such as: where can I buy drugs in Tokyo? Or, how do I kill someone with my bare hands? Likewise, violent or adult themed questions and answers will be deleted. Don't ask questions that you wouldn't want a child to read.

You may not use Blurtit to buy or sell things directly so please don't ask questions such as, would anyone like to buy a computer from me? There are more appropriate websites for that. Don't try to obtain other Blurter's personal details in a question. Questions or answers that contain discriminatory or offensive comments about someone's nationality, religion, ethics, gender, intelligence, etc, will not be tolerated at Blurtit. If you have very strong opinions that you wish to express you might need to tone the language down a little so as not to offend other users. We appreciate that you might have strong convictions but do not hurt other Blurters with your opinion, e.g. 'you have cancer because you have sinned'. Remember that Blurtit is a family friendly international community with thousands of members varying in age, ethnic groups, backgrounds and gender. Your perspective on a subject might be based on a stereotype that could be hurtful to one of our Blurters even if you don't mean it personally.

So please, always think carefully before you type!

Code of Conduct

We at Blurtit wish to create a friendly and safe environment for all our users, this code of conduct has been created with this in mind. While we welcome diverse opinions, your contributions to the site must comply with the following rule of conduct:

Users must not under any circumstance post any comment or answer that may be deemed: abusive, hateful, racist, bigoted, sexist, harassing, threatening, inflammatory, defamatory, knowingly false, vulgar, obscene, pornographic or is in any way in violation of applicable laws, rules or regulations.

Any violation of these above rules of conduct may result in the removal of a users posting, revocation of registration and the banning of the registrants email address.

Tell me about Safety Tips

Tips & Hints on safety at blurtit

Blurtit is a great place to express yourself. It provides an opportunity for users to explain, give opinions and share knowledge on all sorts of topics. But please remember that anyone in the world can read your answers so be careful.

Do not put anything onto Blurtit that might endanger or humiliate yourself or anyone else.

People aren't always who they say they are on the Internet

It's amazing to be able communicate with people from all over the world on a huge range of issues via the Internet but because the meeting isn't face to face we can never be sure of a person's identity.

Always remember that some people tell lies on the Internet. Don't give any personal details to anyone.

Always report anyone conducting illegal or suspicious activities via the contact page. Blurtit has a zero tolerance child protection policy and will delete accounts of those people who attempt to contact under-18s by any means.

Please report to Blurtit if you think something isn't right.

Blurtit is Public!

Please remember that EVERYTHING you publish on Blurtit is always available for the world to see. For this reason you must never post your personal details (or anyone else's) on the site. Think very carefully before posting anything about someone else. Humiliating yourself or others (friends, teachers, colleagues, employers or even celebrities) is not a good idea. Insulting someone on the Internet can still have ramifications in the real world. Also remember that sometimes people use the Internet to make money illegally. Be aware that people might purport to be from Blurtit or other companies trying to obtain your personal information for their financial gain. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Contact Blurtit if you are worried about illegal activities.

Blurtit is Tolerant

At Blurtit we are very tolerant of peoples' opinions but we are also very mindful that we do not want contributors' entries to cause offence to anyone. For this reason we take harassment of our members and/or staff very seriously. Hate messages, intimidation or harassment will not be tolerated.

If you feel that someone is behaving inappropriately please contact Blurtit immediately.

Tell me about F.A.Q.'s

Blurtit FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is Blurtit and why is it called Blurtit?

Blurtit is a multi-faceted website: an online community; a search engine, a place to learn and also share your knowledge with the world for the benefit of others. Blurtit.com exists to provide opportunities for sharing knowledge, learning, communication and personal development. It is designed to provide useful 'Questions and Answers' for a wide range of site users. There are similar websites providing question and answer type information but Blurtit's commitment to knowledge sharing is second to none. The wide diversity of question categories and the level and quality of detail in the answers is astounding. To 'Blurt' means to suddenly and often dramatically utter or say something, it also means to reveal something. Here at Blurtit, we enjoy nothing more than dramatically revealing all sorts of facts, opinions, tips, in fact any type of knowledge that could be useful to the worldwide community.

2. How do I use Blurtit?

Do you have something that's on your mind and you really need the answer? From a niggling fact that you just can't remember to the name of this or that particular actor in an episode of your favourite television show? Perhaps you are looking for advice about a personal or professional matter. Blurtit is specifically designed for you to ask and answer questions from people across the world. You never know which experts on your particular query are just waiting to share their knowledge with you. To ask a question simply click the 'Ask' button on the Blurtit homepage. Expect it to take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to receive an answer depending upon how tricky or complex your question is. If you wish to answer a question simply click the 'Answer' button on the Blurtit homepage. You will receive points for each question you answer and even more when someone rates your answer. This way you can become a top blurter and will be recognized.

3. How many questions can you ask on Blurtit? Is there a limit?

The number of questions that you can ask depends on your blurter status which is the level that you have achieved by answering questions. When your blurter level increases your question limit per day increases also. Each time that you advance a level Blurtit will contact you to let you know your score. A 'Baby Blurter' can ask FIVE questions per day and a UBER Blurter can ask one hundred questions per day.

4. How long will it take for my question to be answered?

This depends on a number of factors from how difficult or complex your question, to how many Blurters are online and if anyone has any experience or knowledge that can help you with your question or problem. Some Blurters are online only for a few minutes per day and some are logged in all day long! Expect to wait between five minutes and five days.

5. What does it mean if a question is disapproved?

If your question is disapproved it is likely that there is a problem with some element of the content. Usually this is because the question contains a 'bad word' that has triggered a response from our unacceptable word list. Try changing the way you ask the question or change the word that you think might be the problem. We understand that sometimes names or phrases might accidentally contain a bad word, just find a way around it.

There are other reasons why questions might be rejected, the most important of these is subject matter which we edit vigorously. The terms and conditions (T's & C's) that you agree to when you sign up to Blurtit state that the site editor will make the final decision to either approve or reject your question. This decision is influenced by several factors, the overriding one being the potential value that your question provides to bring useful information for others to interact with and learn from.

Ensure that your questions are composed using a good standard of English and that it is a real question with a '?' - question mark at the end of your inquiry.

Blurtit rules and regulations found within the terms and conditions state: Questions may relate to any topic of your choice except for the following which BlurtIt does not allow under any circumstances:

• Questions of an offensively sexual, derogatory or racist nature.
• Questions that contain swearing or inappropriate use of language.
• Questions which have a violent or aggressive feel.
• Questions which may offend or discourage users.

6. Is it possible to reply to an answer I receive?

It certainly is. If you agree when you sign up for Blurtit you can be notified by email every time your question gets an answer or a comment. The email will include a clickable link so that you can go directly to the answer on the site. There is a space provided for you to make any comment that you feel is appropriate. If you do so the person who gave the answer will receive a message telling them that a comment has been left for them. It is possible to turn this feature off if you wish. The person who received your comment can in turn reply, and so on. An interesting and constructive discussion can be initiated in this way.

7. How do you rate an answer you get on Blurtit?

When someone answers your question below their displayed reply you will find a facility that allows you to rate that answer. This rating is graded 1 to 5. One is obviously for an answer that you consider poor in content and of a weak nature, up to a rating of 5 for excellent comprehensive content - a very strong answer.

Please note that you can rate only once for each answer, so please think carefully before rating.

8. How do you invite people to Blurtit?

Is there someone that you would like to invite to Blurtit? Someone who might be a great knowledge sharer? You can use the invite system for this. You will also get fifty points for each person who registers after you've sent them an invitation email. In the near future we will be adding many more features that will allow you to add friends and much, MUCH more!

9. How many kind of blurter ranks are there in Blurtit?

There are eight levels of 'Blurting' to which you can aspire. Each time you answer a question or invite someone to join you raise your point's total. The lowest level, the starter blurter, is called a 'Baby Blurter' and this is the level you begin at with zero points. You need three hundred points to be promoted to 'Fresh Blurter' status, after that it's up and away! Seven hundred points will see you reach 'Novice Blurter' and that's great going. Following this we have 'Recognised Blurter' status by which time you'll be familiar with all the ins and outs of Blurtit and other people may be looking to you for help. Those of you who spend a lot of time online 'Blurting' will quickly reach the next level which is 'Executive Blurter.' Do you have what it takes to climb even higher? Next is 'Genius Blurter,' but you'll need to raise yourself to six thousand points! But it goes even higher, if you can get to ten thousand points you'll become known as a 'VIP Blurter,' that's a Very Important Person! Please, as you rise up the ranks don't forget to help others. Finally there's 'UBER Blurter' status, the 'Super Blurter', the top job in Blurting, the CEO of Information and Knowledge. So come on and get Blurting!

10. How do I become a top blurter?

There are several ways to become a top blurter but answering questions is the best way. If you answer lots of questions your points total will increase and if you answer the questions well, with informative and interesting answers, other users are more likely to give your answers a high rating. If you look at the top ten blurters of the week on Blurtit's main page, you can see their past average for the past seven days. Some people Blurt a little (1 or 2 per week), some people Blurt a lot (200-300 per week!). Whichever way you choose you will find that answering questions and rating other peoples' answers is the sure way of raising your total.

There are always lots and lots of questions to be answered. You can look at them chronologically or through their categories thematically. If you have a particular expertise and know a lot about a specific topic why not think about giving someone a great answer. Not only will you get a link to your personal blog or website on Blurtit's main index page but you will possibly help hundreds or thousands of people who visit Blurtit every day in order to receive help, advice, opinions and information. Topics range from the great philosophical debates to tiny, remote, niche topics. Whether it's Socrates and Goethe or how to take care of your goldfish, Blurtit has the answer.