I. Finding a Gear Tag (1-3)
1. What does a Gear Tag mean?
Gear Tags are celebrations of good deeds that have occurred and contain an ID# of an electronic “e-Gear” in the online Machine. By entering the ID# into an online search bar, others can find the e-Gear and discover the story of the good deed. The connected e-Gears in the Machine demonstrate how one good deed can lead to another.
2. I don’t have a smartphone – can I still play?
Yes, you can still play. A smartphone is not required to play the game, though it does provide a convenient way to access the game while mobile. If you find a Gear Tag, jot down its ID# and the kindworks URL. You can access the web site from a personal computer and enter the ID# from there.
3. What is a QR Code?
A QR Code stores information that can be accessed using a QR Scanner application that can be used via smartphone. QR Codes are used to store many forms of data – ours store the URL for our web site. By scanning the QR Code, you can immediately link to the site on your phone.
II. Posting a Gear Tag (4-15)
4. How do I obtain Gear Tags?
You can print new Gear Tags on the kindworks web site by following the Print Gear Tag link found in the menu bar. Different styles are available to be viewed, downloaded, and printed. You can also order Gear Tag Merchandise online by following the Order Gear Tag Merchandise link. Stickers, buttons, t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, and more are available.
5. Do I have to cut out the Gear Tag?
No, you do not. By cutting out a Gear Tag, you make it a more recognizable symbol, but it is not required. If you wish to post more attractive Gear Tags without the hassle of cutting them out repeatedly, Gear Tag stickers are available for order online.
6. When do I post the Gear Tag?
Gear Tags are meant to be posted after a good deed has been performed. You can post it after you perform a good deed, but also if you happened to witness a good deed occur between others, or if you were the recipient of the good deed. Once the Gear Tag is posted, it is a good idea to log back onto the web site and edit the Gear details to add a story of the event that Gear Tag memorializes.
7. Can I post a Gear Tag about a good deed even if I wasn’t the one who performed it?
Yes, please feel free to post a Gear Tag if you witnessed a good deed occur, or if you were the recipient of a good deed as well.
8. Where do I post the Gear Tag?
Gear Tags can be posted anywhere! A fun idea may be to post them in the location where the good deed occurred, but you may prefer to leave it in a place you know many people will pass by, or someplace you spend a lot of time, such as your home, office, locker, classroom, bus stop, cubicle, or car. You may wish to bring your Gear Tag with you, by posting it on a notebook, on the back of your shirt, or backpack. Stickers, keychains, buttons, and t-shirts available for order online are also great ways to take kindworks with you. But most importantly, try to think outside the box, and come up with an idea for spreading Gear Tags that you find exciting!
9. What should I do if a desired location is not suitable for posting a Gear Tag?
Not all locations lend themselves to posting Gear Tags. Before posting a Gear Tag, make sure you are on public property and not infringing on anyone’s private property (This is especially important when using stickers, other adhesives, or thumbtacks to post Gear Tags!). In the case that your good deed occurred in a place where it is hard to post a Gear Tag, it is best simply to post it in the nearest place that is suitable, such as a telephone pole, or public bulletin area. By editing the Gear details online, you can specify the exact location anyway. An alternative posting method is using social media to share electronic versions of the Gear Tag, such as an image attachment to a Facebook post, or a tweet containing the ID#.
10. Can I move a Gear Tag I’ve found?
Sometimes, a player may choose to physically move a Gear Tag from one place to another. This is a good way of spreading the word around about kindworks and can also add some diversity to the location details within the Machine. However, some players may prefer their Gear Tags remain where they were posted, particularly if the location of the good deed is particularly meaningful. For this reason, it may be good practice to leave a comment on the corresponding Gear asking permission, or at least letting the poster know that the card has been moved. Of course, once a Gear Tag is out in public, it is at the public’s mercy – which players are aware of when they post their cards. If a Gear Tag is moved, or simply removed, there are always others to post, and more good deeds to be done!
11. Someone took down a Gear Tag I posted. What can I do?
Occasionally Gear Tags may disappear from their posted area. Public bulletin boards may be routinely cleaned, certain establishments may consider them litter, and another player might even have moved the Gear Tag to give it more exposure. But do not fear! You can simply print out another one. Remember, though, to be considerate – if the location in which the Gear Tag was posted is not an ideal place to leave behind paper, it may be best to find a more suitable location nearby.
12. Can I print multiple Gear Tags with the same ID#?
In order to replace a lost Gear Tag, it may be necessary to print a duplicate containing an identical ID#. Additionally, printing multiple duplicates and posting them in different areas can be a great way of expanding your Gear Tag’s reach, allowing more people to find out about the deed it represents.
13. Can I directly hand a Gear Tag to someone?
You are certainly free to do so – it may be a good way to inform the person involved in the good deed about the game. Keep in mind however, that you don’t want to burden that person with the responsibility of playing the game. The choice should be theirs! But Gear Tags are versatile to be spread however you like – do as you see fit!
14. I just want to promote awareness of this game, but I don’t have any deeds to report. Can I still post Gear Tags?
Certainly! The more Gear Tags people see, the more people have a chance to find out about the game and get involved, so posting Gear Tags is always a good thing to do. You can even write in the e-Gear details that you don’t have a particular deed to mention, but you are just trying to promote awareness. And if you do end up having a deed to report, you can always edit the e-Gear details to add that deed’s story.
15. Can I post a Gear Tag about an event from the past?
You can actually post a Gear Tag to commemorate anything. This is a very creative expansion of the concept of witnessing a good deed, which is exactly the kind of innovation that is encouraged of players. Just try to make sure the event you commemorate is actually a positive thing – remember that what is positive to one person (such as a sports victory, or current events in politics or world news) may not be positive to another.
III. Building the Machine (16-21)
16. How does the Machine grow?
Whenever someone wants to celebrate a good deed, they add an e-Gear to the Machine and submit a story explaining the details of the event. Every new e-Gear that is added must be connected to an existing e-Gear. Players are encouraged to browse the Machine and choose an e-Gear with a story they like. If you have found someone’s Gear Tag, entering the ID# on it and selecting that e-Gear to link to is a great way of letting that person know you discovered their Gear Tag and appreciate the good deed they are celebrating. Other good reasons to choose an e-Gear to connect to may be the e-Gear’s design, the fact that the deed it celebrates took place in your own community, or that the story of the deed relates to a personal interest in some way. Players are welcome to choose e-Gears based on whatever criteria they find meaningful!
17. Can I see all the e-Gears I’ve played?
Yes, by visiting your user Profile, you can select ‘Recent Activity’ to view every e-Gear played, either in list form, or on a map. You can also enter keywords to view all e-Gears representing deeds of certain types, provided the deeds have been written about in the e-Gear details.
18. How can I search the Machine?
You can search the Machine in several ways: by ID#, by most recent e-Gears, and by e-Gears nearest your current location. You may also search e-Gear stories by keywords. The default Machine view when first navigating to the page displays the most recently added e-Gear in the center. If location services are enabled on the device viewing the web site, selecting the “Browse by Nearest” button will display the e-Gear containing a location in the event details that is nearest your current location.
You can also use the search bar to locate an e-Gear by its ID# or by keywords in its story. To view a ranked list of most recently added or nearest Gears, select the “View Recent” or “View Nearest” links from the Machine dropdown menu on the menu bar. Selecting any Gear from the list will open the Machine view page with that Gear in the center.
19. Can I add e-Gears to my own e-Gears?
Yes, you may, although it is encouraged that you also add e-Gears to those placed by others, so as to help the community grow.
20. Can I customize the appearance of my e-Gears?
Yes, after you add an e-Gear, you can select the “Customize” option from the “Edit e-Gear Details” tab to outfit it with a skin of your choosing. Skins are available for download in the ‘Power Shop’ portion of the web site, and you can also upload your own image files to use as skins for your e-Gears. Uploaded images must meet the criteria listed on the site in order to properly fit the e-Gear’s shape and size.
21. Can I track the previous locations of a Gear Tag that has been moved?
Currently, the best way for keeping track of multiple locations for a Gear Tag is for the person who moved the Gear Tag to submit a comment on the corresponding e-Gear, letting the player who posted it originally know that the Gear Tag has been moved.
IV. Community (22-25)
22. I have an idea for a good deed, but I feel shy about actually doing it. How can I suggest it to others?
The best place to share ideas for good deeds is in the Forum section of the kindworks web site. The Forum contains stories submitted to e-Gears, and users can also post Challenges to the Forum. Challenge posts are simply a place for users to tell others in the kindworks community about their idea for a good deed.
23. I or someone I know has an issue that would really benefit from some help. Can I ask for help through this game?
Another great feature of the Forum is the ability to post Requests. In a Request, you can mention the need and the ways in which others can help. If the desired recipient is a kindworks user, you can link to their profile page (preferably with the person’s permission). Requests appear on the Forum with their own visual style so as to stand out.
24. Is there any way to notify the recipient of a deed about the Gear Tag I’ve posted?
There is not a built-in function to accomplish this, but one way of letting the recipient know is to hand the Gear Tag directly to them. If you choose to do this, make sure the person understands nothing is being requested in return.
25. Can I spread the word on Facebook or Twitter?
Yes, you can! On Facebook, write a status update detailing a good deed you witnessed, performed, or received. Include a Gear Tag image in your post if you like. Most importantly, tag kindworks by adding “@kindworks” in the post – this will ensure your status is posted to the kindworks Facebook page timeline. If you are using Twitter, tweet about the good deed you want to commemorate and include #kindworks.
V. About the Project (26-28)
26. Is this for-profit or a non-profit?
Non-profit.
27. I’d love to help with the future direction of this project. Who should I contact?
payitforward.etc@gmail.com
28. Why gears?
The mechanical motif conveys the message that kindness works – that by cooperating towards a common goal, real and tangible results can be achieved. The central Machine reinforces the notion that we are all part of a functioning system, each of us with an important role to play. Each good deed, each gear, makes the Machine run more smoothly.