Mystery Picture/Rules

The following are some non-binding "rules" that should ensure a good time is had by all.

1. Objects in the mystery photo should be able to be observed from a publicly accessible place.

2. The mystery photo should be taken at a location most people would identify as being in Sonoma County.

3. The objects should not be something that is likely change significantly so as to be deemed unrecognizable in between the time that you take the picture and a guess is made.

4. Something about the object should be unique or unusual, whether it be the object itself or the object's relationship to its location. (Ex: A picture of a "No Parking" sign is a bad idea, unless it's found sticking out of a tree.)

5. The object should be guessable without hints, or an initial hint should frame it in this way.

6. Once you're ready to post your mystery photo, think of a list of progressively more revealing hints to provide in case nobody guesses correctly. The hints shouldn't stand alone, and should only be used after it's clear that guessers really don't have a clue.

Photos that relate strongly to Sonoma County but are not in Sonoma County (say, a shot of astronauts doing a spacewalk wherein one is from Sonoma County) may be pretty good. If it's not obvious, you should probably make it clear in an initial comment. Something generic or unguessable might be guessable by an event or circumstance that make it memorable. In general the above rules are good general guidelines, but don't feel 100% bound to them if you have a good Sonoma County-specific and guessable image to use.

1. The best guess (receiving a full 10 from the judges) will be in the form of a picture revealing the larger contextual location of the object.

2. The second best guess (maybe receiving a 9 from the judges) provides a location of the object precise enough that others could also find it.

3. Ask for hints before asking questions like "is it on campus?", "is it in the Green Belt?", or "is it edible?".

4. After the Mystery Photo poster has run out of hints, ask questions phrased in a yes/no format.

(after X incorrect guesses...? or after Y days of inactivity...?)

• Inactivity seems like a better choice than number of guesses. There could be many guesses because the picture is not obvious, is not something people have come across, or because a lot of people are interested in that particular picture. Inactivity indicates lack of interest (or possibly that everyone has gone on vacation and is not watching the picture anyway.) Note that activity should be greater during the school year, as should the number of guesses.