The Game

You just lost it.

Strangely enough, this relates strongly to what we're doing here.  Let me explain.

A game can be broken down into two components: rules and players.  For now, I'm looking at the rules.

The rules can, likewise, be broken down into three sub-components: entry conditions, terms, and exit conditions.

Entry conditions are the ways in which you enter a game.  To a game of poker, it's being dealt chips and cards.  In chess, it's sitting on the opposite end of a chessboard and deciding who goes first.

Terms are the rules of the game.  Poker has a complex series of bids, counter bids, dealing processes, and rearrangement of chips.  Chess has specific moves for each of the pieces, as well as certain special moves (castling, pawn advancement).

Exit conditions are how you know when the game is over, whether someone wins or you just lose.  Poker's is when you leave or lose all your chips.  Chess' is when you get checkmated, or when a stalemate occurs.

The Game has a very clear cut set of rules.  Let me spell them out for you.

Players: Everyone who has heard of it.

Entry conditions: Learning about The Game.

Terms
-If you think about The Game, you lose.
-If you lose The Game, you are to announce it out loud.

Exit Conditions:
To never hear about The Game again.
To never have heard about the Game in the first place.

Sound familiar, anyone?

Excuse me.  These hedge clippers aren't going to find themselves, and this blindfold is being quite unhelpful at the time.

Take care, guys.