How FOMO finds your matches

1. Where the group data comes from

Each group answers the 21 statements itself, from the point of view of a typical member, and picks which of the 8 activities it offers. Only groups that confirmed their profile this way take part in the quiz — currently 54 of 96.

The other groups are listed in the directory with a note. Their profiles were compiled from public sources and are not used for the ranking.

2. Activities as a filter

If you pick activities (e.g. music or sports), groups that offer none of them are left out. Groups that have not stated any activities stay in. If you pick nothing, nothing is filtered.

3. The comparison

Only statements you agreed or disagreed with count — neutral answers are skipped. For each of them FOMO checks how far apart you and the group are:

• same answer: distance 0
• the group answered neutral: distance 1
• opposite answers: distance 2

The match is 100 % minus the share of the largest possible distance:

Match = 100 % × (1 − sum of distances ÷ (2 × number of your non-neutral answers))

Example

Largest possible distance: 2 × 6 = 12. Match: 100 % × (1 − 3 ÷ 12) = 75 %.

With fewer than 5 non-neutral answers FOMO shows no ranking: with so little information almost every group would fit equally well.

4. Order and ties

• Groups are sorted by their exact match, before rounding.
• If two groups are exactly tied, a group that shares one of your chosen activities comes first.
• Remaining ties are broken by a fixed calculation from your answers: the same answers always give the same order (a shared link looks the same for everyone), but different people see tied groups in different orders — so no group is always first just because of its name.
• You first see the top 5. Groups tied with number 5 are shown too, up to 10. You can show more at any time.

5. What FOMO cannot do

• The group profiles are self-assessments. A group may see itself differently than you would.
• Only the 21 statements and the activities count — not the descriptions, size or popularity of a group.
• A match is a suggestion, not a verdict. Best way to find out: visit a group's meeting.

6. Your data

Your answers are matched in your browser and are not linked to you. If anonymous statistics are on, the answers are additionally counted without any identifier to improve FOMO. Details: privacy policy (German).