Frequently Asked Questions
What is this place?
Created originally in 2009, fmylife.com has become universally renowned, mainly because of its unique and inclusive concept. The website and its apps contain little everyday stories that could happen to everybody. These stories, sent in by users of the site, have the particularity of beginning with “Today,” and ending with “FML”, the initials of FMyLife. FMLs are a great place to express yourself, in a more or less free way, but always with the aim of being funny. People come here to be amused, every day. You’ll never be alone with your mishaps again!
How did this all come to be?
It all began in France, of all places. It was first an IRC channel (an instant chat device) which was initially for a few friends to share their daily mishaps, created by Maxime Valette and Antoine Descamps. To make things easier, the IRC channel became a microblog in the middle of January 2008. The first functions allowing everyone to take part were added at the end of January of the same year. As time went by, the website grew and so did people’s interest. It never stopped growing, to become what you now know, whether you are checking it out via the original website, or via one of our many Smartphone apps.
Who is behind FML?
A dedicated team of people works 24/7 to supply you in FMLs, 365 days a year. We also keep a watchful eye on the comments, to make sure things don’t get out of hand. The technical side of things are taken care of by several developers that we poached from the best schools in Silicon Valley (the place, not the TV show).
How does it work?
Our users can take part by submitting their own stories via the “Submit your FML” link in the menu. Each day, several of these submitted FMLs are published on the front page (to know how, check out the next question). You can then vote, or give your opinion on these stories. To do so, several options are given: “I agree, that’s an FML” when you agree that the original poster (the “OP”) has indeed had an FML moment, “Phew, glad it wasn’t me” or “You deserved it” depending on the category of the story in question. These votes will allow us to establish various categories.
I have just submitted my FML. What happens now?
Our moderation system takes part in two steps. First, the users are going to read your story in the “Moderate the FMLs” section. This will allow us to find out what everyone thinks of the story. If it garners enough positive votes from our users, it goes into limbo, and becomes a "Nearly FML". It'll then be seen be our team, who will decide whether to publish it, or leave it in the Nearly FMLs.
What are the Nearly FMLs?
Once a story has enough votes, it becomes a Nearly FML. They have their own page, that their users can share to friends, social media, and can be commented on. Then, when the highest amount of votes is reached, our team decided whether to post it on the homepage as a true FML. Or not. If not, the story stays a "Nearly FML".
Do you publish fake stories?
This subject is so important that we’ve given it its own FAQ.. Yep, we do things properly around here.
What are the Historic FMLs then?
We thought that it would be interesting to revisit past events and luminaries, putting them in the context of FMLs. People and events from the past (real or not) are cast into the spotlight as if writing their own stories and published on FML for your enjoyment, as if the website had existed at the time. You can also suggest your own Historic FMLs, and if they’re funny, we’ll add them to the rest.
Are the spicy NSFW FMLs easy to digest?
It all depends on the toughness of your guts. In this category, we’ve labeled all the FMLs that are difficult to stomach, due to the NSFW nature of their content. Some like it hot, and so do we, hence the presence of a little red pepper on each of these FMLs. So, handle them with care, but don’t worry: it’s always done in the best possible taste.
Hey, I see pictures on FML! What’s FML Photos?
To bring a bit of color and depth to the site as a whole, we’ve started looking for unfamiliar pictures here and there on the Internet, and elsewhere. The picture can seem a bit ordinary at first, if a little pretty. The object is to add a caption that makes it come alive, and become funny. You can also take part by suggesting your own captions. We’ll offer up pictures, it’s up to you to post your funniest captions.
What is FML World?
The name sort of speaks for itself. It’s the world of FML in that FML exists in several different languages, and so to prove that people from all over the globe share common traits of crappy days, we’ve translated into English the stories they’ve sent in to their own versions of FML. Check out FML World to read stories from around the world.
Why should I create an account for myself on FML?
Because it’s free of charge and it would give you instant bling (or whatever it is people want these days). If these two major selling points aren’t enough to convince you, no problem, we’ve made a list of all the advantages that having an account will bring.
I want to find an FML or a member. What do I have to do?
A search engine is available at the top right hand side of the website. To find an FML, you can directly enter its number, if you know it, using the #number format (for example: #114094). To do an advanced search for a story or a member, you’ll have to use the advanced search.
.I love you so much, I want to follow you everywhere.
We’re waiting for with great pleasure all over the internet.
- Like us on our official Facebook page.
- Follow us on Twitter with @fml, our main account.
- We also have some pictures for you on Instagram.
- Subscribe to our newsletter and receive FMLs via e-mail (configure your account here).
- Subscribe to our RSS feed.
Is FML mobile?
Of course it is! You can download for free one of our official apps.
I know how to draw and would like to take part in the illustrated FMLs. What should I do?
To offer to take part, please send an e-mail to Alan, who takes care of this section, to the address [email protected]. Don’t forget to send him the address of your blog or some of your work. If your style corresponds to what he’s looking for, he’ll explain what comes next.
I have a suggestion, a remark or I need help. How do I contact you?
There’s only one address you need to know for anything concerning FML: [email protected].
I didn’t understand any of that.
Thankfully, we’ve thought of everything. Click here to go back to the top of the page and read everything from the beginning.