BIDDEFORD – Michael Hussey and his buddies at the University of Maine used to size up people and rank them on a scale of 1 to 10, just for kicks. A year later, they’re taking the game to a new level.

Hussey and a fellow Maine alumnus launched a Web site – ratemyface.com – where 15,000 members have posted their own pictures. Friends use the Web site to rate each other and see how they compare to others.

“You can see how you fared compared to friends. Or if you’re feeling foolhardy, you can challenge a spouse or significant other to a rating contest,” said Hussey, an Alfred native who lives near Washington, D.C.

The Web site debuted seven months ago. It’s not making a lot of money but, more importantly, it’s not losing money, Hussey said.

The premise behind the Web site is fairly simple: People are always checking each other out, whether applying a ranking or not.

“We figured that everybody does it, even if they don’t say it out loud,” Hussey said. “It’s rating people, and it sounds shallow, but once you get on the site, it’s a whole community.”

People sign on initially to rate their friends’ faces but they keep coming back because there’s a sense of community created through bulletin boards, chat rooms and other services, he said.

Hussey feels the deflation of the Internet bubble has provided small companies such as RateMyFace opportunities because entrepreneurs and investors are smarter.

“Sure, if we did this two or three years ago, we might have made a little more money, but our company probably would have folded by now,” he said.

Hussey and co-creator Lane Gillespie have hired a chief executive officer, Richard Coyte, and have secured backing to expand the site.

“The next site we are doing will be called RateMyRecipe,” he said.

And there’s plenty more to be rated. Future ventures may include RateMyRide, a site about cars, RateMyPet and maybe RateMyBaby.