Terms of service / netiquette
This translation is for informational purposes only. The legally binding version is the German "Netiquette".
1. General Communication
Treating Each Other with Respect
There is a human being behind every participant in a discussion. A minimum level of respect is absolutely required, especially where opinions and views differ. Insults, provocations, incitement, or any other statements suitable to disparage other people or their views are prohibited.
Friendly Rather Than Distant: Using First Names
We value friendly and direct communication. For that reason, the informal form of address ("Du" in German) is our preferred choice; every participant in a discussion is on equal footing.
Properly Written Posts Are Essential
We regard appropriate spelling, grammar, and punctuation as a sign of respect towards other readers. They allow others to follow your thoughts quickly and easily. Please use paragraphs to improve readability and use formatting (such as text colors or writing entirely in capital letters) sparingly. Being pressed for time is not an argument for illegible posts.
Written Words Can Be Misunderstood
The written word lacks gestures and facial expressions, which can quickly lead to misunderstandings, particularly in the case of sarcasm or irony. Please word your posts unambiguously and consider how they might come across to others.
Use the Search Function Before Asking
Before you create a new topic, please use the forum search to check whether your question has already been answered. This keeps the forum clearly organized and avoids duplicated effort. Please also make sure to create your topics in the appropriate subforum and to choose meaningful titles.
2. User Accounts and Registration
Prohibition of Duplicate Accounts
Each natural person is expressly permitted to create and use one single user account only. Registering duplicate or multiple accounts is strictly prohibited.
- In the event of violations of this rule, we reserve the right to block or delete the secondary accounts concerned immediately and without prior warning.
- In addition, the user's main account may receive a warning or be blocked (temporarily as well as permanently).
- This prohibition applies in particular to any attempt to circumvent an existing block or restriction by registering a further account.
Should overlaps occur in exceptional cases (for example use by several people in the same household or via the same IP address), please report this to the team proactively in order to avoid misunderstandings and blocks.
Avatars and Usernames
Avatars and profile pictures must not infringe the rights of third parties (for example copyrights or trademark rights). Images of other people must not be used without their express consent. Usernames and avatars must not depict offensive, extremist, violence-glorifying, or otherwise inappropriate content.
3. Unwanted Content
As we would like to keep the focus on discussion of our topics, the following content is unwanted in our forum and will be removed server-side:
No Advertising
Promoting commercial websites, services, or products that have nothing to do with the purpose of this forum is prohibited. This also includes referral links.
No Unlawful Content
Content that violates applicable German law is strictly prohibited. This includes in particular, but is not limited to:
- copyright infringements (as well as instructions for or links to them)
- distribution of material harmful to minors
- calls to commit criminal offenses
Political and Religious Discussions
There are suitable platforms on the internet for discussing political or religious views. Our forum is not the appropriate place for these topics, as experience shows that they often lead to strong conflicts far removed from the actual subject of the forum.