Hello Community and Happy Mother's Day (to those residing in Germany).
We've worked on new and updated rules, and now we're interested in your opinions.
SIDE NOTE: We've been thinking about a rather rudimentary "verification" system for German nationals (no personal information would be required) to help posters figure out who's actually German and who might not be. This would lead to a user flair like "Verified German." We're currently thinking about having users take a picture of their closed German passport with a piece of paper with their username on it. While this isn't foolproof, it would be pretty easy. Let us know what you think about such a system.
Since many have misinterpreted this part: the verified flair would be an additional flair. The verification system would never be mandatory. It would simply show posters that an answer was posted by somehow who has been verified to be german. Which would make sense in r/AskAGerman. People would still be allowed to comment according to the requirements in rule 2.1. They just wouldn't be verified.
END OF THE SIDE NOTE
THE NEW RULES:
Below are the new rules. These might change, and we're going to take your feedback into account. We hope to finalize the rules by June. Until then, we're going to moderate according to these rules so you get a feeling of what it would be like, as that may impact your opinion on the rules. A more detailed explanation of the rules and examples for them can be found at the end of this post.
1. Who is allowed to post and which requirements need to be met?
1.1 Every individual is allowed to post personal questions. Nonpersonal questions (commercial, academic, ...) need prior approval from the moderators.
1.2 Questions must be about Germany, Germans, or the opinions of Germans. City/state-specific questions do not count as questions about Germany.
1.3 Questions can't be simple yes or no questions. Posts can't be cross-posts.
1.4 If a question can be answered or refined by a quick search (Google, this subreddit, DeepL ...), the poster must do that first.
1.5 Do not ask the same or a similar question repeatedly.
1.6 Questions have to be in English or German.
1.7 Posts must contain a concise question or at least a description of the topic in the title.
1.8 Posts that aren't safe for work (or children) must be marked as "NSFW" / "18+" by using Reddit's setting.
1.9 Posts must be questions. No rants, no ads, no petitions, no surveys, no requests (see Rule 1.1)
1.10 Links must be given in full. No link shorteners, no link masking using Reddit's features.
1.11 Low-quality questions are not permitted.
1.12 Posts can not be created by AI. If you don't know how to ask what you want to ask, people can't answer your actual question.
1.13 Posts that violate our rules regarding banned topics or time-limited topics are not permitted.
1.14 Questions must be made in good faith and should not push political agendas or include opinions.
2. Who is allowed to comment and which requirements need to be met?
2.1 Germans are allowed to answer at any level. Non-Germans who have been living in Germany for at least 180 days a year for at least 5 out of the last 8 years and are at least at a C1 level of German are allowed to answer at any level as well (unless they can't answer the question based on the requirements in the post). Non-Germans who do not meet these requirements are only allowed to: comment to ask for clarification, provide feedback, ask follow-up questions, correct spelling mistakes, or provide sources for/against claims. These comments can't be top-level comments and have to be in response to comments from people in the groups mentioned above. Companies are allowed to answer questions pertaining to them if they've verified themselves before posting.
2.2 Comments can't be created by AI. If you want to answer a question, use your own words.
2.3 Comments must relate to the question.
2.4 Comments can't contain advertisements. "Use my code" is an advertisement. Only mention products or companies if the OP explicitly asks for that.
2.5 Links must be given in full. No link shorteners, no link masking using Reddit's features.
2.6 Comments on English posts must be in English; comments on German posts can be in English or German, depending on the perceived proficiency of the poster. No other languages are allowed.
2.7 Do not spam comments or copy & paste comments. If you feel like you need to reply to multiple comments with the same thing, copy the link to the original comment instead.
2.8 Do not push agendas. Stick to the topic outlined by the initial post. If you're asked for an opinion, you can, of course, voice it, but you need to stick to the question and mark your opinion as such.
3. Behavior
3.1 Insults and other forms of uncivil discourse are not permitted. Against anybody. Even dead people. Yes, even against Hitler. Do not insult other people in this subreddit.
3.2 Trolling is not permitted.
3.3 Encouraging, facilitating, supporting, ... illegal behavior is not permitted.
3.4 Spreading misinformation in this subreddit is not permitted. If you encounter misinformation, report it to the mod team and send us a message (or reply to the post/comment) with a credible source debunking the misinformation.
3.5 Do not share personal information about others in this subreddit unless it is freely accessible and relevant to the topic.
3.6 Do not bring politics into posts that aren't political.
4. Miscellaneous
4.1 Removals and bans are at the moderation team's discretion. We can't possibly cover every edge case. If we feel like a post or comment violates the intention behind our rules or was made to circumvent existing rules, we might remove it and potentially ban the user. Rule changes might be made after encountering these edge cases.
5. Banned topics and topics limited to certain times or days
5.1 All time / date references are from a GMT+2 perspective. Check the time before posting.
5.2 Banned topics: Visa questions are not permitted in this subreddit. Germans typically don't require visas and thus can't help with that. The same is true for the acceptance of foreign degrees and diplomas. Housing questions are typically better suited for local subreddits and have most likely been answered in this subreddit or in the wiki of r/Germany before.
5.3 Time & date limited topics: Political questions are limited to 10am - 6pm on weekends and 6pm - 8pm on Fridays. They're also not permitted on German national holidays and between December 23rd and January 7th.
5.4 Limited day topics: Travel itinerary questions are limited to Mondays (make sure to check Rule 1.2). To qualify as a national itinerary, it has to include at least two German states (without the entry / exit airports). Make sure that you've done some research and planning first; this is not a travel agency. Dating questions are limited to Wednesdays. Job-related questions are limited to Thursdays.
Explanations and Examples:
1.1 If you want to promote your project (if it's free) or find participants for your academic research, ... you need to get approval by the mod team first. If you want to promote your company / paid project / ... you need to find a different subreddit. If you want to start a company, you need to talk to a lawyer. Not to Reddit.
1.2 This subreddit is r/AskAGerman, and thus the average German should be able to answer the question. A minor specialization is acceptable, but that's determined by the moderators. The average German can't tell you the best restaurant in Munich or the best way to get from Berlin Neukölln to Teltow. The average German also can't tell you how to reassemble your car, just because Germany has a well-known car industry.
1.3 Yes or no questions don't really leave room for discussion and tend to be low quality. And if you can't even copy & paste your post into this subreddit, you can't expect people to take time to answer your questions.
1.4 Google exists for a reason, and so does the search function in this subreddit. Make use of the knowledge that already exists.
1.5 Nobody likes spam. You won't get more (useful) replies just because you asked the same questions 5 times.
1.6 This is r/AskAGerman. Whoever is allowed to respond will most likely speak German. They'll most likely speak English as well. But they probably don't speak language X.
1.7 People have a limited amount of time. A clear question enables them to guess whether they'll be able to help or not. You can provide more information in the text box of your post. But if you can't summarize your post into a question or at least a topic, you likely didn't think about it enough.
1.8 NSFW content should be marked as NSFW.
1.9 This is r/AskAGerman. Not rant about Germany or promote your project in Germany.
1.10 Nobody likes sketchy links. If you want people to click on your links, be transparent about where they lead; not everybody is on a PC / laptop.
1.11 Low-quality questions turn community members away from the community, which means that others who have real questions don't get as much support as they could.
1.12 AI is great at generating text, but it does not understand your actual question. If you can't explain it to humans, you can't explain it to AI.
1.13 We strive to adequately moderate this subreddit and to avoid community members being fed up with recurring topics. Thus, time limitations are useful.
1.14 Political questions are fine, as long as they're actually questions and not just "Here is my political opinion in disguise."
2.1 As this is r/AskAGerman, posters are interested in the opinion of Germans. We've seen plenty of comments from people who haven't been to Germany at all or have little to no knowledge about Germany (tourists, short-term immigrants, ...). Replies from these people are not what this subreddit is for, and it can skew the perception people have. Thus, we're limiting answers to Germans and those who should know a lot about Germany even if they might not have gained citizenship yet. Speaking the language is important to become a member of the society. Being in Germany for an extended amount of time is important because it's hard to talk about things that might have changed a decade ago or that are only noticeable after a while. We would also be open to limiting replies to Germans, but we do understand that giving up another citizenship isn't always easy, and sometimes this can make acquiring a new citizenship harder.
2.2 Similar to posts: if you can't answer a question yourself, AI can't answer it either.
2.3 If someone asks you about the weather and you tell them your favorite dish that's not going to help them. Now imagine 20 out of 30 people did that. Answer the question or don't comment. Do not flood comment sections with things the poster never wanted to know.
2.4 Nobody likes ads. At least pay Reddit to show them to users so they can pay their bills.
2.5 Nobody likes sketchy links. If you want people to click on your links, be transparent about where they lead; not everybody is on a PC / laptop.
2.6 People who post in English might not be fluent enough in German to understand German replies. People who post in German but struggle might still appreciate a reply in English, especially if the topic or comment is complex. Other languages are obviously not appropriate, as this is r/AskAGerman, and thus you should know at least one of the two languages that are permitted.
2.7 If we have to moderate your comment or if you need to change it, it's easier to do it once rather than having to do it 10 times.
2.8 Political discussions are always tricky. You're more than welcome to state your own opinion, but acting like it's the only valid opinion and everybody else is stupid doesn't help. And if a post isn't political and you try to act like it is, you're going to violate rule 3.6.
3.1 We want people to have a good time in this community. And when commenting, you represent Germany. Thus, we expect good behavior. If you see a post or comment that violates the rules, report it. But insulting people doesn't help. And because insulting people is bad, we're also extending this to any person. And by "any" we mean any. Chancellors, US presidents, Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao, etc. . Factual statements do not count as insults; however, be prepared to prove them. "Hitler was a Nazi" is not an insult. "Trump is a Nazi" is.
3.2 Nobody likes trolls.
3.3 We were surprised that a lot of people thought that encouraging illegal behavior is acceptable. It's not.
3.4 You're allowed to have opinions but mark them as such. If your opinion is stated like a fact that's a problem.
3.5 Doxxing, etc. is illegal.
3.6 While politics are an important topic, there is no need to make a post about the best ice cream political. Yes, prices have gone up, but that doesn't mean we now need a communist revolution to bring prices down.
5.2 We've seen a lot of questions about visas, foreign degrees, moving to Germany for study purposes, etc., and while we're happy that people want to move to Germany, people from your country can tell you more about which degrees are accepted, how long you need to wait for your visa, etc. And we can't tell you which university to choose.
5.3 We want to ensure that political posts don't get out of control, and we can't be on Reddit 24/7. Thus, posts should be done in a time frame where we can moderate them effectively.
5.4 It's great that you want to travel to Germany, but we're not your local travel agency. Do some research first, and we can help you with minor details.