Netiquette/UGC/AI

Netiquette

Welcome to the discussion forums on our website! We believe that discussions are valuable when they are conducted respectfully. To ensure this, please observe our netiquette, which we explain in more detail here.

Netiquette is a combination of the words “net” and “etiquette” and refers to common rules of conduct online. It governs how we interact and communicate within the online community. Since treating one another with mutual respect is very important to us, we ask that you adhere to our netiquette. Together with our privacy policy, it forms the basis for our moderation.

Please maintain a friendly tone, treat other users as you would like to be treated, and respect everyone’s opinions.

The following is not permitted on our website: 

  • Racist, discriminatory, sexist, pornographic, violence-glorifying, misleading, or illegal content
  • Personal insults, defamation, or attacks
  • Advertising, spam, or off-topic content, as well as the use of our comment sections as advertising space for one’s own or third-party campaigns and calls to action
  • “Flooding” (repeatedly posting the same or similar content, as well as the same individual piece of content under different posts)
  • “Trolling” (provocations, willful disruption, nonsensical content)
  • Disclosing private information about yourself or others
  • Comments in languages other than the four national languages (DE, FR, IT, RM, and EN)
  • Participating under a false identity or the identity of a third party (e.g., through names, profile pictures, avatars, or email addresses that feign a false identity)
  • Circumventing a suspension or block by using other or newly created user accounts
  • Automated posting or replying to comments using bots, AI systems, or similar automated systems. The use of AI to create or formulate one’s own comments is not affected by this

There is generally no right to have posts published on our website (social media channels, web pages, forums, etc.). Posts may be deleted or not published without consulting the author.

We reserve the right to suspend user accounts on our website. This applies in particular to violations of these netiquette guidelines, as well as to anonymous or inauthentic-looking user accounts.

Moderation decisions will not be justified on a case-by-case basis. We do not provide individual information regarding unpublished or deleted posts, nor regarding blocked or suspended user accounts.

Please remember that comments on our website are public. By commenting, you also give your consent for us to use your comments, usernames, images, or videos.

Please also review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

You can actively participate in our offerings. Within the scope of our existing technical and operational capabilities, we provide features that allow users to submit their own content (videos, audio, images, etc.) to us (so-called user-generated content).

Our UGC offerings include, among others:

  • Contact forms
  • Contests
  • Surveys
  • Campaign participation opportunities
  • Social media promotions
  • Transfer of rights

When a user submits content (videos, audio files, images, comments, etc.) to us, they grant us rights without any restrictions in terms of time, subject matter, or location. This grant of rights applies to known and future uses of any kind (commercial and noncommercial), but in particular to online use, e.g., as part of our campaigns and our website.

The user warrants that they are authorized by co-authors, subjects, and other contributors to publish the content (videos, audio, or images, etc.) and that they have obtained the consent of all recognizable individuals for the purposes described herein. Participation using fake identities (e.g., email, avatar, profile picture, or name that impersonates another person, etc.) or using the identities of third parties is not permitted. We reserve the right to take legal action in the event of misuse.

The user indemnifies us against all claims by third parties (including legal defense costs) that may be brought against us as a result of the user’s use of the content. This indemnification is unlimited in scope, location, and duration.

By using this website, you agree to these terms and conditions. Minors may use our services only with the consent of their legal guardians, who are liable for any violations of the Terms of Use.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

We use various artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in our services to provide you with innovative and user-friendly solutions:

Text-to-Speech: Our AI-generated text-to-speech feature is designed to mimic human speech as naturally as possible. However, this may result in variations in speech quality and content reproduction. This feature is intended solely to enhance user-friendliness and should not be considered professional voice synthesis.

Image Generation: We use AI-powered tools to create images or visualizations—such as Midjourney, DALL-E, or Adobe Generative AI—that generate visually appealing and realistic representations. Occasional irregularities in image quality may occur. These visualizations are intended to optimize the visual user experience and should not be regarded as authentic photographs or professional image edits.

Text Generation: We use AI-powered text-generation tools to produce clear and precise content and translations. Despite the utmost care, errors or inconsistencies may still occur due to the tools used.

Thank you for your understanding. We are very pleased to be able to offer you these advanced technologies. Please keep in mind that, despite the most advanced AI technologies, absolute perfection cannot be guaranteed.

 

AI-translated based on the German version. Some sections may contain inaccuracies. In case of discrepancies, the German Netiquette applies.