1.	Be respectful and polite towards other chatters. They will then respect you and be polite too.
2.	When joining a chat room for the first time, don’t jump straight into the action. It’s better to observe first and see what sort of people are there and what the atmosphere’s like. After all, you don’t run into a pub and jump onto a table shouting: “Hey everyone, I’m here – talk to me!” Maybe the atmosphere and people in this room won’t suit you. If so, you can just go into another room.
3.	So you like flirting? Ok, but maybe the person you’re chatting with doesn’t. If someone is aloof, leave them alone instead of persisting. Some are even annoyed by the question: “Are you m or f?”
4.	Everyone has their off days. But don’t take your bad mood out on the other chatters! If you’re having a tough time, don’t make life difficult for the others – after all, chatting is about having fun. If you want to talk about your problems, you’re sure to find someone who will listen to you in a quiet chat channel or private room.
5.	Help newbies! If a newcomer enters, think back to your first chat. Did anyone help you then? Then do the same. Did nobody help you? Then do better than the others back then who should have helped you. Maybe the newbie will become a regular chatter and a friend.
6.	When you want to address someone in particular, call them by name, for example: “Hi tamtam. What sort of music do you like?” Otherwise the person may not know that your question was directed at them - and therefore won’t answer.
7.	Chatting is fun and humour is part of it. But everyone has a different sense of humour and what you find hilarious may make someone else sick to the stomach. Apart from anything else, the written word often has a totally different effect than the spoken one.
8.	Never pressurise anyone to give you their telephone number. If they want to speak to you on the phone, they’ll voluntarily give you their number (not in the chatroom!!!). But they themselves will decide when. And maybe they never reach that stage. You’ll just have to live with it. IMPORTANT! Never give any personal data like your real name, your address, your email address or your telephone number to other users. Of course don´t even tell other users about secret data like passwords etc. You never know who is behind the other chatprofile and if he or she has something evil in his/her mind. So always be careful!
9.	CAPITALS, bold, colours, smileys and other special commands should only be used for emphasis, for example, when you’re addressing someone and want to highlight their name, or you want to express your mood. Using these features all the time will get on the others’ nerves.
10.	Never use swear words when chatting. You’ll only incur the wrath of the others who want to chat in peace. Remember: the glorification of violence and drugs, pornographic images and racist comments are punishable under criminal law. It is also prohibited to offer or sell goods and products of any kind.
11.	If anyone in the chat is misbehaving, just leave them alone. Don’t argue with them and annoy the others. They’ll soon get bored and disappear when no one pays them any attention. If the person is particularly persistent, then inform the chat operator. Always inform the chat operator if anyone renders themselves liable to prosecution with their comments (see point 10). Write to the chat operator stating when exactly the troublemaker was online and the nickname they chatted under.
12.	If the chat operator allows you to choose a nickname, don’t pick one that will offend or is intended to annoy other chatters (e.g. Fake nicknames). It goes without saying that racist nicknames or nicknames that glorify violence are not allowed. Pornographic nicknames may only be used in designated adult chats and even then, only when permitted there.
13.	Don’t fall for the misconception that you’re anonymous when chatting. You’re not. Chat servers record and store your computer address (IP). The chat operator can access your provider from the IP address. Your provider, in turn, saves your telephone number that you used to dial in. In this way the chat operators can call people who are particularly nasty to account. Most chat operators also log the chats as evidence of criminal offences.
14.	If the chat operator allows you to drop a link into the chat, don’t use it to advertise other commercial products or chats. This is forbidden in all chats. But even continually dropping in a link to your own homepage quite quickly becomes irritating! Less is more applies here too.
15.	Never entice chatters away to another chat! If you don’t like the chat, don’t harp on about it. If you like another chat better, go to the other chat.
16.	“It used to be better here.” This is one of the most important sentences you will hear in your initial hours in any chat. It doesn’t mean that you’re worse. But if you don’t like it, remember that in a few months’ time. Sometime you’ll want to say that sentence too. Such is life. It used to be better. Always.

If you obey these rules then there’s nothing else standing between you and a great chat life :-)

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