Community Guidelines

1. Why these guidelines exist

Hookitlingo only works if people feel safe practicing a language they're still learning, and comfortable teaching one they already know. These guidelines are less about rules and more about the kind of place we want this to be. They apply to everyone: learners, native speakers, teachers, everyone.

2. Be patient, especially with beginners

Everyone on Hookitlingo is somewhere on their language journey, and some people are just starting out. Mistakes, awkward phrasing, and heavy accents are part of learning, not something to mock. If you're a native speaker helping someone practice, remember that a little patience goes a long way, and that you were a beginner at something once too.

3. No harassment, hate, or targeting

This one's simple. Don't harass, threaten, demean, or target anyone based on who they are, including their nationality, race, gender, religion, or how well they speak a language. This applies inside Hookitlingo and to using information from Hookitlingo to target someone elsewhere.

4. Be honest about who you are

Don't claim to be a native speaker of a language you don't speak natively, and don't misrepresent your teaching experience if you're offering to help others learn. People are trusting what you tell them, especially early on when they can't yet judge for themselves.

5. No spam or unrelated self-promotion

Hookitlingo isn't the place to advertise unrelated products, services, or other platforms. If you're reaching out to someone, it should be about learning or teaching a language, not a pitch.

6. Staying safe when you connect with someone

Meeting a native speaker or a fellow learner is one of the best parts of Hookitlingo, and also a moment to use the same common sense you'd use meeting anyone new online. A few habits worth keeping:

• Don't share financial information, passwords, or anything sensitive with someone you've just met
• Be cautious of anyone who quickly asks to move the conversation off-platform and then asks for money
• If you ever plan to meet in person, do it in a public place and tell someone else where you're going
• Trust your gut. If something about a conversation feels off, it's fine to step away from it

7. Keep shared content appropriate

Profile photos, messages, and anything else you share on Hookitlingo should be appropriate for a platform used by people of different ages and backgrounds. No sexual content, no graphic violence, and nothing illegal.

8. What happens if these guidelines are broken

9. Reporting a problem

If someone's behavior on Hookitlingo doesn't sit right with you, whether it breaks a specific guideline above or just feels wrong, please report it. We'd rather look into something that turns out to be nothing than have it go unreported.

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