h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It´s cold outside and wolves are already nibbling my frozen feet.
Finally! I have finished the article on addressing peolpe in German (full of mistakes, no doubt) and now I have good reason to ask you to let me join the club. For despite the mistakes and the poor style, I am fiercly proud of my work, and I´m sure all those nice and friendly people on the GMC are mor than willing to help me improve my entry.
Iamlookingforwardtohearingfromyouyoursfaithfullyandsoon

Nobody could resist against such a plea! We're definitely going to let you in! Welcome on board!

* kills wolf *

hmm, let me see what that article is...

Sounds good. And definitely not 'full of mistakes'!

Only one major point: you've written the piece on your personal space which should be used to introduce yourself or do whatever you like to do on a personal space. First of all you should create a new entry and copy&paste your work over there.

Apart from that, there's only a few remarks:

IMHO, "Du" expresses superiority only if the other side (eg, pupils) has to use 'Sie'.

"Du" as an attack or uninvited intrusion into private sphere and often as a gambit before big trouble: "Willst du eine auf's Maul haben?" - 'Hey you, wass'up, fancy a slap in the face?'

'Older than 35' rule needs more explanation (don't know about it)

At Kegeln (bowling) it's always "du" (or 'Kegelbruder') without /any/ other rule or exception!
Perhaps also coal miners when addressing each others? (don't know exactly)

In the small village where I grew up, everybody was 'du' because it's kind of a big family and via three or four hops everybody was everybody else's relative.

'Sie' plus christian name was (is?) used in school by teachers to address pupils over 16.

------ that's all!

Hi genfinch - please don't worry. Things will start moving again very soon.

Sorry I've been off line for a couple of days. I had a little accident and was resting while at home. I did go into work there, but my idiot of a boss has mucked around with my computer and I can't even get online now. I tried setting it up again, but didn't have all the files available on my terminal, so will have to wait till boss comes back and sorts it out.

I think it is a brilliant idea to write an entry on forms of address because very often it is the obvious subjects which get forgotten.

I shall include it in the "German Class", too.

(always making plans...)