Find people you know on the online list
find a German partner
The open group is noisy. Sometimes I want to talk to someone I already know. That’s what the online list is for—it’s not just a coincidence.
List, Followers, People I Follow
In the chat, there are people who are online right now and those I follow. I’m not looking for someone in a crowd. I’m looking for a name. A one-on-one voice call has a different vibe than a group chat with five voices.
You need to log in. You need a microphone, too. But you don’t need a camera. If you’d rather save your face for later, you can still get started here.
The Second Step After the AI
I don’t join the list on day one. First, a few sentences with the AI; first, getting to know each other through pronunciation. Then one person, not a room full of people. The exchange is brief: name, where you’re from, one question. Two “W” questions—that’s it.
If no one I know is there, I’ll wait. An empty list isn’t a failure. The language group and the AI remain open.
What the other person doesn’t see
The word list and an API key stay on my device. The call is voice, not the library. That should go without saying. I write it down anyway, because people ask about it.
You’re allowed to end the call. In the middle of a sentence. Without an explanation—which I don’t have. Report and Block are there if things go wrong. In most cases, just hanging up is enough.
“Follow” Is Not a Promise
“Follow” means: I’ll find the person again. It doesn’t mean I’ll call every night. I keep the list small. Three names that actually respond are worth more than thirty I never tap on.
Meetings, When It Becomes Regular
If a call turns into an hour-long session with a teacher or a class, that belongs in a meeting room—with a password—not in a public bio. The list is the shortcut. The room is the appointment.
What a Call with Me Looks Like
I don’t check the list every hour. Just once in the evening. If the person is available, I call when I have something to say. No small talk out of the blue. “I said the word … today, and the ending was wrong. Can you say it once?” That’s a better call than ten minutes of talking about the weather.
If the list is empty, I don’t open the open group out of spite just because I don’t want a mic today. AI or cards. The list is an offer, not an obligation. I don’t make a big deal out of people dropping off. I stop typing if I don’t hear back for two weeks. Three active names are enough.
Headphones, not speakers, if someone’s in the room. The other side hasn’t booked a class, and neither have the people next to me. The camera stays off until I specifically want it on. Video groups are a different space and often cost more points. The 1-on-1 call on the list is a gentle introduction.
I don’t note anything about the person in the word list. The list is for vocabulary, not a profile. If something goes wrong, block them—don’t discuss it. The report remains invisible to the other person. That’s what the instructions say, and that’s how I handle it.