Welcome to the XING Help Center. Here you’ll find answers to your questions, and information on XING features. You can also contact the XING Support Team if you still need assistance.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface between software systems. An API enables connections and the exchange of information between these systems. XING is involved along with other Web services in the OpenSocial initiative, which provides developers with a standard framework for using APIs. This means that XING members will be able to use certain OpenSocial applications on XING in the future.
Browsers (otherwise known as web browsers) are special computer programs that enable users to access and view websites on the Internet. You can also view other types of documents as well though. Standard browsers include
Mozilla Firefox,
Internet Explorer from Microsoft or
Safari from Apple.
Cookies are small text files that are sent to the user’s browser and stored locally on their computer. These files contain information linked contextually with the website that the user is visiting. You have to allow cookies to be clearly identified during the time you use XING, i.e. cookies have to be activated in your browser.
The term "emoticon" (a combination of "emotion" and "icon") refers to strings of characters you can use to express your mood or how you feel when using written electronic communication. Emoticons developed during the time when text was the primary form of communication used on the Internet. Popular examples of emoticons include:
Netiquette refers to rules of conduct for online communication. Please adhere to the following basic rules when communicating with other XING members:
Phrase your messages, posts and entries in a clear and polite way and think about your reader's interests.
Take into consideration that non-verbal forms of communication like facial expressions, gestures and intonation cannot be adequately conveyed in writing.
Remember this lack of non-verbal communication can lead different readers to interpret humor, sarcasm and irony in different ways. Some members might also be unfamiliar with abbreviations, emoticons and common codes used to communicate on the Internet.
XING is an international platform where people from different cultures come together. Take into consideration that other members may therefore have styles of communicating that differ from your own.
Note: Please always remember that you are responsible for anything you write on the platform!
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is used to distribute website content in a standard format or to integrate the content into other websites. Many groups on our platform generate RSS files with the latest forum posts. In order to read RSS files, you need a
feed reader. This program allows you to automatically download and display various messages in an organized way.
"Tagging" refers to the assignment of keywords or "tags" that you choose yourself. This allows you to assign people to groups, such as "personal" or "business", "former classmates", "coworkers", etc.
"Tagging" makes organizing and searching for contacts easier and faster. Go to the "My contacts" page under "Contacts" and then select a person by clicking on an entry. Now you can use the "My tags" function to assign keywords to your direct, confirmed contacts, or to change tags you have already assigned. You can assign any person to as many groups as you wish and can choose any keywords you would like to use. At no time will anyone else be able to see the tags you choose. On the overview page of your confirmed contacts, you can use the "Search for tags" function to find people that you have assigned to certain groups.
The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) describes the address where certain content is stored. The URL for the XING login page, for example, is http://www.xing.com. You can find the URL for a website in the address field of your browser.
