There are two completely different types of language contact (to which variety contact also belongs) depending on their status of integration to the linguistic system. They can be fixed and integrated elements of the language, independent of the speaker ('loan words') – on the level of the linguistic system – or – on the level of the speaker – individual phenomena. These can be either habitual or occasional uses, so-called <i>switchings</i>. This reservation has also to be taken into account when interpreting older atlas materials where an informant provides a form close to the standard language or, in bilingual areas, a form of the respective second language. The theoretically fundamental difference is more or less likely in view of the linguistic data, but it is, however, actually never evident. Only the increase of informants, which becomes a quite realistic option with <i>social media</i>, promises us reliable information about this point.