Be honest: Do you actually read the terms and conditions when you sign up for a new site?

Contributor: sunflower sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an internet forum's rules or someone who is gonna take all my private info. It got me wondering, do YOU read the terms and conditions before signing up for new places and computer programs? Quote from the article:

First, Lorrie Faith Cranor and Aleecia McDonald needed a solid estimate for the average length of a privacy policy. The median length of a privacy policy from the top 75 websites turned out to be 2,514 words. A standard reading rate in the academic literature is about 250 words a minute, so each and every privacy policy costs each person 10 minutes to read.

Next, they had to figure out how many websites, each of which has a different privacy policy, the average American visits. Surprisingly, there was no really good estimate, but working from several sources including their own monthly tallies and other survey research, they came up with a range of between 1,354 and 1,518 with their best estimate sitting at 1,462.

So, each and every Internet user, were they to read every privacy policy on every website they visit would spend 25 days out of the year just reading privacy policies! If it was your job to read privacy policies for 8 hours per day, it would take you 76 work days to complete the task. Nationalized, that's 53.8 BILLION HOURS of time required to read privacy policies.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
Always.
Most of the time.
1  (2%)
Sometimes.
13  (27%)
Barely ever.
25  (51%)
Just scroll down and click 'accept'
10  (20%)
Total votes: 49
Poll is closed
06/01/2013
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Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
Like you, unless it's something that will have my private info, some type of schooling stuff (which some of it is done online, and in that case, I did read and do read before I hit accept since I worry it could tack on more tuition!) or other very important things. If it's a site I am going to be submitting my writing work to, I read that crap! Lol. If it's just some social site, no.
06/01/2013
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
Basically never unless it has to do with my healthcare or banking.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Stagger13 Stagger13
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
Not really. A quick skim through is the most I have ever done.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
I once read one that actually said "we can install tracking programming into your operating system to compile personal data used for marketing and user specific ad targeting". At least they were honest about it.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
Quote:
Originally posted by ViVix
Basically never unless it has to do with my healthcare or banking.
Even then, it is page after page of legal gobbledygook you cannot read without a law degree and a PhD in "old English" from Harvard!!!!
06/01/2013
Contributor: Beautiful-Disaster Beautiful-Disaster
I never really read through the terms and conditions... I'm too impatient for that.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
I don't have time for that in most situations.
06/01/2013
Contributor: married with children married with children
I skim through them, but I dont have time to read all the terms. They are so long and boring.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Nezzie13 Nezzie13
I actually skim parts of Google's policies for things, and on other sites I may go looking for something, but I never read the entire thing right then.
06/01/2013
Contributor: PeaceToTheMiddleEast PeaceToTheMiddleEast
I will sometimes and then sometimes I will skim thru it.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Living Doll Living Doll
Hardly ever.
06/01/2013
Contributor: sunkissedJess sunkissedJess
Psh never!
06/01/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
When I sign up for a new site, I always read the terms and conditions. If there are things that say that they can use my intellectual property, I want to know. When I'm downloading programs, though, I never read them. Which is silly, because I actually create things with programs and I would be ruined if Microsoft Word said that it owned everything that I typed into it.
06/01/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Great topic idea, sunflower!

I am the geek who reads it most of the time.

I am constantly amazed at the amount of intentionally used jargon!
06/01/2013
Contributor: Allstars316 Allstars316
I just accept and I'm in!!!!
06/01/2013
Contributor: AliMc AliMc
Heck, I can hardly be bothered to finish reading your question
06/01/2013
Contributor: Leather & Lace Leather & Lace
I barely ever read them.
06/01/2013
Contributor: wicked48 wicked48
Barely ever read them.
06/01/2013
Contributor: DolphinGirl DolphinGirl
I always just agree . . . to be honest there is a lot of jargon that I just don't understand or care to understand.
06/01/2013
Contributor: marshmallow marshmallow
never
06/02/2013
Contributor: KrissyNovacaine KrissyNovacaine
I can't bring myself to care to read them.
06/02/2013
Contributor: kandy anjel kandy anjel
Quote:
Originally posted by sunflower
I was reading an article that calculated how long it would take to read all the internet terms and conditions someone agrees to in a year... They are always SO LONG and sometimes I skim but usually I don't even read them unless it's an ... more
only sometimes if i think its important
06/02/2013
Contributor: sXeVegan90 sXeVegan90
Barely ever.
06/02/2013
Contributor: Hummingbird Hummingbird
I scan for private info but that's it.
06/02/2013
Contributor: The Vixen The Vixen
I try to at least skim them a bit. I try to read the more important looking sections like privacy, and what they want to do with my personal info.
06/02/2013
Contributor: mjtheprincess mjtheprincess
It totally depends. I read it all from time to time.
06/02/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by The Vixen
I try to at least skim them a bit. I try to read the more important looking sections like privacy, and what they want to do with my personal info.
Those are always the ones that I go for first as well! If I'm putting in my address or phone number when registering on a site, then I want to know that it's not going to become public knowledge.
06/02/2013
Contributor: LoveX LoveX
I do, sometimes. I do on forum sites, but things like fb I don't even bother.
06/03/2013
Contributor: sunflower sunflower
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
Those are always the ones that I go for first as well! If I'm putting in my address or phone number when registering on a site, then I want to know that it's not going to become public knowledge.
That's true. When entering credit card info, I always make sure it's a https:// link. I also hate telemarketers and people who send me spam mail and I'm always skeptical about giving my phone number out.
06/08/2013