Privacy Policies Are Great — For PhDs 161
An anonymous reader writes "Major Internet companies say that they inform their customers about privacy issues through specially written policies. What they don't say is that more often than not consumers would need college undergraduate educations or higher to easily wade through the verbiage. BNET looked at 20-some-odd privacy policies from Internet companies that received letters from the House about privacy practices. The easiest to read policy came from Yahoo, at a roughly 12th grade level. Most difficult? Insight Communications, which at a level of over 20 years of eduction officially puts it onto IRS Code territory."
One thing I've learned.... (Score:5, Funny)
... in my over-20 years of education, is that some things just aren't worth reading.
Re:Word length (Score:5, Funny)
Who has time to read 5000 words?
You just need to break the task down and come up with a manageable work plan - if you tackle 5 words a day, you'll be done in less than 3 years.
Re:Word length (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, couldn't they just do it as 5 pictures?
Writing quality... (Score:5, Funny)
Insight Communications, which at a level of over 20 years of eduction officially puts it onto IRS Code territory.
Slashdot, on the other hand, is sitting somewhere around a grade 3 level.... :)
Re:One thing I've learned.... (Score:5, Funny)
and you visit Slashdot anyway.
Re:Word length (Score:2, Funny)
Who has time to read 5000 words?
You just need to break the task down and come up with a manageable work plan - if you tackle 5 words a day, you'll be done in less than 3 years.
Yes, but by that time MS will have bought Yahoo and I'll have to start all over again.
Re:Word length (Score:4, Funny)
Most privacy policies, EULAs, etc could easily be done in pictures.
They could even do it in just 2.
The goatse guy subtitled "You" and the other guy with the company's logo on a placard hanging off his "contract penalty"
Re:and they're only published in english (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It's Quite Obvious Why They're At This Level (Score:3, Funny)
Analyze the available EULAs, 90% of it boils probably down to the same few terms. Make a list of these terms, label each with a descriptive short name, and maybe a symbol.
I envision a middle finger, a guy bent over, and maybe a frowny face.