Checking my email....

[conuly]

We’ve added a mutual arbitration clause.

Hopefully, disputes will never be an issue, but in the case of one, this allows a third-party arbitrator to help us resolve them. We’ve also added a class action waiver. These provisions are an important part of our relationship with you, so please read them carefully.

...do they think their users are completely stupid? I'm quite sure that these provisions are an important part of their relationship with me, but that's because that's really shitty.

I mean, it's a free email service, so whatever, but don't insult me like this. Just give me a long line of small print, all-caps, and I'll scroll to the bottom and click okay. Don't make me read how you're screwing us over and then present it like I should be glad!

Comments

[spikethemuffin]

Amen!

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> ...do they think their users are completely stupid? <<

They count on people not reading stuff. Because if people read stuff, they wouldn't want to sign it. But there's rarely a better options. More and more businesses are going to forced arbitration, which is to say, doing away with the justice system.

The problem with this, of course, is the same as with any lack of a justice system. People resent being screwed, so they misbehave.

Re: Well ...

[conuly]

If it'd been buried in the typical page of text, I'd've been happy to not read it and pretend I had. But nooooooooo.

[jack]

I seem to be exceptionally susceptible/irritated with the "just assume you're grateful" thing :(

[conuly]

Seriously. The agreement itself isn't enough to make me change email providers - again, free service, I'm not paid enough to care - but the presentation? OMG.

[konsectatrix]

This. It's classic 'piss on us and tell us it's raining' behavior.

[monanotlisa]

I KNOW, RIGHT?!

"Mutual arbitration" and "class action waiver" simply mean: We are going to screw you over as an individual, because late capitalism in the United States doesn't protect you, neener-neener-neener.

[conuly]

And, again, it's a free service, I don't care that much. For serious. But bury that shit in a unreadable contract, don't do this.

[silveradept]

Augh. That's terrible, and yet, when they're the company with all the power...

[siderea]

...do they think their users are completely stupid?

Well, really, how much evidence do they have to the contrary.

Horribly, I think this sort of maneuver actually sort of works on a lot of people. Including on a lot of ostensibly smart people who should know better.

ETA: I mean, I go through life bitterly thinking, "Yes, I know I am one of the only 0.1% of your users who fully understand what fuckheads you truly are. I see you."

[conuly]

Hilariously, they've thus far allowed me to simply nope out of that page every time.

[darkoshi]

I appreciate that they at least provided a summary of the changes in their email. More companies are doing that lately, but some still don't and only link to the full updated TOS, making you have to dig through the whole big thing if you want to find out what changed. The class action part didn't bother me enough to make me want to read the fine print.

But this part bothers me, which is why I didn't click to accept the new terms yet:

We’ve updated some of the ways we collect and analyze user data in order to deliver services, content, and relevant advertising to you and protect against abuse. This includes:

Analyzing content and information (including emails, instant messages, posts, photos, attachments, and other communications) when you use our services. This allows us to deliver, personalize and develop relevant features, content, advertising and services
Linking your activity on third-party sites and apps with information we have about you...

---

I think that Gmail already does something like that (scanning emails to help determine what advertisements to show you), so maybe Yahoo will just be doing the same thing. But going from my guts, the way Yahoo worded it above seems more privacy-invading, than however Gmail worded it back when they first started doing it. Per the above, it sounds like I'd be agreeing to let any Yahoo employee read all my emails I send and receive through their service. I suppose I should go and read the fine print for that part, to see if that's actually true or not.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

"Don't make me read how you're screwing us over and then present it like I should be glad!"

But these are corporate attorneys, my friend; they drink your angst like vampires drink blood, and then laugh their way to the bank. Making you 'assume the position' first, "voluntarily", is half the fun.

You don't have to read their boilerplate just because it has to tell you to read it. Just click the damn thing if you want the service, or don't click it if you don't. It's free, and by now I hope we have all learned never to say anything in an e-mail that one would not want read aloud in court, so you've got no likely reason to sue them anyhow.

[conuly]

If it'd been printed in the usual small caps I would've happily scrolled past it and clicked okay. But nooooooo, it was readable and chatty and fuck 'em. I can't not read something.

Also, my mother is back in the hospital and I'm at the focusing on small details stage and omg it sucks.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

I know it does, hon; hope you all get through this all right.

I hear you about the focusing on small details and inability to not read something, especially when it starts off with "Important to read carefully!". It's not; it's only important to them that they told you it was: "Here is why you can't sue us; so there." Nasty little spoon-trap for anyone who can't not read visible text and who also has bona-fide important details to read and remember.