The most important thing about Terms of Service is that they are enforceable. And even if some parts may not be, you don’t want to have to pay to find out.

Linkedin recently announced new terms and conditions that go into effect in late October.  Here’s my take over on Recruiting Daily on some of the changes: Linkedin’s New Terms of Service: Better But They Still Suck

Here’s Why I Killed My Linkedin Account. The short answer is I decided I could not agree with Linkedin’s Terms of Service and that people could find me without LInkedin.

In case Linkedin is feeling picked on, I’ve taken other Terms of Service to task too.

In Facebook Terms of Service Translated, I explain what some of the legal terms mean and why they matter. You agreed to some crazy stuff.

The user agreements for Uber and Airbnb have some surprises too. For example, if something bad happens, they are not responsible: When Companies Ignore the Law

So who does terms of service right?

My favorite real life user agreement is Twitter’s. That’s because they are the clearest and most honest about what they are doing. This is partly because the platform is pretty straightforward and people understand that what happens in the twitter feed is public. So users’ expectations are aligned with what’s actually happening on the site. That’s a big deal, and someplace where both Linkedin and Facebook regularly fail.

My favorite fake agreement is Skippity’s Privacy Policy. It used to be their real one, until the lawyers freaked out.

We firmly believe that privacy is both inconsequential and unimportant to you. If it were not, you probably would not have a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn account: and you certainly wouldn’t ever use a search engine like Google. If you’re one of those tin-foil-hat wearing crazies that actually cares about privacy: stop using our services and get a life.

Really, read the rest of the Skippity policy. It’s true and funny.

The most important thing about Terms of Service is that they are enforceable. And even if some parts may not be, you don’t want to have to pay to find out. 

It’s also true that 99% of the time, they don’t matter.

Still, it’s good to know what’s there, and to make the decision to use a website or program based on what works for you.

I’m working on translating some of these policies, so if there’s one you’d like me to explain, let me know in the comments.