5 ms·

250 hours: that is the number of hours required to actually read all the adhesion contracts the typical American is exposed to in a year. https://www.theguardi

250 hours: that is the number of hours required to actually read all the adhesion contracts the typical American is exposed to in a year. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/03/terms-of-service-online-contracts-fine-print https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/03/terms-of-... 250 hours is a full man-month of time. Do you have a free month in your calendar to read contracts and do very little else? Nobody I know has that sort of free time. So calling people or their behaviors "failures" for not reading all contracts is an unfair, unrealistic expectation.

ASalazarMX 8y ago
Even if all people started reading, fully understanding, and declining those contracts, they can be made longer so people stop reading them again.
downandout 8y ago
Access to Facebook, Spotify, or Netflix is not a human right. These are private services offered by private companies who are free to offer those services on any terms they choose. It’s fine and completely understandable that you may not have time or cannot understand the agreements under which they may choose to offer you access. Your remedy for that is to not use the services in question. Your remedy isn’t to lie to them and falsely certify that you have read and contemplated them.
- adamsea 8y ago
  Don’t hate the human.
- jerf 8y ago
  Bold words. Question: Off the top of your head, for what period of time may you make a claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of Hacker News or its terms of use? I'm just curious whether you've read and understood the terms of use for the site you're making these bold claims on.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - downandout 8y ago
    Actually I have read them, back when I agreed to them many years ago. I don’t recall the specific detail you are asking off the top of my head, nor would that be a reasonable expectation of anyone. However, since I read and agreed to the terms and conditions, I know that a) such a document exists; b) that I can refer to it at anytime to answer such questions if I have them; and c) that I did not lie to Hacker News when I registered. Can you make the same claim?
- rabboRubble 8y ago
  Adhesion contracts are not limited to social media and entertainment sites, and I suspect you are picking those sites to belittle based on the frivolity those sites' categories. Adhesion contracts appear in banking, medical, and insurance contracts and yes, when you sign up for Facebook or Netflix. Yes, you can choose different services. Please identify a banking, credit card, brokerage, doctor, and insurer that does not have lengthy contracts.
  - downandout 8y ago
    The point is that they don't have to have short contracts. If you choose to use their services, then you should review the agreements, or at least not complain when they exercise their rights under those agreements that you falsely claimed to read.

ASalazarMX 8y ago

Even if all people started reading, fully understanding, and declining those contracts, they can be made longer so people stop reading them again.

downandout 8y ago

Access to Facebook, Spotify, or Netflix is not a human right. These are private services offered by private companies who are free to offer those services on any terms they choose. It’s fine and completely understandable that you may not have time or cannot understand the agreements under which they may choose to offer you access. Your remedy for that is to not use the services in question. Your remedy isn’t to lie to them and falsely certify that you have read and contemplated them.

adamsea 8y ago
Don’t hate the human.
jerf 8y ago
Bold words. Question: Off the top of your head, for what period of time may you make a claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of Hacker News or its terms of use? I'm just curious whether you've read and understood the terms of use for the site you're making these bold claims on.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- downandout 8y ago
  Actually I have read them, back when I agreed to them many years ago. I don’t recall the specific detail you are asking off the top of my head, nor would that be a reasonable expectation of anyone. However, since I read and agreed to the terms and conditions, I know that a) such a document exists; b) that I can refer to it at anytime to answer such questions if I have them; and c) that I did not lie to Hacker News when I registered. Can you make the same claim?
rabboRubble 8y ago
Adhesion contracts are not limited to social media and entertainment sites, and I suspect you are picking those sites to belittle based on the frivolity those sites' categories. Adhesion contracts appear in banking, medical, and insurance contracts and yes, when you sign up for Facebook or Netflix. Yes, you can choose different services. Please identify a banking, credit card, brokerage, doctor, and insurer that does not have lengthy contracts.
- downandout 8y ago
  The point is that they don't have to have short contracts. If you choose to use their services, then you should review the agreements, or at least not complain when they exercise their rights under those agreements that you falsely claimed to read.