(MSNBC) -- Users don't often have the time or attention span to read through the
whole terms of service that appear whenever they install new software
or try a new website. Yet hidden in there may be information that's good
to know. A new site, ToS;DR, does the hard work so you don't have to.
While
most terms of service are equally tedious and difficult to read, they
do actually differ in significant ways when it comes to issues like data
ownership, privacy issues and political positions. ToS;DR's name is a
riff on the acronym TL;DR, or "too long; didn't read," and it does for
walls of policy text what Spark Notes does for literature.
Casting
aside all the the nonsense and legal boilerplate, ToS;DR finds the key
parts of a site's policy and grades them. Do they claim copyright over
any images you upload? Thumbs down. Do they defend your privacy in
court? Thumbs up. Do they follow the law as interpreted by New York or
California? Informative either way.
RIght now, there are 32
services listed, from Twitter to Skype to Verizon. Not all have been
subjected to equal scrutiny, and few have actual "grades" yet. And there
are difficulties related to how certain sites must comply with
regulations in different countries. But their capsule summaries are
easier to read than the real terms of service and get across some
important points.
ToS;DR just started in June, so many more sites
and services will be added as they receive and parse more information
via their discussion groups.
