# Why do consumers put up with this shit? (small print)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-consumers-put-up-with-this-shit-small-print/553477>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-consumers-put-up-with-this-shit-small-print/553477 "2010-09-12T05:01:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-consumers-put-up-with-this-shit-small-print/553477/41 "2010-09-14T21:41:29Z")

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[moderating]  
I edited the thread title to add “(small print)” at the end. Please do try to make your thread titles more descriptive. Thanks!  
[/moderating]

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**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-consumers-put-up-with-this-shit-small-print/553477/42 "2010-09-14T21:57:14Z")

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> [@minor7flat5](#):
>
> The other day I went to update some apps in my iPhone and was presented with a message saying “The iTunes store terms and conditions have changed…”
> 
> I can only imagine what they might have buried on page 42.

> **[The Best Page In The Universe.](http://maddox.xmission.com)**
>
> The Best Damn Web Page in the Universe

> [@](#):
>
> Back in the late 90s, everyone used Real Player. Then those cocks at Real Network got greedy, and tried to get their application to take over your entire PC, and people stopped using it. Same thing is happening with Quicktime now. You can’t install Quicktime anymore unless you download bullshit iTunes. This section was supposed to be longer, but I couldn’t even install iTunes so I could bitch about it. Not that I could have used it for what I wanted to anyway:

[![](http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/eula.gif) ](http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/eula.gif)

> [@](#):
>
> If I want to manufacture biological weapons with my copy of iTunes, I will, fascists. Ditch this bullshit.

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**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-consumers-put-up-with-this-shit-small-print/553477/43 "2010-09-14T22:09:04Z")

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I also seem to recall Google Docs using some sort of algorithm to determine how difficult a document is to read (based on a words/syllable ratio or something). And this same algorithm (can anyone help me with the name?) was in turn used as a safety valve to prevent against overly obfuscated language in insurance policy contracts in Florida.

EDIT: It’s called the Fleisch-Kincaid readability test.

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