No such thing as a free lunch? and if you find one, why moan about the crisps?

[DR]

Everyone loves freebies and loves getting something for nothing. Yet when Google started talking about their 'free 1GB mailbox from GMail' there was uproar.

All I can say is people really need to get a grip. This is starting to annoy me, the service is free, no one is forcing you to use it. Why is there the constant legal people moaning about what they can and can't do.

If we said you had to meet xyz requirements to read HEXUS - that would be our decision. What right does the consumer have to moan about this? I have to say in todays IT society where it is harder and harder to be innovative this sort of 'mess' of people moaning for the hell of it is unreasonable. You are not paying for it, so simple, don't use it.

[Slick]

But most people don't read the terms and conditions when signing up to something like this as they're about 4 pages long and the consumer trusts the company to be reasonable. If google said in the terms and conditions that they would be able to kill your children when you sign up I'd call that unfair. I understand the need to make money but I can see why people are protesting so much if it overly invades people's privacy. They are also likely to be marketed towards the first time user for email who may not be aware of what's happening.

[mike_w]

I agree with David - nobody is forcing you to sign up, and when you do, you have to click a check box or something that says I have read and agree to the terms and conditions. If you don't read them, then that's your fault!

[DR]

But most people don't read the terms and conditions when signing up to something like this as they're about 4 pages long and the consumer trusts the company to be reasonable. If google said in the terms and conditions that they would be able to kill your children when you sign up I'd call that unfair. I understand the need to make money but I can see why people are protesting so much if it overly invades people's privacy. They are also likely to be marketed towards the first time user for email who may not be aware of what's happening.

Do you read the T&C when signing up to HEXUS? or the MS Downloads? No you just click yes. It is down to the consumer to read the T&C.

[megah0]

tbh, 90% of the time I do read the T&C, my dads old workplace got caught out and massively stung for not doing so and I have learned from their mistake.

T&C are there to protect you and the other party, not reading them and complaining when it all goes wrong is stupid imho.

And as David said, how can people expect to get this service free? a 1gb inbox is staggering, even if only 1000 people sign up thats an enormous amout of space to allocate to users, this obviously is going to cost Google a lot of money both in set up fees and bandwidth and maintenance etc. Of course they are going to try and recoup their expenditure in any way they can. The old adage is true, nothing is ever truly free.

[petrefax]

T&C are there to protect you and the other party, not reading them and complaining when it all goes wrong is stupid imho.

nuff said mate

[Agent]

What did i miss ?
I assume Google hasnt really wrote that they can kill your kids on the T&C's

[Slick]

I think if they were made simpler people would be more likely to read them. Most of the time they're very lengthly and don't tell you anything you need to know. Lots of people also do not have time to spend forever reading through T+Cs. David do you read every T+C before signing up for something? Have you ever read through them then changed your mind about signing up?

Most people will read through a contract before they sign it but people feel detatched and anonymous on the internet so don't expect them to have any real consequences.

Agent: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3621169.stm

[DR]

I think if they were made simpler people would be more likely to read them. Most of the time they're very lengthly and don't tell you anything you need to know. Lots of people also do not have time to spend forever reading through T+Cs. David do you read every T+C before signing up for something? Have you ever read through them then changed your mind about signing up?

Most people will read through a contract before they sign it but people feel detatched and anonymous on the internet so don't expect them to have any real consequences.

Nope I don't read all the T&Cs, but what I am saying is Google are not hiding this, it is in the T&C and people should accept it.

[Slick]

But there's a difference between making people aware of it and hiding it in a lot of small print.

[DR]

But there's a difference between making people aware of it and hiding it in a lot of small print.

But they are not - they are not hiding anything at all. Thats my issue, people also moaning about it, jesus it is a free service.

[acidrainy]

Another view point is from a third parties viewpoint...

What about the person who has accepted your thinking and has not signed
up to G-Mail. They run a nice little website selling rare models of planes.
Its not a large business, there is a little competition, but they get by.

Now, when they have a small customer base, they decide to send out a
mailing to their customer. This mail is to thank them for their loyalty and
offer them a discount if they return.

A couple of their customers use Google gmail, when sent, the e-mail is read
by Google’s wonder machine and advertises the small companies biggest
rival "Planes'r'glueable". Imagine a business’s thought when they essentially
provided an advert, to their customer, for their biggest rivals?!

Basically, I'm trying to say, it wont be just gmail users that will be affected.
It will be people communicating with others that use the service as well.
Other people, that have not signed any disclaimer to their mail being
automatically read. It's all fair and well saying "Don't e-mail anyone with a g-mail
account" but is this really a practical solution?

</Devils Advocate>

[Alan]

It is hypocritical to complain that people don't read the T&Cs. In many aspects of retail/commercial life they are quite cynically placed in low prominence areas or even just a note (Please refer to XYZ for our full terms) because they don't really want you to read them and be put off.

In the Construction industry, for example, Contract Conditions are always up front and in your face. Much of the time, they are based on standard conditions in which everyone is familiar.

Its all very well to say that Hexus could impose all sorts of requirements but it would be commercial suicide. I think David is making the hard nosed statement to provoke discussion but if he actually believes it whole heartedly, review it in 10 years and I think his opinion will have shifted.

[DR]

It is hypocritical to complain that people don't read the T&Cs. In many aspects of retail/commercial life they are quite cynically placed in low prominence areas or even just a note (Please refer to XYZ for our full terms) because they don't really want you to read them and be put off.

In the Construction industry, for example, Contract Conditions are always up front and in your face. Much of the time, they are based on standard conditions in which everyone is familiar.

Its all very well to say that Hexus could impose all sorts of requirements but it would be commercial suicide. I think David is making the hard nosed statement to provoke discussion but if he actually believes it whole heartedly, review it in 10 years and I think his opinion will have shifted.

The HEXUS statement was an example. But I do not see how people can complain about something which is free. Yes there are catches but people are not hiding the information.

[DR]

Another view point is from a third parties viewpoint...

What about the person who has accepted your thinking and has not signed
up to G-Mail. They run a nice little website selling rare models of planes.
Its not a large business, there is a little competition, but they get by.

Now, when they have a small customer base, they decide to send out a
mailing to their customer. This mail is to thank them for their loyalty and
offer them a discount if they return.

A couple of their customers use Google gmail, when sent, the e-mail is read
by Google’s wonder machine and advertises the small companies biggest
rival "Planes'r'glueable". Imagine a business’s thought when they essentially
provided an advert, to their customer, for their biggest rivals?!

Basically, I'm trying to say, it wont be just gmail users that will be affected.
It will be people communicating with others that use the service as well.
Other people, that have not signed any disclaimer to their mail being
automatically read. It's all fair and well saying "Don't e-mail anyone with a g-mail
account" but is this really a practical solution?

</Devils Advocate>

Good point, but the same could be said when you send a customer a HEXUS review link and they see competitors links on HEXUS. Yet again; why should they do it? Or how about when they go to a site which has Google AdSense adverts which also look at keywords.

It is a balance but at the end of the day it is up to the consumer - the trouble is everyone expects everything for nothing.

Get this - the Corsair Giveaway, I recieved several emails of hate mail from people who got the mailshots. Nothing wrong with what we did, we were notifying you about the new HEXUS situation. We are not in breach of the Data Protection Act, and we reserve the right to send Admin email shots. But we are not forcing people to do anything, just inviting them.

[Rys]

Whether or not it's free is besides the point. That doesn't mean Google can voilate your privacy to offer its service, whether you agree to it in the Terms and Conditions or not.

T&C does not override your basic rights.

"I reserve the right to kill you when I please" would never ever hold up in any court of law.

There are legit privacy concerns regarding the service, the fact that it costs nothing is neither here nor there.

Rys