Zynga's privacy policy | Hacker News Reader

Zynga's privacy policy

zynga.com

22 pointsnl19 comments

It is possible to have legal content be usable without resorting to gimmicks.

I randomly read MOG's ToS and found it incredibly scannible as it injects entertaining plain-speak header for each section. For example, one section is entitled: "MOG doesn't play well with countries who are on a shitlist".

More companies should do this.

http://mog.com/terms_of_use

So there was I, thinking "God, this has got to be the world's lamest point'n'click," and then they threw a multiple choice test in my direction.

(My hands down favourite part is when they tell you that you're a privacy jedi, so please head this way to install an application that will keep track of your points, so you can maybe get rewards.)

"God, this has got to be the world's lamest point'n'click"

Yeah.. but compare it to most privacy policies!

Fair enough: at least they're trying to add some usability to their privacy policy [1], but for Zynga that was a game designing underachievement. I actually felt a bit lectured there! :-)

[1] If you haven't yet, check out http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/privacy-icons/ (Privacy Icons).

Not entirely surprising really. Zynga makes no secret [1] of the fact that they don't actually design anything. They are very clear about the practice of copying [2] whatever is popular, slapping their own name onto it and peddling it off as their own.

And to top it all off, they then proceed to sue [3] the pants off of anyone trying to do the same.

[1]: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/zynga-ceo-to-employees-st... [2]: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-zynga-is-just-like-micros... [3]: http://www.google.nl/search?q=zynga+lawsuits

The actual privacy policy is here: http://www.zynga.com/privacy/privacy-policy.php

For a legal document it's quite well formatted and readable.

Absolute useless gimmick. I clicked without reading and still got 5 out of 5 on the "test".

When they make that test actually difficult to answer, then it will be a good privacy policy.

At least they are consistent. I level up on Empires and Allies by just randomly clicking as well.

I completely disagree. Read what you just posted... you got to the test and answered the questions. That means you read through the entire privacy policy. If any other policy would have been linked here, you would have skimmed it and moved on to the next front page HN link. The "game" design entices people to read, and is a very smart way to get people to read boring stuff.

I didn't read the questions - just picked the blindingly obvious answers. And I never read the policy, just clicked the buttons to see what was at the end.

As I am sure most did.

Yeah, I did the same.

That must be Facebook's policy!

I think it's a brilliant way to reinvent something nobody would ever read because it's typically too boring. Reading the HN comments it's easy to see the difference between pure engineers and creative people. The engineers don't see how cool this is to introduce change into the world to actually help people. Remember Zynga didn't have to go to the trouble to build this, yes they exploit your personal info for financial gain but then agsin who doesn't?

Well that felt more than a little patronizing.

You might want to grow a slightly thicker skin. The company makes facebook applet games for bored secretaries and 13 year old girls.

Sure, millions and millions in that segment, but still. It's a game company, not a law firm.

Let me put it this way, their actual privacy statement is perfectly readable and well organized. This thing, on the other hand, is intentionally baby talking to adults. I won't argue with regards to it's efficacy because I really don't know, maybe it's working great for them, but I find it profoundly depressing that people are viewing this as something remarkable rather than something that's essentially wtf worthy.

If taking a stance on that makes me "thin skinned" than I'll take that label.

Put it any way you want. You're complaining a gamelet company made a game out of their ToS that you find below you. Congrats, you're too intellectual for Candy Land.

The page won't load finish loading for me.

The cartoons make me feel much more at ease.

I particularly felt more at ease when selling my information to 3rd parties is presented as "Sharing". What nice folks over at Zynga, their just like my Uncle Jim who runs a real farm.

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